The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-05-28
SALLIE'S LITTLE LAD.


the group, enjoying a cheerful midday
meal by the warmth OF the engine house
fire of the Hawthorn mills, who might
have leisure from his own bread and
cheese to listen, Il do not hold with new
tangled notions and new-fangled ways.
Not me-! Why" raising his large head,
with the white locks still curling about
the open, honest brow, Il am always
hearing tell of folks running about from
this place to that. A change here, an
other tomorrow. 1t has always been
! good enough for me to work for one
I master. | came to Hawthorn's mills as
bow. and [ have been here ever since.
And Rube.'' with q smile that softened
the rugged features until they were as
tender as a woman's, will do the same,
I'll be bound" He had felt measure
of proprietorship in the office and its
concerns for the last month-that is,
ever since RUDE, his only child, the Ben
iamn of his old age, had been installed
there as Office boy.
Zine lad" continued the old man,
speaking aloud to himself, as he walked
along toward his job, SHARP as they
make 'em, and that good at books and
figures"
| Kick thrust his hands into his pockets,
impelled by wave of usefulness, of ex-
altation. They sank down into empti-
ness; the old man pulled them out as
though they had been bitten. In one
moment all the Joy, the confidence, lett
his face II W.: overcast, troubled. On
Saturday night he had placed what he
called his 'iowance money for the COM
ing week in his pocket-and it was not
there now.
He turned out the pocket. There was
no hole in the lining. He had put the
money into the left hand pocket. He re-
membered particularly, because once be-
fore. about five weeks ago, it had been
missing and he had not been able to
recnlIect (that time) the actual fact OF
his placing it there.
The old mans eyes grew dim. he,
who was as punctual as the clock, for
got the hour, the place awaiting him.
He was visited by terrible suspicion
which, though he would have given all
he possessed to dismiss it as absurd, as
| impossible. would stay with him, would
clamor to be taken into account.
Standing there in the middle of the
mill yard, with the roar of the machin-
cry about him, With the great chimney
belching out clouds of smoke, with the
sharp cry of the foremen's voices as
they issued orders, and the changing OF
the gate bell that heralded a team or
a wagon demanding admittance, lick
carefully went over each minute OF the
last twenty -four hours. On Saturday no
one but he and Rube had been in the
little house in the long row Of mill cot
tages for Amelia Ann, his wife's cousin,
who "did" for him ever since he was a
widower, had taken night out to see
EAST Lynne' at the Theater Royal. On
Sunday, to be sure, he had gone to
church in the morning, but the same
lady had been in possession of the kitch-
en-. cooking the Sunday dinner, and if she
had meant to rob him, she would have
started long ago. All the rest of the
day he, lick, had been at home. Rube
had been the only other person in the
house. RUDE
His thoughts went back to his wife.
Sallie had not been exactly young when
he married her, but she had for him a
sweeter face than any other woman.
He remembered her feebleness, which
had only Just permitted her to pull his
arm down to their newborn babe; he
remembered how he had looked forward
to the time when she should be up and
about again; he remembered that terri
BILE call in tho darkness of the night,
when Amelia Ann had rushed in to him,
telling him to come at once. He had
gone almost as she spoke. He was only
lust in time. AS he looked at her, he
understood that Sallie was leaving him.
She was past moving, past speaking.
Her eyes had implored him. He had
understood. He had returned thanks
from that day to this that he had I'M
derstood. Slowly, distinctly, he had
promised to be mother as well as father
to their child
Now, as the wheels revolved about
him, as the great cranks rose and fell
methodically, as the belts ran swiftly
over their pulleys, he was appealing, in
his mind, to that wife who had left him.
Glass;" the old man murmured, drops
of sweat that were not due to the exer-
tions of his body standing out in beads
about his brow, II have done my best !;
you know l have done my best; and if
YOU are up there with the angels you
must know more. You will know what
II can't understand-you will know
WueI0 Guc luOLCy HOS SO1iO, JOu VIII
know-though can't see who else could
have taken it-that Rube had naught to
do with it, or you would never bide COM
Portable among that music and them
crowns"
The idea comforted lick, quoted him.
There was, there must be, some solu-
tion entirely generating RUDE that his
poor brain could not grasp.
He moved aside a step or two, to
where he could catch glimpses of the
sky through the dust covered window
Before him was little wedge of blne
He looked up as often as he dared. He
saw the colored patch growing larger
and larger, the gray disappearing. 1t
seemed to him that that was how Sallie
was speaking to him, was reassurine
him.
1t was hardly an hour later that one
of the clerks came to him, and bidding
him let the underman take command OF
the machine, told him that the master
wished to speak to him in his private
room.
Stamps, it appeared, small postal or
ders, had been missing from the office
for the last month, and an investiga-
tion had established beyond a shadow OF
doubt that Rube was the thief.
As Zicl listened the perspiration be-
gan by standing on his forehead; when
Mr.. Hawthorn ceased it was pouring