Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-29
THE SEED OF -
~ THE RIGHTEOUS
JULIET WILROR TOMPKINS

Shnii nave " 80. II makes me so I'm
easy"
| Miss Galbraith was all kindness
She telephoned to the house while
Chloe was putting on her things and
though they were not back yet, she
was so sure they would be by the time
| one reached home that Chloe set of
treasured. But, once in the street. un-
eas1ness turned to real fright. This
was no ordinary fog. The end of every
block was lost, and the tall buildings
were cut off waist high. Cars were
moving slowly, changing their gongs.
Ihere was breath of ocean, and a
chill, faint at first, but boring in deep
er and deeper with every gray moment
No time for going the long way round
now. Chloe jumped off her car at the
nearest corner. steadying her heart to
meet the shock of the little park S
emptiness: but here the fog was kind.
The broken street was dimmed. and
behind the soft, yelling confusion Ser
emo Gage might still have been wait.
ing.
"Oh, everything is all right. OF
course, / really know that" Chloe said
stoutly as she ran home
The house was dark and empty, but
Chloe at once knew that it was not
really time for them yet. Even in
clear weather they did not get home
much before this. She had been alb
surd to expect them.
II will just run down to the wharf
to meet them" she said brightly to
Lizzie. "Tell my sister where l am. if
she gets home first. But she probably
won't" Lizzie looked as if she were
about to say something dubious and
discouraging and Chloe fed from it.,
giving her no chance. Yet two words
followed her:
Them boats
A slammed door cut of the rest, but
the words, or the voice that launched
them after her, haunted Chloe as she
made her difficult way to the wharf.
She had to take a car that ran at long
intervals down black, forgotten streets
and to pass, slipping on greasy cobble-
stones, between laundering drays, in
a confusion that was neither light nor
darkness, before at last she reached
the pier. No home coming crowd was
streaming from it.
Them boats" The words beat on
her brain like tolling bell. Chloe
turned on them. do you think they'd
take any risk with those poor moth
ers?" she demanded, then realized
that she had spoken with her moth
er's tone, from an expanded chest, and
tried to laugh at herself well, any
one would be worried in q fog like
this she explained reasonably; but
it's always all right"
The wharf was vast black barn of
a place, open at the sides and smell
ing Of salty, greasy, unknown things.
Already little groups stood or wan
dered about it, or gathered at the end
trying to find the boat in every blur
of light that doomed up out of the
mist and went trumpeting On. Chloe
went to the edge, but the dark water,
heavily about the rotting
piles, pushing up and sucking down,
gave her a touch Of horror. She turned
to the other waters, finding neigh
bors among them. Mrs. Gage had
founded these excursions seven years
ago, beginning with a borrowed tug
and doing nearly all the work herself.
Now they were an endowed institu-
ton, with big, comfortable boat,
nurses and medical inspection: and
once week a horde Of tired mothers
and city babies went out for a day Of
pure air and rest Nothing she had
ever done had been such popular sue.
cess, and yet, because tonight the boat
was late, there was an uneasy grum-
bling at the institution. Wrinkled
didn't think much of
them boats"-Chloe could not get
away from the words. A laboring
man made rough comments on folks |
who led wives and children into dan
ger instead Of minding their own bust |
ness, and Chloe. hearing a growled as
sent, had frightened insight into the |
ways of mobs. The women, for the
most part, enjoyed their anxiety. !
working it up with tales of all the re-
nembered disasters at sea. luXuriating |
IN signs and tears. 1t had for them the |
nigh flavor Of their own favorite news J
paper More came to watch The |
men grew angrier, the women more /
.earful.
"The one that done this, she's safe !
It home, I bet" pale young fellow i
1fCldlllieu, WOIhluS HeI NouS Hd.1uS. |
She amt going to take no risk her.
self"
Them boats are always rotten"
;aid another.
you are mistaken" The young,
,ure voice made them start Chloe
vas too full of trouble, too intent on
Ter truth, to fa1ter my mother
ounded these excursions" she went
N, so clearly that others turned to lis ,
en-: "and she is on board with her
title grandson. 1t is a good boat and
hey take every possible precaution.
She said that to me just the other |
ay, when I didn't want her to go. i,
You don't think we would let those
oor mothers run any risk?'-those /
we're her very words The girlish
,oice begged them to believe. "She
as worked so hard over this and CIV
n so many days happiness can't
ear to have you blame her"
Their quick assent was another in
light into the ways of mobs. Sure,
1iss!" and "That's right and MY
fife says followed her with reassur-
lg mods as she drew away. Her burst
courage had left her miserably up =
ct. The waiting was harder now that