Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-03-26

as one who beholds a promise In the
skies. Jest see, father, we couldn't |
"a made out that winder this fur at !
all eff the sun hadn't struck 1t Jest 30.
/ declar' 1t seems almost as ef we |
could see the rocker, tew. It's tew bad,
Abe. that we had ter let yer old rocker
go. d. yew remember" she laid
her hand on his arm. and lifted her
gaze. growing clouded and wistful, to
his face When we bought the chair,
we thought mebbe some day I'd be |
rocking a leetle baby in it. Twas
then. yew ricollec'. we sorter got In
the habit OF calm each other father
an mother. / wonder ef the young
'uns had come"
Les hurry" interrupted Abe, al
most gruffiy. Les hurry"
They stumbled forward with bowed
heads in silence, until of a sudden
they we're startled by a surprised hail
Of recognition, and looked up to find
themselves confronted by bent and
gray old man, a village character,
harmless. slightly demented public
charge known as "IshmaeP or Cap
tain Rover"
''Whar yew goin'. Cap'n Rose?"
The old couple had drawn back at
the sight of the gentle vagabond. and
Angy clutched at her husbands arm,
her heart contracting at the thought
that he, too. had become pauper.
I'm a-takin' my wife ter jine the
old ladies' over thar ter the hum" Abe
answered, and would have passed on,
shrinking from the sight of himself
as reflected In poor Ishmael.
But the innocent" placed himself in
their path.
"Yew amt a-goin' ter jine 'em tew7"
he bantered
Abe forced laugh to his lips in re-
Spouse.
mo, no; I'm goin' over ter Yaphank
ter board on the county"
Again the couple would have passed
on, their faces flushed, their eyes low
cred. had not Ishmael flung out one
hand to detain them while he plunged
the other hurriedly into his pocket.
Here He drew out a meager hand
full OF nickels and pennies. his vacant
smile grown wistful. Here, take 1t.
Cap'n Rose. It's all l got. l cant
count 1t myself. but yew can. Don't
yew think it's enough ter set yew up
In business, so yew won't have ter
go ter the poorhouse? The poorhouse
is q bad place. ! was there last win
ter. don't like the poorhouse."
He rambled on Of the poorhouse
Angy, painting for breath, one hand
against the smothering pain at her
heart, was trying, with the other, to
drag father" along. Father" was
shaking his head at Ishmael. at the
proffered nickels and pennies-shak
ing his head and choking. At length
he found his voice, and was able te
: smile at his would-be benefactor with
even the ghost of a twinkle in his eye
Much obliged, Cap'n Rover; but
yew keep yer money for terbaccy.
amt 30 heightened as yew. I'll take
real comfort at the poorhouse. S'long
thank yer. S1ong."
! Ishmael went on his way mutterint
to himself. unhappily jingling his re
jected aims; while Angy and Abe re
sumed their journey.
AS they came to the gate OF the OLE
Ladies' home Angy seized hold of he
husbands arm. and looking up into hi'
face pleaded earnestly:
Father, let's take the hunderd dol
lars fer family tombstun an go to-
the poorhouse tergetherl"
He shook her on almost roughly ant
lifted the latch of the gate.
Folks d say we was crazy, mother.
There was no one in sight az h
dragged In the express cart and late
down the handle. Before him was
> long. clean-swept path ending appar
entity in a mass of shrubbery; to tn
left was a field of sweet corn reaching
to the hedge; to the right strong ant
sturdy growth of pole lima beans; AM
just within the entrance, beneath tn
sweeping plumes of weeping WILLOW
tree, was shabby but inviting greer
bench
Abe's glance wandered from tn
bench to his wife's face. Angy coul
not lift her eyes to him; with bowe
y
head she was latching and unlatchin
the gate through which he must pass
!. He looked at the sun and thoughtful
made reckon OF the time. There wer
! still two hours before he could TAX
the train which
q Let's go set deown a spell afore--
A he faltered-"afore we say good-by.
n She made no answer. She told hel
self over and over that she must
= simply must-stop that "all-of-a-trsu
|, BILE" feeling which was going on insid
r of her. She stepped from the gate
. the bench blindly. with Abe's hand o
. her arm. though. still blindly. wit
/. exaggerated care she placed his ca
!. petbag on the grass beside her.
4 He laid down his cane. took on hi
y high hat and wiped his brow. II
| l. x-lx II,