Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-14
The Light IN
the C1earinq
Bv IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs-Me Co.

with the senator on the seat vf,b
Us. He and my uncle began N tsf,.
about the tlghtness Of rnonev 80
the banking laws and I reroero -.
a remark Of my uncle. for there ne.
that In his tone which I could naves
forget: ''F'
we poor people are trusting re
to look out for us-we poor neo,la
are trusting you 70 see That we ~ -.
treated fair. We're hayin' a bar6
time" -
This touched me a little and :
was keen 10 hear the senator's an.
swer. I remember so we'll ~.
sacred spirit Of democracy IN BE
words. Long afterward I astsd
him to refrsh my memory OF tbara
and so I am able TO quote him -
he would wish. -
Il know it," he answered @T po
awake nights thinking about n
am poor myself, almost as poor a.
my father before me. I have found
It difficult to keep my poverty tbesa
late years but | have not falla4
I'm about as poor as you are
guess. | could enjoy riches. I'm,
want to be poor 50 / may not for.
get what is due to the peonI,
among whom I was bOrn-vou who
live in small houses and rack your
bones with toll. am one Of Won
although / am Tacking nv bral7
instead Of my bones In our common
interest. There are so many vino
would crowd us down we mus,
OF
we shall be reduced to an overbur-
dened, slavish peasantry. pitied and
despised. Our danger will increase
as wealth accumulates and tba
cities grow. | am for the average
man-like myself. They've lifted
me out OF the crowd TO an eleys-
ton which l do not deserve. hava
more reputation than I dare prom
Use to keep. It frightens me. an
like a child clinging to its fathers
hand in a place Of peril. So I cling
TO the crowd. It is my father.
know it's needs and wrongs ard
troubles. l had other things 10 do
tonight. There were people who
wished to discuss their political
plans and ambitions with me. But
I thought l would rather 20 with
you and learn about your troubles.
What are they?"
My uncle told him about the nots
and the visit of Mr.. Grimshaw and
of his threats and upbraidings.
Did he say that IN Bart's hear
ing?" asked the senator.
ayes right out plain"
"Too bad, I'm going To tell YOU
frankly, Baynes, that the best thing
l know about you is your conduct
toward this boy. I like it. The next
best thing is the fact that yeu
signed the note. It was bad bush
ness but It was good Christian con-
duct to help your friend. Don't re-
greet it. You were poor and Of an
age when the boys pranks were
troublesome TO both of you, but you
took him In. I'll lend you the in
terest and try to get another holder
for the mortgage on one condition
You must let me attend to Bart's
| want to be the boss
about that. We have a great school
master in Canton and when Bart IS
q little older I want him 10 go 10
school there. I'll try to find him Q
place where he can work for bis
board"
Well miss Bart but we'll be
tickled TO death-there's no two
ways about that" said Uncle Pea
body.
I had been getting sleepy. but
this woke me up. I no longer heard
the monotonous creak Of harness
and whiffletrees and the rumble Of
wheels; / saw no longer the stars
and the darkness of the night. Ny
mind had scampered of into the
future. l was playing with Sally
or with the boys in the school yard.
The senator tested my arithmetic
and grammar and geography as We
rode along in the darkness and said
by and by:
You'll have to work hard. Bart,
You'll have 10 take your book into
he field as I did. After every row
of corn I learned a rule of syntax
or arithmetic or a fact IN geogra-
ply while l rested, and nv thought
md memory took hold OF II "a
1lied the hoe. I don't want YOU to
stop the reading. but from now on
you must spend half Of every even
ng on your lessons"
(Contfnued t0r7prrovv