Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-22
The Light IN
the Clearing
By IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs-Merrn Co.

grateful Arrangement Of cs,au
belt, all embroidered with H. ~
and white beads. % 0ias
Now you see, Bart, how fou.
mean anybody Is that takes sla
don't belong 70 'em-avesf Tbn..aaL
snakes Everybody hates EN- en- e
stamps on EN- when they com. a. I.
sight-a ayes" -s n
The abomination Of the Tora
in her. look and manner. Hov, 20 %
shook my soul, He who had t.L.
the watermelon had also ,sGe-
from me something I was nsvs- -'. -
have again, and very wondsrs,'
thing it was-faith in the goods.
or men. My eyes had seen evil TN
world had committed its frst =,
tense against me and nv shirt ~.
no longer the white and baaptifrI
thing ii had ben Still. tbera,n a.
the beginning Of wisdom and Iool,
ing down the long vista Of the wear.
l thanked God for the great barv''
est OF the lost watermelon. Retts.
things had come in its pIsce-yn.
derstanding and what more. offer
l have vainly tried to estimate For
one thing that sudden revelation \,
the heart OF childhood had UftsS
my aunt's out of the cold storsga
Of puritanic spirit, and warmad n
into new life and opened its door for
me.
In the afternoon she sent me ovar
to Wills 10 borrow a little tea
stopped for a few minutes tn NAV
with Henry Wills-a boy not oults
a year older than I. While plavIng
there l discovered a piece of me
rind of my melon in the dooryard
On that piece OF rind saw the
cross which I had made one dav
with my thumb-nail 1t was IN
tended to indicate that the melon
was solely and wholly mine. felt
flush Of anger.
Il hate YOU" I said as I an
preached him.
Il hate you" he answered.
You're snakel" I said.
We now stood, face to face and
breast to breast, like a pair Of
young roosters. He gave me
shove and told me to go home.
gave him shove and told him
wouldn't. pushed UP close TO
him again and we glared into each
others eyes.
Suddenly he spat in my face.
gave him scratch on the fore
head with my finger-nails. Then we
fell upon each other and rolled on
the ground and hit and scratched
with feline ferocity.
Mrs. Wills ran out of the house
and parted us. Our blood was hot.
and leaking through the skin Of
our faces a little.
HE pitched on me-" Henry ex-
claimed.
1 couldn't speak.
60 right home-this minute
you brat!" said Mrs. Wills in anger.
Here's your tea. Don't you ever
come here again"
I took the tea and started down
the road weeping. What a bitter
day that was for mel I dreaded to
face my aunt and uncle. Coming
through the grove down by our
gate 1 met Uncle Peabody. With
the keen eyesight of the father Of
the prodigal son he had seen me
"a long way off" and SHOUT
ed:
well here We bel was kind O.
worried, Bub."
Then his eye caught the look Of
detection in my gait and figure. He
hurried toward me. He stopped as
came sobbing to his feet
"Why, what's the matter7" he
said gently, as he took the tea cup
from my hand and sat down upon
his heels.
1 could only fall into his arms
and express myself in the grief Of
He Rugged me close
and begged me to tell aim what was
he matter.
THAT Wills boy stole my melon"
said, and the words came slow
with sobs.
ooh, no he didn't" said Uncle
Peabody.
yes he did. saw a piece o the
in"
well by said Uncle Peabody,
stopping, as usual, at the edge Of
he precipice.
He's a snake" I added.
And You fit and he scratched
'ou up that way?"
Il scratched him. too"
CONTINUED tomorrow