The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-12-08
The Shadow
Lifted
By RUTH E LEE
~. Western NaWspaper unlonl

1902 GAs-Aaf
you'll be gladr' piped old Darius
Morse. and he grinned and ehuckled as
though enjoying concealing the rea-
son why.
His sOn-in-law of a month, bluff,
hearty, supremely contented, gripped
the shoulder of the old man in a play
ful, affectionate way.
"Tm glad now 2" he cried effusively,
'the gladdest man in the world. If l
was much gladder I'd sing and dance,
instead of wrestling with this stub
born, h~ard-hearted patch Of land. Fa-
Their Morse, this is home, and it's a
dream of glory to be with Lettie all the
time. but l will say that you can't make
the garden part of it blossom like the
rose! Z"
Never mind it gives us enough to
eat, and with what you earn Wen man.
age quite comfortably. I'll toddle
along"
What the venerable philosopher con-
sidered "glad'' for Mark Wilton was
that the latter had married the sole
companion of his later years, gentle
m%otherless Lettie. 1t had been a real
love romance, but whenever the old
man realized that the infatuated young
man had given up quite a social and
business position in the city TO settle
down into a new humble, humdrum
sphere. he was wont to ~enunciate that
mysterious propaganda of gladness.
Mark paid no attention to this pro-
nunciamento of his aged father-in-
law.
One morning Mark arose TO attend to
the cows and chickens before he went
TO work in the town. As he passed
the room in which Mr.. Moore usually
slept, he noticed that the bed was UNI
tenanted, but the clothing Of its usual
occupant was lying across a chair.
Mark went downstairs to find the rear
door open.
Arrayed ia his night-dress, lying on
the ground neal his favorite chair I'M
der the big elm tree was Mr.. Moore.
He clasped a Ratchet in n hand.
Mark hurried to his side. The old man
was dead.
1t was lonely and strange about the
old house after that, but time and new
anxieties subdued the sorrow of Lettie
and her husband. A little child was
born to them and a hard winter began,
for the local factory where Mark was
a b~ookkeeper burned down and did
not resume business. They began to
feel the pinch of poverty.
"I fear I shall have to try and find
work In some other town." suggested
Mark a~nxiously. 1.-THE potatoes are all
gone and the last of the bacon. | might
90 somewhere else and send you what
I a to get along on, until we make
a final move in the spring.
"No, no, don't leave us alone, baby
and Il" pleaded Lettie. LET us stick
together till the winter ends. We will
manage to pull through some way"
Then a piece of rare fortune came
their way. Just at the edge of their
little patch Of ground the railroad ran.
One morning a freight train buckled
In going down a curying grade. Two
cars went off the rails into the ditch.
One of them was loaded with potatoes,
split in two. and the precious tubers
were scattered broadcast.
The wrecking crew cleaned up the
twisted iron and splintered wood and
abandoned the scattered potatoes.
Mark spread the glad intelligence
among his neighbors and all hands
were provided with half a years sup
ply Of the coveted vegetable.
Then came a long cold snap. The
two coal dealers found ii difficult to
supply their customers.
'Tve got to do 1t, Lettie, dear" he
announced sorrowfully n morning,
coming into the kitchen with the wood
axe. ''The old tree has got to go"
Lettie choked a sob.
"You see, the tree is half dead, any
way" pursued Mark. at seems Ike
sacriIege, when Father Moore thought
so much Of 1t, but we can't freeze. The
old tree is our last resource"
So the dying elm was felled and they
had a blazing fire for the first time In
weeks.
"Lettie," said Mark, hurrying into
the kitchen a few days after that,
"here is something that interests you"
AS he spoke Mark extended a small
package done up In oilskin. His voice
was husky, his eyes lit up with the
animation of uncomfortable excite
ment.
st fell out from the hollow tree log
I was splitting" explained Mark. j
opened It,"
"What is IT. dear?" inquired Lettie.
"Papers your father must have hid
den In a plugged up cavity In the old
elm" enlightened Mark. "Lettie, oui
fortune has GOMEZ" he pronounced
and sank into a chair overcome. Faith
er Moore told me I would be glad. ON
/ am, indeed, glad, brave little woman
for your sake and the baby'si Wher
your father wandered out that morn
Ing with the Ratchet, he must have
Intended to pry out the plug In I'M