Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1917-03-15

for three millions and half and
went home.
He had had little hopes of finding
Netta in the fiat they had occupied,
and so he was spared that disappolnt-
meut. But the old lady who came
TO the door ran after Steve as he
turned away.
Are you Mr.. Stephen Jackson?" she
asked.
Steve Jackson-yes' maam," said
Steve.
81 can tell you where your wife
is" she said. "She comes here every
three months TO tell me that II 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 ne was
in the suburban district, and had found
124.
1t was a trim little cottage, covered
with n 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 hereP'
"Yes, sir"
"And your father?'
Fathers away but he's coming
home soos," 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 loug-why should he ever re-
turn?
In that moment, for the first time,
in spite of what his child had said, ne
had Il 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 20 somewhere to think it all
over.
He went down the sunny street,
sinking like whipped dog. Why
had he not spent those five years in
educating himself 10 make himself
worthy Of his wife and children?
'Steye!"
1t was Meta. She was standing be-
fore him, and she threw herself into
his arms. Steve! 1t is you, dear
est. :"
Metal" The mans doubts dis
solved at the sight of her radiant face.
steve, my dear, how 1 have ionged
for you! l have been working as a
stenographer, and the babies-you
must see our babies-why didn't you
write, Steve2"
When she grew more coherent ex-
plantations followed. Steve's letters
had not been received-perhaps the
mail was lost. Meta had not known
where to write him. all trace of him
had been lost when he went into the
interior. And the letters he had sent
to her address had not been forward
ed. Many tenants had come and gone
before the old lady whom Steve had
seen, and the post Office does not al
ways remember.
"Why were you going away from the
house, Steye?" asked Meta.
81 was ashamed" he burst out. 81
saw our babies, Meta, and l thought
God forgive me-an, uneducated man
like me would drag them down"
"Jim, dear" said Meta, ut is better
to be good man than a learned one.
But please God you are going to be
BOTH Jim, because l am making good
money, and you and l can live as we
want to live, and study together"
Then he told her about the fortune.