The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-12-11

ESTHER'S PRODIGAL
BY cIARissA MAcKie.


on the corner. Esther gladly left the
home OF her father. where a step
mother ruled supreme. and went to
live alone In the little white house.
Esther carried with her all the be-
longings OF her own mother as well as
her girlish trinkets and keepsakes. In
time the little oldfashioned parlor
Of her own home. even to the ancient
square piano that flled one corner.
For lands sake. Esther. are you
going TO settle down here and be
regular old maid!" demanded Loretta
Campbell. who was prematurely gray
and sewed for a living
Esther laughed.
Il always wanted n home OF my own.
and II I waited till I got married. may
be Id never have one. can be just
as young living here AZ II | stayed at
home"
u don't know, seems awful old.
maidy to me-" insisted Loretta: lust
like my having white hair when I'm
only thirty .five-seems as II ! had to
stop expecting to get married
I'm thirty.nine." said Esther gent
ly; Il don't believe it's any too. young
TO set up housekeeping
Loretta Campbell was thirty-nine.
too. and she knew that Esther was
aware OF II. but she had a CHEEKY bold
ness that carried her through very en-
barrasing situations
I'm never going to be any older
than thirty Ave-" she said Significantly.
Now. Esther. how you going to have
this neck fixed? High or low"
After this important item had been
discussed and Loretta had returned to
the sewing machine. the little dress.
maker paused In her furious pedalling
and turned her sharp face over her
shoulder
Did you know Emmy slocum was
going 10 be married.
"Yes-some time this month. isn't
III"
The nineteenth" Then after n per
ceptible pause Loretta added: Il won.
der u Ed Slocum will come hamo to
the wedding"
I'm sure l don't know"
Il heard they didn't know what part
OF the world he was In" puraped Lor-
eta. now that the delicate topic was
opened
Indeed"
Yes. heard his father told him
he Needn't never come home until
he'd made enough money to pay back
some OF that he'd illspent. call tina,
pretty hard Of old Jim Slocum-Pa
says he was "a limb when he was boy
and made no end OF trouble for his
folks-yet old Jim is hard as nails on
poor Ed Why. Ed cant be 4 hoy any
longer-he must have stopped cutting
up tricks long ago"
Esther was silent
Ed wasn't what you'd call bad-he
vas just full OF cutting up. but II
seemed to cost his father a lot OF
money Well they drove him from
home and | guess his ma broke her
heart over H. blame II all on old
Jim Slocum-mean as all get out
Il wonder what Mr.. Slocum will dc
after Emmys married." said Esther
Nobody knows-Dexter won't have
him live with them-he's as much as
said so Keep house for himself.
guess
Why. he can't do much. He's real
feeble-he must be seventy years old.
protested Esther,
Don't seem to make any difference
how old one is-they get trouble just
the same" remarked Loretta
After Loretta had gone home that
night. Esther washed up the supper
dishes and then sought her little par
lor. where she lighted the lamp with
the dangling prisms and sat down by
the marble top table.
For a long time she sat lost In rev
erie. She was thinking OF old Mr.. Slo-
cum SO soon to be left alone. She was
thinking OF the prodigal. Ed. who had
run away from home twenty years be-
fore She looked back on her own girl
ish grief over that event as one reads
the story OF stranger
Once she had sat In the parlor at
home, when Ed Slocum used to call
upon her three times a week. Just as
she was sitting now. Then she was
waiting for him with huttering heart
and eyes that we're telltale. How
handsome Ed was-black.h haired. black.
eyed. lighthearted-the best fellow In
the world. and II was this very easy
going nature OF Eds that had led him
astray. She still treasured the hssty
note In which he had taken leave OF
her. Il seemed TO be the delicate rosy
thread that held her to her youth and
hope.
Some day he might come back Some
day he would return. lie had loved
her.
Esther's brown head dropped a little
YEARLY at these sad memories. but
she was a brave soldier and she lifted
her chin and took up the photograph
album and turned to Eds picture
placed there opposite that OF her
mother
Her eyes we're dim when she laid II
aside He's my poor prodisal Just the
same" she murmured to herself as
she blew out the light and went up