Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-02
DAILY SHORT STORY
MY ATONEMENT.

with me He seemed to have money
enough, but l didn't get as much of 1t
as / wanted. I've learned since, TO
my sorrow, that he was struggling with
mortgages and had hard time to give
us home and clothes. One day
asked him for some money to buy
, shotgun with, and when he refused l
said something ugly to him. He called
me ungrateful and said I'd always be
burden to him. 1 didn't know that
he was at that very time straining ev-
cry nerve to keep out of bankruptcy,
while l was asking for money to buy
what 1 didn't need. No wonder he
was harsh with me.
But his words excited in me all that
was bad and all that was strong. 1
made up my mind then and there that
would be burden to no one, and
without saying .'goodby" l went away
and came to the city. l felt some
qualms of conscience as to mother. but
this did not deter me. My sister Lucy
was but little girl, and didn't think
OF her l soon found Il job, and as l
had but one idea-to make money!
worked all day and often far into the
night. This attracted the attention of
my employers, and they showed me up
rapidly.
Gradually my interest in my parents
faded away. The one thought | had
of father was to go back home some
day and show him that 1 had more
money than he had. But L had
craving for work and never could find
time when l was willing to give it
ND long enough to make the trip.
One day 1 met familiar face on the
street and recognized a former school
mate. He told me that father had
been sold out of everything except the
house he lived In, which was now
worthless. and he and mother and my
sister were literally starving. l could
not have been more astonished II l
had seen Satan pass by with his cloven
feet sticking out from under his trou-
sers 1t never had occurred to me that
father could be poverty stricken. Chill
dren from infancy rely on their parents
for what they need and thus come to
consider them always as having pos
sessions. The only idea l had of my
father was that he had withheld from
me what he ought to have given me.
1 went straight to my counting room
and drawing checks for an aggregate
of $1,000 sent them to the bank to be
certified, but now my desire to out
shine father was n horror to me, and
1 started home the next morning in an
old suit / used for inspecting our ware
houses. AS soon as l arrived l went
home and stood on the opposite side OF
the street looking at it. Heavens, how
small it looked, and how dilapidated!
The roof was ready to cave in. / went
over and knocked. \ young girl about
seventeen came to the door. She look
ed half starved and very shabby, but
l knew her for my little sister. l want
ed to take her in my arms, but she
didn't know me- and l would have
frightened her, so l asked her if her
mother was at home, and she took me
into the parlor. 1t was the same par
lor, with the same furniture, but the
upholstery was in rags. When mother
came in she knew me at once, though
1 had grown beard since leaving
home. She fell into my arms In
faint.
Father, hearing something amiss. |
came hobbling in-he was all broken
down with rheumatism-and seeing |
HOIneF Ill IHc dTu1S Oh IL SlTdUSe young
man looked mystified.
Father 1 said extending my hand |
to him. forgive me-"
He just sat down and covered his |
face with his hands. Mother took me |
TO him and put my hand in his.
I'd been thinking so long how 1 |
would go home and show father that |
l was a better man than he that now l |
was there and had plenty of money 1 |
felt a repulsion at Offering it. After |
we had got q little used to the situa- |
ton 1 went out with Lucy, my sister, |
and we stocked the larder. i got some |
information from her about fathers |
affairs and when we went home again |
L had given her the checks, one of which |
was for her, and told her to put them
where father and mother would find |
them.
stayed at home that night, aNd just
before going to bed 1 heard a commo-
ton downstairs and, returning to the
sitting room, saw the cause. Mother
in taking up her Bible to read her
usual chapter before going to bed had
found a $1,000 check in the place of
her bookmark. l ran back upstairs |
and pretended to have gone to bed.
Pretty soon 1 heard loud talking in
fathers and mothers room and, as the
partition was thin, heard father tell
mother that he had found a $1,000
check pinned to the collar of his night
shirt. He tried my door, but 1 had
locked it and snored Justify.
Well. the next day 1 called a family
told them that / was rich
and asked them whether they would
rather have the old house rebuilt or
come to the city with me. Father and
mother decided that they were too old
to leave the place in which they had
always lived, but consented that 1
should take Lucy back with me and
put her to school. Father and 1 went
out and found a builder, who took
charge Of the repairs. or, rather, the
of the house, and after our