The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-07-16
Restored to
His Rights
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

Robert Wykotf has no remembrance
Of anything that occurred before he
was five years old, except being caress-
ed by woman who seemed to love
him very dearly, and even this is
scarcely a memory with him. After
that he became cognizant Of being
Member Of a family. A man whom he
understood to be his father, woman
whom he understood to be his mother
gave him what he needed, especially
clothes, which were much better than
those of the other children Of the
household. When Robert was eleven
years old he was sent to a boarding
school. There he associated with boys
who were much more refined, much
better dressed, than those be had been
accustomed to. When be went home
at vacation he became ashamed of his
parents and his brothers and sisters.
They were Of a different stamp from
those he had seen at school.
Bob did not go home again after that
during vacations. He preferred to re-
main at school, His parents and broth
ers and sisters did not manifest much
affection for him, and he cared little
about them. 1t seemed as If he and
they were a different kind Of people
And he wondered why this was so.
Why had he always been dressed like
gentleman while they wore rough
clothes?
The school he attended was Of very
good class. but it's principal was more
interested in making money than in
the welfare Of the boys. Robert was
constantly being punished for some
petty offense or for leading his school
mates to rebel against the tyranny Of
the principal The latter received
plenty of money for his pupils tuition
to warrant giving them every comfort,
including excellent food, but he skimp-
ed them in all possible ways.
One day when the food had become
so bad that the boys could stand it no
longer Bob led them into an old fash
toned barring out" such as at times
had occurred in English schools before
the middle of the nineteenth century.
They bought provisions with spending
money procured from home, took pos
session Of the schoolroom and locked
the doors The rebellion did not last
long. for door was broken down. The
principal entered and soon Quoted the
s,,nntinr Ia n,1nSfinr01 thu hrvo %
to their leader. but none Of them would
tell, and he proposed to punish all alike.
whereupon Robert assumed the whole
responsibility and was expelled from
the school.
BY this time Robert was fifteen years
old, and rather than go back home he
resolved to make his own living. Be-
tween n mercantile life and farming
he chose the latter, and since the sea-
son for planting was ut hand he found
a place as a farm hand. He went ia
work with will, rejoicing In the
change from the tyrannies of the
school and his unpleasant home to q
life wherein he lived almost entirely
out of doors. attending to CATTLE plant
ing and gathering in crops,
This period Bob Wykoff remembers
as the happiest Of his life. for here was
born a boys love for Molly Erskine.
a little girl he one day saw trudging
along road with some milk she was
going to deliver to neighbor. He
carried her milk for her and many an
n%h 1,,,rf1o,, that kiy,oo on7
for three years. Then he was eight
cen years old and she was fifteen.
One day Bob was sitting on now
ing machine driving pair Of horses
over some rough ground when he saw
a man coming toward him. When he
came near enough Bob recognized his
father. He had been hunting the boy
for month and had traced him from
the school he had left long before. He
told Bob that he was not his father,
but that he came of wealthy stock and
his grandfather had died and he was
heir to severa. million dollars. Bob
said that didn't make any difference
with his finishing his job and remained
on his machine. till it was time to quit.
Bob then went to the farmhouse. bid
goodby to his employers, found Molly
Erskine and told her of the great
change in his life. She cried when he
parted with her, but he assured her
that he would come back to her.
Bobs conductor told him on the way
that he was the son of parents who
had been disowned by his mothers ia
Their because they had married contra
~ to his will His father had died
soon after the marriage, and his moth
er, who had nothing to live on, was
taken back by her father on condition
that she come alone. Bob was then
put under the care Of persons who
agreed for a consideration to take care
of him. On the death Of his GRANDPA
Their, being the only male descendant
be was made the old mans heir.
When Bob reached his home he was
taken into the arms Of the woman he
remembered as belonging to his baby.
hood. He had occupied an unnatural
position for fourteen years and was
now suddenly made the possessor Of
unbounded luxuries.
One day Molly Erskine was standing