Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-05
DAILY. STORY
THE CROAkER.

4 hard time of it, for they had no
money with which to stock their farm,
when son was born to them. The
father did not welcome the little stran-
ger giving as an excuse that he saw
nothing ahead for the boy but a life
of poverty, and poverty meant slavery.
Not SO Katrina. \ mother is too alb
sorbed in her child to worry about its
future She content~l herself with the
care of little Peter. as he was named.
trusting TO his own strength when he
became a man to bling him comfort
The father never got over crOaking.
as the mother called it. about Peters
future. and when the boy was old
enough TO play with little Gretchen
Becker. the daughter of George Beck
err who occupied the adjoining farm,
Hans said: See. there is more misery
coming. By and by they will marry
and bring more children into the world
to suffer" This constant forebodinG
hung like dark cloud over Kauina's
life. It tended to draw her nearer to
her son and eStrangc her from her nus
part Of Il child'S affections. and little
Peter showed his preference for his
mother from the first. This was nat
ural. How could he love 4 man who
was continually telling him and his
mother that he would grow up to beg
gary
One matter especially tended to make
| this division in the family OF -he father
on one side ana the mother and son on
the other. Hans had Il secret which
| he told neither of them. From little
| Peters birth every now and then lee
would 60 somewhere at night afte.
| they had gone 10 bed. always remain
! ing away about the same length of
| time. an hour. Katrina did not ask hc-
| husband where he went. she knew
| that if he wished her to know he would
/ tell her. When her son became old
| enough for her to talk with him about
| his fathers absences. the secret drew
| them closer together and separated
| them the more from the husband ANA
/ father. Peter suggested that he follow
| his father 80 SEQ where ne went and
what he did. but Katrina said No"
and Peter, thzugh very young, had the
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/ childish friendship and the love o.
! maturity hut there came a time when
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.''u 'l,>'" MS '.odh'-'S ana S"l" noun
NIX ""o"' " Ia. "e 9"" i''i'"'l.
li.'.7 N''7 d 'i'' t'r "l'''i7 LA" '''-I a
7oo" HuNo"-'u 'ud i"IH1I' -N''''taf Hi
"ilc nor son h''I any Complaint t'
maze OF nun except 'he moFo~e view.
A' hdd always taken "l the boy l"-
'uFe. ~ time went On ne got money
20 b"F STOCK ana ipoiS lor ms firN
and before Peter came OF ag" had farm
ana stock and tools paid for. But be.
You'd thls he had nothing 10 show fol
twenty years OF toll
one day Katrina ncrved herself to
speak to hog husband about thcir boy =
love affair. She told Hams that Pctc-
was going to marry Gretchen.
Yes; / know said Hans. when
Will they be marriad?"
As soon as the crops are gathered"
Hans turned away without word
Katrina sighed. she would have ratlI.
or had him say, Il told You So" than
nothing. People who viii not either
| oppose Us o. agree with us are the
most irritating. Peter had been told
that if he left his fathers farm he
would be employed on Bcckar's farm
but could only expect the wages OF al
ordinary hand and that only when the
3 crops were being gathered. Peter had
saved enough 10 carry him and wife
through the first winter. He wanted
to ask his father if he could continue
, to work for him, but dreaded to speal
Of the matter.
However the wedding 19v c9uar