Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1915-03-26

- 0AS WAO 0OAOAOb O VAOu4Ao0 IL Gig
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 1t. Twas
then, yew ricollec', we sorter got in
the habit Of calm each other father
an mother l wonder eff the young
'uns had come"
Les hurry" interrupted Abe, al
most gruffly. Les hurry"
They stumbled forward with bowed
heads in silence, until of a sudden
they were startled by a surprised hail
of recognition, and looked up to find
themselves confronted by a bent and
gray old man, a village character, a
harmless, slightly demented public
charge known as "Ishmael" or Gap
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 a pauper.
I'm a-takin' my wife ter jine the
n1d 1ndfar oxxa tho far tho h.,vo - Ahn
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 iine EN- tew?"
he bantered.
Abe forced a 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 it,
Cap'n Rose. It's all l got. l can't
count it 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 a bad place. l 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 to
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. l
amt 30 heightened as yew. I'll take
real comfort at the poorhouse. S1ong:
thank yer. S'long."
Ishmael went on his way muttering
to himself, ~unhappily jingling his re-
jected aims; while Angy and Abe re-
sumed their journey.
As they came to the gate Of the Old
Ladies' home Angy seized hold of her
husbands arm. and looking up into his
face pleaded earnestly:
Father. let's take the hunderd doh
lars fer q family tombstun an go ter
the poorhouse tergetheri"
He shook her of almost roughly and
lifted the latch Of the gate.
Folks d say we was crazy. mother"
There. was no one In sight al he
dragged In the express cart and laid
down the handle. Before him was a
long, clean-swept path ending appar-
emily In q mass Of shrubbery; to the
left was a field of sweet corn reaching
to the hedge; to the right a strong and
sturdy growth of pole lima beans; and
Just within the entrance, beneath the
sweeping plumes of a weeping willow
tree. was q shabby but inviting green
bench.
Abe's glance wandered from the
bench to his wife's face. Angy could
not lift her eyes to him; with bowed
head she q latching and unlatching
the gate through which he must pass.
He looked at the sun and thoughtfully
made reckon of the time. There were
still two hours before he could take
the train which
Let's go set deown q spell afore-"
he faltered-"afore we say good-by."
She made NO answer. She told her
self owe and over that she must
simply must-stop that "all-of-a-trem-
BILE" feeling which was going on inside
Of her. She stepped from the gate to
the bench blindly, with Abe's hand on
her arm, though. still blindly, with
exaggerated care she placed his car
petbag on the grass beside her.
He laid down his cane. took of his
high hat and wiped his brow. He