The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-05-28

his eyes imploring, his lips trembling.
you'll none have the law again hint"
he duplicated.
"Zick!" cried out Mr. Hawthorn "You
and | have been together all these years,
and you ask me that?"
But the old man was beyond listening
to reproach or a justification. "Sallie's
little lad" he muttered. He put up his
arm before his eyes; hard sob broke
from him. He had forgotten his master,
the office. The case lay not between
Rube and Mr.. Hawthorn, but between
Kick and his Sallie.
Lass he pleaded aloud, and he
turned for moment and raised his eyes
to the blue wedge of sky showing
through the office window. as if Sallie
were just behind it. II did me best,
lass; don't grieve, don't take on; just
think I was an old fool, and not good
enough for the job you left me. 1t is
me who is to blame Me! Not him,
your little lad, that / saw you sewing
'em bits of thing for the last time you
and me sat side by side before the fire.
Think, lass, as how my fingers was all
thumbs with Rube's little clothes when
he was too small to do for himself! 1t
has been the same with learning him
proper. 1t has been me that had moth
ing but thumbs at learning him proper.
It wasn't your little lad that you died
for at all; it was nobbut mel"
Mr.. Hawthorn waited. He caught a
word here and there of the low, whis-
pering voice. He could hear that lick
was accusing himself. At first he feared
that the shock had been too much for the
old man, that it had unhinged him, but
when it seemed to him that lick was
acquiring comfort from his monologue,
he waited.
At length. when the quietness fell in
the little room, and the thud of the en-
gines and all the miscellaneous sounds
Of the workaday world came in, Mr..
Hawthorn began again.
"There are many temptations to- a
young lad coming fresh into an office
such as this"
"There is acquiesced the same dull
voice.
"There are more temptations to clever
lads than to the dull ones.''
Maybe" answered lick.
''Rube is the brightest lad we have
ever had"
"Aye," said Kick, with long sigh. 81
said that myself this morning" and the
contrast between his exultation at the
dinner hour, and his despair before the
tea hour came, caught him, and seemed
to grip at his heart until he felt suffo
Gated.
The master came round, touched his
workman on the shoulder
MY FRIEND" he said, and the two
stood side by side while the master spoke
persuasively, "let us say that it was a
sudden temptation. Perhaps, since it
was the first step aside, it will be the
last. I have made up my mind to give
Rube another chance. I shall let him
stay on. No one knows, so it will be
easy for him. / shall have him in here
all by myself, and I shall tell him that,
as his father can trust him to be honest
for the future, can"
Again there was silence in the plain
bare room, with the japanned boxes, in
stead of pictures, ranged on shelves
round the wall, and great drawing of
machinery over the fireplace. The sun
suddenly streamed through the dingy
window; lick watched the particles of
dust as they danced to and fro, up and
down, a slanting wedge of golden
brightness.
There was war in the old mans heart.
THE fercest, the hottest of all human
battles was being waged there. The
fight was not only between principle and
love, it was between duty and a fathers
great affection.
Godfrey remembered his empty pock-
ct. He remembered that it was the Sec
ond occasion on which his 'lowance had
been missing, he remembered that Anne
liza Ann had declared that penny or
two had lately gone three or four times
out of the mug where the housekeeping
money reposed lick had not seen RUDE
steal from the mug, from his pocket.
He could say he had seen nothing. But
did he, in his heart of hearts, believe
that Rube had taken it-nay, more, in
his heart of hearts was he not sure?
Mr.. Hawthorn waited, a new surprise,
new perplexity gradually overspread-
ing his face.
"Can you trust Rube?'' Mr.. Hawthorn
asked.
Godfrey flung up his arms.
Lord help me, I CAN'T" he cried out.
He turned. He put up trembling, shak-
ING hands to the slanting band of sun
hight, as though ne saw IN IL an anger ,
ladder leading from earth to heaven,
looked with tear blinded eyes to where
he knew that the wedge of blue still
frightened the sky.
''Sallie lass,'' he implored, "don't take
on Bide comfortable up there. He is
your lad, know, and you only left him
with me for our bit here, But what
could | do? I couldn't lie, and I wouldn't
say aught but what have said, and tell
the h."-Marian Bower in The
Sketch