The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-02-13

go to school and wished to be edu-
Gated. He worked in the shop. Grad
ually all the easier and lighter work
fell into his hands. Afterward, the
harder and heavier.
The boy grew older, but he had no
youth He toiled like a man, and no
man in the community took life as
seriously as he.
There were no more wild outbursfs
of passionate love on the part of the
old man. Something in the youths
manner seemed to forbid it, yet Rol!o
maintained a gentle aloofness that
never changed or broke down for a
moment.
Gerald Mason had not been well
for some months. Now his life how
cred over the edge of the great
horizon, ready to sink from sight any
day.
On the morning of Rollo's nth
birthday the grandfather said
Have you remembered that you
are to read the letter from your
mother at last? Why do you grow
pale? Surely you feel no grief for
you've not seen her since you were a
sucking. 1 never knew much about
the death of my son, your father
Susie may have written something
there. You can tell me. I've often
Thought about that letter. What she
said to me was just little note. No
word of Pete, my boy. How l have
loved you for his sake!"
Not at all for my OWN"
1.-THE blood brings all with 1t.
You've been good to me. I've been
sood to you. Having the same fam
lily brings us together, like, in our
feelings. But no, I doubt if it could
have been the same-if 1 could have
felt the same to one not in the family.
1t amt nature. But why talk of such
a foolish thing? You are of my
blood, thank god"
IT wish you could put that thought
away and regard me as person in
stead of a member of your family :
| 'Why should [? You are Mason.
I'm glad you are a Mason. 1t would
break my heart if you were not a
Mason. Get the letter, my boy, and
let's be done about this chatter about
nothing. Surely l. am to read that
letter or hear it read before / die"
Rollo caressed the thin hand that
lay near him. Forgive me-" he whis-
pered
Forgive what?"
you can never read that letter. l
burned it five years ago"
What! You burned it-that letter
l-sacreder than the Bible? You,
Rollo, you did that?"
Yes. I read it on my 18th birth
day and burned it,
And you never told me, you, a
Mason"
ut was my letter" 4
The old man lay in white and quiv-
ering silence for a long time. Then he
said painfully, as If he feared the an
swer he was seeking:
There must have been a reason
remember-your 18th birthday
Something in that letter changed you,
Rollo. 1t must have been that. Why
didn't 1 guess? You've been kinder
but not so close, somehow, not SO
close-to my heart-since."
but never cared bit the less for
yeu-rather more, l think; but l was
IL felt like thief-eating your
bread"
The old man started from his pill
low "Why do you say that?" he de-
manded. Have we not lived and
worked together? Have we not
shared the Mason blood?'
mo. Put the thought aside. We
are comrades, loyal to the end, will
ing to do all, give all, for each other.
Let that content us. Let us not spoil
everything in memory and break our
dream on the edge of sharp reality"
"Rollo, what do you mean? Tell
me of Peter Mason's death. What did
Susie say?"
HE died two and a half years be-
| fore | was born, If l must tell you.