The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-01

CHAPTER NO. %.
An Oasis.
Freddie perked at once, as flowers
do after a summer shower. Not so
much because the elderly grocer, one
time friend Of his fathers, had asked
him to dine on chicken and layer
cake" though goodness only knows
these deliCacies would be welcome
illness was more in the thought OF
friendly interest; of being in a. home
once more, even though that home were
not his own. But to have, perhaps, the
elderly grocer,'s wife ask him If he liked
managed to get his laundry'-well;
there would be real JOY! And so all
day before the dinner hour arrived, he
hopefully pictured her to himself; round
and motherly with neat gray hair, n
capable, kind, plump hands. Since
miracles always are happening, she was
like that.
She came from the dining room into
the living to greet Freddie that evening
when he went to their house with her
husband. She was beaming; her face
warmth of the kitchen range over
which she had been bending.
S you're Mr.. Frederick Mason's
SON" she, said. We'll, I'm proud to
or thought Of, your father used to v
this territory, and he'd always come
| home with John one night when he. was
in town for one Of my 'smothered
chickens. He used to say nobody could
cook them quite as well as | could;
didn't he John?'
John verified the statement with a
nod. And Freddie's face lit up.
why. I've heard dad speak Of you,
Mrs. Bates" he said. II remember per-
feCtly noW!'
Mrs. Bates turned to her husband.
Isn't that like Frederick Mason, :"
she asked, ito remember all these
years."
Half an hour later, as the three sat
/ at the table in the dining room, she
was calling Freddie my boy" And he
liked it. She completely had forgotten
that he was the son of q man who,
beside her own and her husbands humN
bier means, had made a vast fortune;
She never had heard Of men servants, ~,
or Sweets" She only knew hat here
was a boy of 10, loveable and clean
looking and away from his home for the
first time. SO she treated him accord
ingly. Once, as she arose from her
cult from the kitchen, she patted Fred
dies cheek with her hand, when she
came back and passed them to him. He
looked up at her quickly, his eyes soft
and grateful.
Yeti was she, this ample sort of
1 dli6Nl, ~ was W pOIlt i'lll " ~
doom. For, as he did fun justice to
the layer cake
John" she said to her husband,
why don't you take young Mr.. Mason
over to the Eldridges' after awhile?
They're having a strawberry festival"
Il don't know who they are, Mrs.
Bates said Freddie, but I'm really
awfully comfortable here, .,
Leave the boy alone, Maggie said
Mr.. Bates. Here, have some more
cake; it'll never hurt you"
But the Eldridges always have some
real nice girls around" protested Mrs.
perfectly beautiful. The young folks
dance to it, It'll do you good, son, to
play a little. John was telling me
you've been on the road nigh on six
weeks. I'll wager you haven't had a
nights fun since you left home; now
have your IL
NO" Freddie admitted. 1--WE kept
pretty well oris the job. But, then, you
see, Mrs. Bates, | shall have to leave
here some time tomorrow. and go on to
Middletown, so | wouldn't really have
time to make friends anyway"
still, you know, you might be back