Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-09
The Daily Story
His Fathers Friendly Perey Poore Sheehan.
Copyrighted. 1914, by Literary

this there lay one Of the stranoeSt s ga
ures he had ever looked upon. No, o- .s
excepting that OF the dwarf VIII e tel
led him there. n4d
He saw mass Of tangled white hat.
knotted about by a red silk bandLa.'
chief, and drift Of white beard
The rest Of the face showed ~,
Ike leather, and was set with ~,
OF piercing blue eyes. '"H
Come here, where 7 can too,.
YOU said the man on the bed. Thor.
We'll, you're Johnson, all right a.,
1 bid him farewell at PawaiaDne
Willie. your father would a. h..
here II he was Twin" the old M
continued. There are debts fbs, -
man forgets. I've come for IN 49,
| you on his account. I've got here ~
| too soon"
II sorry you're sick" said JobnSor
Your father died when you was n,
tle," the patriarch went on: "otbe-
wise you'd know all about me. r.,
Robert II. King. and king I've been
too, these fifty years. But, oh. thev'rs
an ungrateful lot! They're an nm.
grateful lot!
II ruled 'em fair, and I ruled ,er,
square. lost my right hand. Though
when your father went. He'd "a, nm,
down this revolution. Do you hear;
They started a revolution"
johnson said that he heard.
There's Malay out there NAMED
Possa Sing. He's at the head of this
here revolution. He started it because
I wouldn't let him have my gal But
had other plans. L was thinkin' of
Red Bill Johnson-a full measure of
man he was-and how he used to boast
about that little boy of his'n back in
New York.
"It was the last thing that he said
when 1 bid him farewell at Pawalanne
BE q father to little Willie And,
by Christopher, I'll do it yet, in spite
of that black Malay POssa Singi
HE got too strong for me-I'm not
the man 1 used to be-but he amt too
strong for Red Bill Johnson's boy. |
found your address in a New York d.
rectory. I got one from Batavia. and
$40 in gold it cost NE too. And 1 rent
ed this house for to die in.
II could trust the agents for that, but
for the rest I couldn't trust them.
had to see you. I've piled up pearls
and power for you. Willie. And that
amt ALL" He paused
Minnie he painted hoarsely.
johnson turned and half rose impu-
sively from his chair. The door had
opened. Standing there, graceful, slim
shrinking, was the girl Of the unspoken
message.
did my father call?' she asked
sweetly, with lisping accent
AYE, stand there. Minnie. Do you
blame me for refusing to give her to
Malay?
Half breed, but I've raised her like
a white mans gal. Them people'd die
for her. l crowned her queen before
we left. Thatl settle Possa Sing. He
was crazy for her, more than the rest.
but him that gets her gets all. And
she's a white mans gal" The old man
paused. When he spoke again his
great whisper was strangely smN1ar.
so 1 brought her with me-" he said
for Red Bill Johnson's boy. There's
q schooner at Macassar. Sail SOU By
west for Pantar strait
Those were the last words that Rob
When Johnson emerged sufficiently
out of his confusion TO focus his eyes
on the patriarch he noticed that the
latter was staring strangely in the di-
rection of the door
Involuntarily Johnson wheeled and
saw standing there a dark youth.
whose face was stamped with an ex-
preston of fierce and joyful ecstasy.
The girl had also turned. and there
sprang to her lips n sob that was trans
formed into a name. 1t was "Possa
Singr'
In his extremity johnson turned to
the girl
What did he mean?" he whispered
al am to be your bride" she falter-
ed. He made me promise. l started
to see you this eveninS-to ask you not
TO come" She was shaken in a sudden
burst of weeping, and her accent got
the better of her. But. ah. saire. even
now. not yet, you have promised him
nothing"
There are moments of exquisite con-
sciousneSs in the lives of all of us when
we recognize clearly the parting of the
ways. Such a moment Johnson expe-
fenced now. On one side he saw tne
Hat routine of his civilized mediocrity-
lull work. advancing years. unloveF
poverty. and then-king of Il trOpic ISLE
pearls and power"
He wavered, he heaved Il mighty
Ugh. and then. recovering his hat from
he floor where he had placed il beside
lis chair. and, looking neither 10 the
light nor left nor unlocking his ser
avs for speech. he strobe out OF the
DOM.
The fiat was dark and silent when
ohnSon got home j
1t smelled somewhat of cold cooking
nd his wife. waking from her sleep.
allied out for him not TO forget that N
no Dnoruipo bp hnd - on m work.