The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1917-03-02

for three millions and nalf and
went home.
He had had little hopes of finding
Meta in the fiat they had occupied,
and so he was spared that dlsappont-
ment. But the old lady who came
to the door ran after Steve as he
turned away.
Are you Mr.. Stephen tJackson?" she
asked
'Steve Jackson-yes' ma'am," said
Steve.
Il can tell you where your wife
is she said. "She comes here every
three months to tell me that if you
ever come back here she has the house
at 124 Chestnut street.
Steve almost whooped with gladness,
but he only thanked her and hurried
away And in an hours time he WAS
in the suburban district, and had found
124.
1t WAS a trim little cottage, covered
with ii Towering vine, and Steve sud-
denly found himself too shy to enter.
And as he hung outside the door, in an
agony of apprehension and joy, two
children entered the gate of the little
garden.
They were Ellen and Tom. Steve
knew his own anywhere. And they
were dressed as he had never hoped
to dress his children.
"Where are you going?" asked the
man at the gate
Were coming from school, an
swered the little boy.
you are Tom Jackson aren't your"
Yes. This is Ellen"
"And does your mother live here?"
''Yes, sir"
"And your father?"
Fathers away. but he's coming
home soon" said the little girl.
Mummy prays for him to come every
night. And we pray, too"
Steve looked at the house and at
the children. These were his
everything was as he had dared to
dream that it would be; and yet now
he was afraid. He was afraid that he,
common man, would bring his com
monness into their lives. He had been
away so Longevity should he ever re-
turn?
In that moment, for the first time,
D., in spite of what his child had said, he
had doubt of Meta. He wondered
whether she had stopped writing to
, him because of this, because he would
drag her and her children down.
And he turned miserably away. He
would go somewhere to think 1t all
. over.
= He went down the sunny street,
Sinking like a whipped dog. Why
: had he not spent those five years in
c educating himself, to make himself
: worthy of his wife and children?
= "Stevel'
= 1t was Meta. She was standing be-
!, fore him, and she threw herself into
his arms. "Steye! 1t is you, dear
est"
Meta y the mans doubts dis
- solved at the sight of her radiant face
- "Steve, my dear, how have longet
= for you'll l have been working as I
- stenographer. and the babies-yol
- must see on babies-why didn't you
= write, SteveY"
When she grew more coherent ex
plantations followed. Steve's letter.
had not been received-perhaps thu
mail was lost. Meta had not know
where to write him; all trace of hin
- had been lost when he went into TIL
interior md the letters he had sen
N to her address had not been forward
7 ed. Many tenants had come and gon
"a before the old lady whom Steve ha
: ! seen, and the post office does not al
ways remember.
IA "Why were you going away from tn
house Steve?" asked Meta.
II was ashamed" he burst out.
. saw our babies, Meta, and / though
God forgive mean uneducated na
like me would drag them down"
"Jm, dear" said Meta, sit is bette
to be a good man than a learned on
But please God you are going to b
both, Jim, because | am making goo
money, and you and l can live as W
=, want to live, and study together"
Then he told her about the forum