The Greeley tribune., 1906-01-04

.ia'e LAY You ever thought, young man.
"""I II means to be dubbed .old and
no Eood'' Have you an idea of the
,''peleAShess Of age when the only ont
iUoh Is continued need and reduced
earning capacity? The truth came
-, HuloilSly 10 Jonas when he began
~ ~ sseh work There was no work for
mn mn Ihey wanted young men. He
was 100 old; he couldn't stand tbo
l"gHel' And some were less cant1o
Mltn the rebuff. Gradually his little
luna dWindled, and at last no moIo
ms way by begging mt farm honscs
HIohE tue road. He found shelter In
10y t'cAS ana barns, sucaking in after
un'A ana leaving before dawn. Lack
VI lood began to tell. The wrinkles
ueepened in his face; his eyes fool,
on Il hopeless expression: his goit woS
SloMer' sn',N ms back began to bend. In a
.eW weeks Jonas was an old, old man
-AHu WIN weakness came the feeling
OIL dependence. His pride melted. lie
wanted Il strong arm about him. Hut
thefe was only one in all the world on
"Aoh he might caLl--"Sonny." And
Where was sonny now?
Ihere was ample time for Jonas to
regret the past. AS he plodded along
'lc frozen road he recalled the occur
rehceS OF ten years before. when
sonny had passed out of his life
On the boys shoulders had fallen the
burden OF the farm with its mortga ge.
iosethet they had worked, Bill doing
INC HpuS share. TO raise the encum
Drance; and when the money was nj.
most In hand, Jonas had loaned If
against Billy'S earnest protest 70 n
friend on an unsecured note, at heavy
interest. And when the friend failed
BlIly saw the fruits of his labor swent
away III night. Was it any wonder.
Lueh' lhat lie proposed giving up the
iarm and moving TO the city? Were
they TO continue there, with noses TO
the eternal grindstOne, merely eklng
out a living? The mother agreed
iaIlh in her son being deep and abid-
ing; but Jonas said No, and when.
aIter months of argument, Billy an
nouuced his intention of going alone.
Jonas rose in wrath and showed him
the door, bidding him with curse to
20, and stay, and never show YOUR
lace again. Now, in his bitterness,
weak and weary Jonas sat down by
the side OF the road and went quietly
the first time in years. Oh. if he could
only find sonny" Sonny would
forgive him. His heart went back to
the old home: TO the sorrowing mother.
who had pined away gricying for her
son. He did not know that on the day
of his departure, Billy, prosperous and
generous, having heard of the ap-
preaching sale, had appeared before
the astonished Squire Barlow and up
set that individuals prophecy by salts
flying all demands and rendering the
sale Unnecessary; nor that for weeks
Billy had been advertising all over the
East for his father to come home.
1t was New Years eve. Jonas had
been on the road over a month. With
out knowing how, or, indeed. why, he
had proceeded steadily north, through
the mountains, and now, as the bleak,
winter day drew to a close, he was ap-
prOaching the great city of Pittsburg
From afar he had seen the heavy
smoke lying low on the horizon. The
road was lined with beautiful resi-
denceS, and as dusk came on, lights
appeared in the windows. There was
warmth and cheer. Might not food
and shelter be there too for an old
man? He could not keep up much
longer. His shoes were worn through.
He was sick with hunger. In deSpera-
tion he followed the driveway of a
palatia1 residence and made his way
back to the stable. The hostler
came at him sayagely, "Git out O
here" he growled. This amt no
place for hoboes" Jonas turned and
went out again. He would not beg
from common stable-hand. He
would push ON TO the city.
As he passed the side of the house
he glanced up at the roof and stopped
suddenly. There was Il glow in the
attic window The glass Shivered and
Il gush of smoke and flame told him
instantly that the house was on fire.
With quick steps he ran to the front
and up on the broad porch. The door
was locked, but he pounded on it with
his fists. "FIREH' he shouted; and
again, "FIRE. FIRE, The dooropened
suddenly, showing the white, scared
face of a woman. "FIIiE.' Your
house is on fre.' he cried, as he
pushed past her.
Women screamed and children ran
hither and thithcr. Hardly knowing
why Jonas hurried up the broad stairs
As he turned into the upper hall a
cloud of smoke enveloped him. lie en-
tered the first room and ran TO the
window. Opening it, he shouted into
the still night air. "FIRE! FIRE.. lie
hoard mems voices, but as in dream,
for the smoke was sitting him. He
must get back or die, like II rat in a
hole. As he groped his way he fell
orainst a bed A tiny voice started
him. 1t was Il baby, choking in the
dense smoke. He reached out bllndIy;
his hands came upon the child strus'
rljng beneath heavy coverings. lie
grabbed it up, dragging off the blnh,
I;cts. and wrapping them around the
uttlr ones head and body.
Somehow he reached the door, stag
To