Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-10
THE EVENING STORY.
HOW cRAkER CAME HOME
~ stacy Z. Baker.

KCopyrisht, 1910. by Associated Liter.
airy Press)
s1Ths city-cut clothes and Van Dyke
beard Of CrAker effectively disguised
rim az he strobe carelessly along IN
the rear Of Plodvi1le's two mos; sub.
ptantial citizens. Shreds OF their con-
yersation came back to him.
Cfaker had no particular reason
Tor remaining incognito, except for
1fvid memory, the urhealed bruises
ofSWhfch even now smarted to the
1i,eers and comments Of the same
10. now before him, on his simple
) statement, years before, that he
wished to become lawyer.
Craker's father had been a fairly
nroeperous farmer on tract OF land
bordering Plodville. Crakey's grand
father had preceded his father on this
same plot-and there had been others
before him bearing the same name
i ma with the same blood in their
vei1,s. That the last Of the clan had
AMBITIONS above that Of filling the
soil had amused Plodyille. Plodville,
numbering old village that 1t was,
rocked not Of stress and the fighting
4 germ In mans blood.
The harsh voice Of Enoch Sneed-
4 man broke In on the reverie Of the
youth. !.
from the lips Of the old man Ly-
man Tollman strobe stolidly a'ong
beside his fellow townsman Tor some
seconds before he ventured reply.
"Good thing, came IN narsn
voice 1t last "She was an expensive
critter, Emma was. :.
The nails Of the man behind bit
] into the palms OF his hands as ne
listened.
/ pioned old Enoch, remindscently, put
pesky unreliable, and az finicky as a
4ady's lapdog."
don step forward, and then came t.
3 stop With contemptuous shrug OF
Isis shoulders. ri can't assault OLD
men he grumbled. half aloud. i
dhould know more anyway IMAM 70
,.rnect sentiment from such-cattle.
;atill-her own father!-what Drutes
thare are In this world"
Xlthouxh Craker had long since as.
cured himself that he had put
& Shonrhts Of the timid-eyed, golden.
S.irad little maid from him, the dull
heat az his heart now told him CT
the secret crypt that had long been
kept for her. -
x,mmai No other woman OF his
..craintance before or since his col
80 days could compare with her.
Ana then q word had cut into his
..rsatiye. town-taunted soul and
a.,,ined Il all.
Mmhittered with town that Soul1
81 81 would not understand the am.
rstion Of a courageous son striving to
~. above his environments, Craker
k.d made lust one visit back to Plod-
.siin since the death OF his mother
had made It possible for him to sever
III ties except one and take MS long
araamed-of college course.
This one tie had been Emma Sneed-
nan He had come back to her, and
into his conversation he had subtly
rnven = question that would decide
urhather she was above the marrow
i nraiudice OF the town, or hopeiess!y
nermeated with the views OF her
father and his neighbors.
0Emma," he had said, 81 have fin
,.hed college. Where would you al
wise me to locate? 2
Here Emma had replied. simply;
AMI Craker. heavy of heart, had gone
away and never, until now, came
back.
CrAker hal gone to the FAR r..
been admitted to the bar, and pros
nered. He had never intended to
come back for the girl. Business had
81 called him here, and now-she was
dead.
She was dead! The heart long sub
dued, bravery threw off its shacxles
to tell Craker the truth.
II must go to the house." rumi
mated Craker. There was noticeable
droop to the broad shoulders. 'What
( beast OF nan that Sneedman Is tn
talk II such heartless manner of his
own daughter who has just died. Let
ME see. Emma was nineteen years
81 age when / left here. l nave been
in the city eight jcars. She was