Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-25

t0aI ne InlnhS he Iluht al ACht
enough visit. 1 don't know whether
your father will like the boy when he
comes home. lie never did fancy
company in the house."
Ivory looked up in astonishment
from his Greek grammar. This was
an entirely new turn OF his mothers
mind. Often when she was more than
usually confused he would try to clear
the cobwebs from her brain by gently
questioning her until she brought her
self back to a clearer understanding OF
her own thought. Thus far her vaga-
ries had mover made her unjust to any
human creature. She was uniformly
sweet and gentle in speech and de-
meanor.
"why do you talk OF Rods visiting
US when he is one of the family"
Ivory asked quietly.
lis he one of the family? I didn't
know it," replied his mother absently.
Look at me, mother, straight in the
eye That's right Now listen, Gear,
TO what say"
Mrs. Boynton's hair, tb had been
in her youth like an aur~ole of corn
silk, was now a strange yellow white,
and her blue eyes looked out from her
pale face with a helpless appeal.
You and 1 were living alone here
after father went away" Ivory began.
81 was a little boy. you know. You
and father had saved something, there
was the farm, you worked like slave,
helped, and we lived somehow, do
you remember
ct do indeed 1t was cold, and the
neighbors were cruel. Jacob Cochrane
| had gone away, and his disciples were
not always true to him. When the
magnetism of his presence was with
drawn they could not follow all his
revelations, and they forgot how he
had awakened their spiritual life at
the first of his preaching. Your father
was always a stanch believer, but
when he started on his mission and
went to Parsonsfield to help Elder
Cochrane in his meetings the neigh
bors began to criticise him. They
doubted him. You were too young to
realize il, but did, and it almost broke
my heart"
II was nearly twelve years old. Do
you think 1 escaped all the gossip,
mother?"
You never spoke of it to me, Ivory"
of to you, mother, but some time when
you grow stronger and your memory is
better we will talk together. Do you re-
member the winter, long after father
went away. that Parson Lane sent me
to Fairfield academy to get enough
Greek and Latin to make ME a school
master?"
YES" she answered uncertainty.
Don't you remember / got a free
ride downriver one Friday and came
home for Sunday, just to surprise you?
And when I got here / found YOU i'll
in bed. with Mrs. Mason and DIR.
Perry taking care of you. You could
not speak, you were so i'll, but they
told me you had been up in New
Hampshire TO see your sister. that she
had died. and that you had brought
back her boy. who was only four years
old. That was Rod. / took him into
bed with me that night. poor, home
sick little fellow, and, as you know,
mother he's never left us since
~ didn't remember / had a sister.
Is she dead, Ivory:" asked Mrs. Boyn-
ton vaguely.
IF she were not dead do you sup
pose you would have kept Rodman
with US when we hadn't bread enough
for our own two mouths, mother:'
questioned Ivory patiently.
NO. of course not. / can't think
how 1 can be so forgetful. It's worse
sometimes than others. It's worse to-
day because l knew the mayfiowers
were blooming, and that reminded me
il was time for your father to come
home. You must forgive me, dear.
and will you excuse me if l sit in the
kitchen awhile? The window by the
side door looks out toward the road,
and If 1 put candle on the sill it
shines quite a distance. The lane is
such long one, and your father was
always a sad stumbler in the dark! 1
shouldn't like him to think 1 wasn't
looking for him when he's been gone
since January"
Ivory's pipe went out, and his book
slipped from his knee unnoticed.
His mother was more confused than
usual, but she always was when
spring came to remind her of her hus-
bands promise. Somehow, well used
as he was TO her mental wanderings,
they made him uneasy tonight. His
father had left home on a fancied mis-
sion, a duty he believed to be reveal
ton given Dy God through Jacob Coch-
rane. The farm did mot miss him
much at first. Ivory reflected bitter
~, for since his fanatical espousal OF
Cochranism his fathers interest in
such mundane matters as household
expenses had diminished month by
month until they had no meaning for
him at all. Letters to wife and boy
had come at first, but after six months,
during which ha had urirtan from,
many places. continually deferring the
date Of his return, they had ceased al
together. The rest was silence. Ru-
mors OF his presence here or there
came from time to time; but. though
Parson Lane and DR.. Perry did their
best. none OF them were ever substan-
tiated.
Where had those years of wandering
.