Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-19
The Daily
Short Story
A BOY OF SIXTEEN.
BY Esther Vandeveer.

peciaily grieved over this.
One Afternoon there was a ring a.
the doorbelI Mrs. Whitcomb an
swered the summons and found a
basket on the porch, Its contents
were covered by little blanket.
which the good woman removed, aaa
there lay a baby boy He opened his
| eyes and smiled The first thing she
did was to imprint kiss on the ehuh-
| by little mouth; then she took him IN
| in her arms and carried him into the
house. Instead of condemning the
| parent who had deserted her child
she blessed her and then began to
lay plans for gaining her husbands
consent to keeping the baby.
She found this difficult task
Whitcomb was a hard headed man
who realized the difference between
ones own and another's offspring.
However, the wife prevailed, and
| the boy was adopted, being given the
name of Henry. Mrs. Whitcomb saw
him through several months of co,.s
and afterward through the measles
and kindred ehildren's diseases; then
he was sent to school. He was
bright boy and while still child verv
affectionate with his foster parents.
Timothy Whitcomb grew very fond Of
ihim and on Sunday would take him
to walk in the park, where be sIiau
a miniature ship that he had made
himself. The boy developed a taste
for making things with his knife later
turning TO implements OF war.
IT I.
about, for his birthday was not known.
his foster mother was taken Ill and
died. The boy showed that his foster
father had been wrong In one respect.
Henry was not ungrateful for what
his foster mother had done for him
indeed, he was much grieved at her
death. There is a great difference 10
a boy between his father and his
mother. He can go to his mother for
woman's expression Of sympathy which
a man cannot give. During the next
two years Henry grew FESTIVE. He
was fond Of his foster father, uncon-
scious of the fact that it was his duty
to remain with him and be a comfort
to him. But he was full Of yigor and
yearning to get out into the world and
t make his own surroundings. He re-
sisted this as long as he could, then
e broke away Instead of telling his
foster father that he was going to
t leave him, he did what only an unde-
S veloped boy would do-the wrong
S thing. He went away without saying
\ a word to Timothy Whitcomb OF any
f one else that he was going. He dis
: appeared.
4 Whitcomb had an enemy living nea,
e him. They had quarreled about sale
g the man-Simpson was his name
e had made to Whitcomb in which TIL
latter was swindled. When Henri
d disappeared Simpson began to fnsin
uate that the boy had been made ava.
with. He had heard Whitcomb speak
; ing very severely to the lad shortl
before the disappearance and hiDte'
: that there was good reason for Hen
: RVS disappearance.
- Then came a lawyers clerk hunt
!, ing for a boy who had been left a
= the Whitcomb's door when q baby
:, The boy not being found and Simp
~ sons insinuations having produced a.
= effect, detective was put on the cas-
81 who found a bloody towel in Henry
3 room The truth was that the be
y had cut his hand while whiting
y cannon, had used the towel 10 staunci
u the flow of blood and thrown it int
the corner of dark closet. Afte
y his departure his foster father ha
a no heart TO keep the house in order
e and the towel had lain where 1t va
g thrown.
e This, with Simpsons aspersi0ns, wa
u. sufficient to cause Timothy Whil
II combs arrest for the murder Of BE-
foster son. He remained in Jail fc
some time while other evidence va
is sought for, as yet there was no
le3 enough TO convict him, and the cas-
S twas delayed from time TO time, Tier
al being no further evidence against hiC
J. to be adduced.
A. Meanwhile the worlds war ha
y broken out and was in its second veal
O. One day Henry Whitcomb came hons
ar discharged from the Canadian arm
Il. for disability, having received S.
al we're wound He was very niue
a, shocked to hear Of his foster fail
rs, er's misfortune, which had come abot
a, through his action He said that ats
n, leaving home he had drifted, gettiu
a, on as best he could, too proud to II
g, turn to mis- home, though he had con
y, TO realize how badly he had tTeate
a; his foster father Then the war brol
out. and. going to Canada. he had el
listed and was sent to Belgium. b
OF fore being wounded he had Won
r. medal for bravery.
al ia, Of atp r.
ne his foster father, and he was told th
e. he was wanted as heir TO fortune
de that is, if he could prove his identiJ
Is But for this he had no evidence whs
as ever.
ay One day he went into the garnet al
is there saw the child's high chair whi'
m had been preserved by his foster mot
ed er This suggested that she mig
ct. have kept other baby articles OF h
irt A search revealed the basket and {
Ter clothes in which he had been left
the house On the dress were the
itials of the boy who was wanted !
etc the fortune
FPS Henry Whitcomb, or David Thor
in ton, which was his real name,
Y ceived handsome fortune and is nj
IN making amends for leaving his fosI
of father. A few years have made
FPS great change in David, for he NJ
realizes his error IN deserving one "
did so much for him The two
ere devoted to each other.
by ----
vas
'ha the attorney half a dozen times s.
red ,yrdav afternoon Following that