Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-09

Poor. poor mother, My poor. gentle
little mother" murmured Ivory bro
kenly as he stroked her hand.
Don't cry. my son: It is all past
the sorrow and the bitterness and the
struggle / will just finish the story.
and then We'll close the book forever.
The woman gave me some bread and
tea. and l flung myself on the bed
without undressing. l don't know how
long afterward it was. but the door
opened and little boy stole in. a sad,
strange dark eyed little boy who said:
Can 1 sleep up here? Mothers scream
ing and I'm afraid He climbed on to
the couch. / covered him with a blGn-
| ket, and I soon heard his deep breath
| ing. But later in the night. when l
! must have fallen asleep myself, l sud
| denly awoke and felt him lying beside
me. He had dragged the blanket along
| and crept up on the bed to get close to
! my side for the warmth / could give
! or the comfort of my nearness. The
| touch of him almost broke my heart.
1 could not push the little creature
away when he was lying there so near
and warm and confiding-he. all uncon-
SClOuS Oh TIE dSOuN his uIeIe elA1Sttlite
was to me. l must have slept again.
and when the day broke l was alone.
| thought the presence of the child in
the night was dream, and l could
not remember where l was or why l
was there.
Mother. dear mother. don't tell me
any more tonight. l fear for your
strength" urged Ivory, his eyes full /
of tears at the remembrance of her /
sufferings. /
There is only a little more and the /
weight will be off my heart and on j
yours. my poor son. Would that l need .
not tell you, The house was still. and
| thought at first that no one was
awake, but when | opened the sitting
room door the child ran toward me and /
took my hand as the woman came in I
from the sickrOom. Go into the kitch-
en-. Rodmar,' she said. and lace up |
your boots. You're going right out with J
this lady. Hctty died in the night,
she continued impassively- The doe !
tor was here about 10 O'Clock. and I've
never seen her so bad. He gave her
IL big dose of sleeping powder and put
another in the table drawer for me to
mix for her toward morning. She was
helpless TO move. we thought. but all
the same She must have got out OF bed !
when my back was turned and taken |
the powder dry on her tongue. for it /
was gone when looked for it. 1t
didn't hasten things much, and | don't
blame her. If ever there was wild, |
reckless creature it was Hetty Rod
man. But l. who am just the opposite,
would have done the same if Id been
her. l.
she hurriedly gave me cup of cof-
fee and. putting n coat and 4 cap on
the boy, literally pushed me out of the
house. I've got to report things TO
the doctor she said, and you're better
out of the way. Go down that side
street to the station, and mind you say
the boy belonged TO your sister. who
died and left him TO you. You're Il
Cochranite, amt you? SO was Hetty,
and they're all sisters. so You'll be tell
ing no lies. Goodby, Rodman. Be
good boy and don't he any trouble TO
the lady
How | found the station | do not
know. nor how l made the journey. nor
where took the Stagecoach. The snow !
began to fall. and 10y noon there was n
drifting storm. | could not remember
where l was going nor who the boy
was, for just as the snow was whirI-
ing outside so it was whirIing in my
brain"
Mother. l can hardly hear TO hear
Any more. 1t is TOO Terrible" cried
worry, rising from his chair and pac
ng the door.
Il can recall nothing of any account
i'll | awoke in my own bed weeks aft
srward. The strange little boy was
here. but Mrs Day and DIR. Perry told
ne what must have told them tina
le was the child of my dead sister
Those were the last words uttered by
he woman in BrentvilIe carried
hem straight through my Illness and
brought them out on the other side
more firmly intrenchpd than ever" r
IF only the truth had come hack TO
ou sooner sighed Ivory. coming back
O her bedside. Il could have helped
on to bear il nil these Years Sorrow I
: so much lighter when Won can share d
I with some one else And thu. girl L
cno died was called Hetty Rodman.
hen. and she simply gave the child her 7
asst name%"
"Nes, poor, suffering creature | feel
o anger against her now-it has burn
d Itself all awuy-nor do | feel any :
ltterness against YOUR father for q
OF all this miserable story for SO long u
wing and watching for him all the -
Ime. that it is as If it did not belong
my own life, but had 10 do with
ome unhappy stranger. Can you for
i've. too. IvoryY''
II .nn - /