Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-06-13
THE PRoDIGAL SON
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He was man pf whims and Impulse
apparently, for No was almost child.
ishly engrossed II viewing q pretty
picture. Of which . bright, attractive.
looking girl was the center. She was
Just inside the fence Of clover field
and was daintily picking the lucious
red tops. Then she would go to the
separating barbed wire fence. reach
through and Pct, converse with and
feed . white.speckled calf, plump
friendly and spotless Of CRIME or
brier.
Eve an idea-the fatted calf"
abruptly chuskled the .onlooker. "Al-
most 40 pretty % the GIRL" and he APP
preached the fence near which Hilda
Strong stood.
Part Of the big farm bit back
where they're selling out?'' he asked.
The girl, quite startled. flushed and
duttered and gave confused assent.
sTll take that calf II the figure is
right" resumed the stranger.
''But Whitley Is not for SALE" an
nounced Hilda. 'She does not belong
to the farm. Mr.. Warren gave her to
mo when abe was the tiniese little
thing and have raised her"
sYou wouldn't sell her, then?".
~Oh, no! Never! That is-unless
had to. And maybe that may come"
said Hilda. mournful shadow cross
Ing her pretty face. mi. Warren is
breaking up and must look for new
home. I am an orphan and have only
. few distant relativea."
Her artlessness charmed Bart Mil
Ter and her simple ways aroused his
sympathy and interest.
"Heishoi" he uttered 'We're pretty
near Of a kind. I've been an orphan
myself for ten years-that Is, ran
away from home and haven't seen ia.
ther or mother since"
''Oh. dear! how could you stay away
from themY chlded Hilda.
"well. got going careless and rough
and bad. Then In trouble, and finally
I settled down to life among the hard
est crowd ranch ever knew. It was
cards. drink and fighting most Of the
tdme.~
Hilda had shrunk little at the con.
fessiOn, "Y0u don't look very careless,
and rough. and bad" she said. He
laughed quite boisterously at her in
nocence.
.Pm not-now That's why I'm
going back home"
"Oh, are you? Are you2" cried Hill
da. sprightly. "How glad your folks
will be to see you!"
'Father is Dead" said Bart, "but
mother Is living, and I've sort Of spied
out the land before ventured to let
her know I was around. As said, I
was reckless one until year ago.
I had gone to prospecting. Bad as
ever. ! trained with hard crowd. One
day took drop too much, and tum-
BILE. I went into pitt must have
been over fifty feet. How escaped
being killed / couldn't reckon out.
When landed 1t was on soft bed of
sand-on my knees.'
He spoke the last words solemnly.
A strange. spiritual expression came
into his eyes and illumined his face,
until Hilda was fascinated in an in
tense, hypnotic way.
Yes. on my knees" repeated Bart.
.'There I was-sayed by the Almighty.
was. as had been at my mothers
side way back in childhood. All my
bad life flashed upon me. The words
of Now lay me down to sleep drift
ed dreamily through my mind.
couldn't stir for over an hour. All the
time some new spirit seemed to come
over me. Young lady, / crawled out
Of that pit weak and broken-a new
man."
"Oh. how glad your dear old mother
will be when you tell her all this I"
cried Hilda.
with good behavior came good
luck" went on Bart tersely. II struck
a rich mine. saved, instead Of
squandering. I'm going home pretty
rich man. and my money will do some
good. for found my mother poor and
neglected. I'm still queer in my no.
tons, young lady. I know what moth
or will say when she sees me coming
hack"
"What7" urged Hilda breathlessly,
as absorbed as though listening to
some enhancing fairy story.
well, mother is biblical, and it
would be just like her to say, in her
gentle. kindly, forgiving way: 'Prodi-
gal son. you are welcome. and for you
shall be killed the fatted calf But,
you see, poor old soul; she has no
fatted calf. And your Whitley struck
my fancy. And thought I'd buy her,
/ lead her to the old home-it's only
ten miles across the country-and say,
Mother. I've brought the fatted calf,
, and bag of gold. and my worthless
self, all at once back home.'"
'Oh. she won't think you worth.
less! And what grand man you have
been to stop-stop being rough and
careless. and all that. and thinking so
much of your dear old mother! And
what blessing you will be to her, and
I'm 30 glad met you. for you can take
Whitley, and you're welcome to her,
and It's all like some beautiful story"
and. overcome by her emotions, Hilda
broke dOSHn in tears -