The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-09-26

it now. He looked up at his wifi
with wishfulness in his eyes. I
would be pleasant thing to have
strong, young fellow about. H
never thought of Maria being old ant
tired, too-she was so brisk and cheer
full that the thought never came int
his mind.
Father" his wife said, standin,
beside him and smoothing back th'
coarse hair from his weather beater
3 face, 'I feel it tonight as I never fel
it before, that the day will come wher
. you will thank the Lord that yot
gave our boy the start"
The very next day there came q
letter in which the boy asked fol
} money. But Maria was not dis
couraged when she read her sons
letter. She did not lose any of hel
faith in him. She entered into his
plans and speculations with eager
ness; she knew they would turn out
as little Ike had said. She persuaded
the old man to go up to the big chest
for the money that the lad wanted,
and she sent it to him with unshaken
trust.
Long ago her neighbors had laugh
ed little in their sleeves over Mrs.
Carter's belief in her wonderful boy,
even when he was a little fellow,
smart enough, but too young for the
grammar school. Later, they had
not approved of her sending him to
college. They heard about the letter
that was carrying money in the wrong
direction almost as soon as it started,
and, one by one, they dropped in,
curious to learn how little Ike was
getting on. and where he was and
what he was doing.
Little Ike's mother, entertaining
her callers in the front room with the
noisy bird, or in the quiet kitchen,
spoke freely on her favorite subject,
without any suspicion that they had
come from any other motive than
kindly interest. "Little Ike was
bound to find his fortune somewhere, +"
she said. "He was such boy for
keeping his work, and he had always
said he'd make his fortune" Her
eyes grew misty, and she fell to laugh
ing softly.
can amt he sendin' money home
already :" one neighbor asked.
She shook her head at this and said,
mo, not yet. 1t takes time and
money, too, to make a fortune, but
little Ike is sure to make his and
ours"
They've been waitin' seve
years." said the neighbors, smiling,
too, "and they amt quit waitin',
neither p
"a no-count feller." That is what
all the people living near the Carriers
styled little Ike; and down at the
market they called him that, though
his mother stood there behind her
flower stand and cast kindly glances
around her, thinking how she was en-
wed by them all, and resolving in
her heart not to grow too proud.
times during the next winter. He
must have money to carry out his
plans. 1t did not occur to him that
he should not ask bis parents for this
money. Was he not working for
them all-for his father and mother
first, and then for himself? He need
ed all the money they could spare.
The old man doled 1t out and grum
bled about it after it was gone, but
he always gave it the next time. 1t
was starting little Ike over and over
again, but his mother was so sure
Little Ike's mother stepped lightly
around the house. Her boy was
working for an end; father should
rest in his arm chair and smoke his
pipe by and by. Just a little patience
and the waiting would be over.
Spring came, and one day her hus-
band gave her the last of the money
in the big chest to put in the letter
she was writing. She knew that he
was angry with their boy, but she
felt so sure that all would soon be
right that she smiled up at him when
he gave her the last of the money,
she bade him not to fret. Soon all
would be right.
It was a hard spring. A strange
insect attacked the flowers, and made
havoc in Ike Carter's gaudy beds and
in the cleaning greenhouse. The
old man toiled early and late, but the
flowers that he hauled to the market
were very sorry specimens. 1t was
hard to sell them indeed, he brought
back most of them. The old wo-
mans S hair grew white as snow dur
ing that summer, aud the lines in her
face deepened, but her eyes and her
voice were as cheerful as ever, and
her step as brisk.
"Father," she said to the old man,
"we've no call for to find fault.
'Tisn't as if we hadn't nobody. Well
get our rest yet.
Then the old man looked up at her
suddenly and realized that she needed
rest, too. A blaze of anger swept
over him. She was sitting in her
rocking-chair under the bird cage,
with her Bible in her lap. Her head
was bowed little, and the faint light
poured in on her snow white hair.
The money In the big chest was quite
gone. He had given it because she
had asked for 1t, and now she must
bear with the grumbling.
us he goiu' to pay the taxes?" he
asked, sharply.
She gave start.
'I want to know ef he's a-goin' to
pay the taxes? They'll be due a
Wednesday"
He rose and walked out into the
poor little garden. His wife rose too,
and went slowly up the stairs to the
room over the kitchen. She took
from the bureau drawer an old stock