Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-02-14
The Wide,
Wide World
~2R
By g. q HAcKLEY

H3SSSS5SSSSSSS39Qs9s 'SSSSSSSSS
Copyright, 1913, By Mcclure Esvspspei
Hyndicate)
"Oh, Bobby, we can't tell your moth
er thatl How viii we tell herr
Flora Nelson's large eyes filed as
she chung to Robert Greer, who had
Just cautiously entered the back door
Of his mothers cottage.
Early that morning, In the court
house at West Hardtown, 100 miles
from Burnham. Robert had seen his
father, Charles Greer. sentenced for
life TO the states prison In the big
front bedroom. Jael. the young fellows
mother, for SIX weeks close to death
Of fever. lay slowly recovering
Two weeRs before. the father, who
worked aboard the river steamer Mary
Ann, had quarreied with Cyrus Canter
In West Hardtown- Cyrus and Ananias.
brothers and surly. had provoked the
quarrel that ended In a fight with
chairs. Green had not meant to kill
the man. but he forgot the power In
his arm, and Cyrus neck was broken
at the first blow.
Robert had warned their friends and
neighbors to keep his mother In igno-
rance of what had happened, and
hoped against hope that his father
would 90 free. But the Canters we're
influential people in West Hardtown,
and the trial had ended unhapplly for
Greer.
The boyle was scarcely twenty
took his sweetheart's face between his
trembling hands.
"We won't tell her. Flo he whis:
pered. 1--WE won't ever tell mother-not
even II she comes to die. Dad said for
me to make her believe he's dend."
"Dead!" gasped Flora. make her
believe that1 Why. she's looking for
him today, as soon as the Mary AIMS
unloaded. She came In about an hour
ago."
81 know It'll" Roberts lips trembled.
But we've just got to think Of some
way to make her believe dads dead.
He says we must be dead to him-nev-
er write to him nor try to see him
he couldn't bear that The Mary
Ann"
A roar that shook the panes in the
windows drowned his words. The Mary
Ann would never run up the river
again. Before many days the bodies
Of the captain and the three deckhands
who died when the explosion sent the
boat to the bottom Of the river came
to the muddy surface Of the stream
and were identified, but the bodies Of
the remainder Of the crew were never
recovered. II was easy to say thai
Charley Greer was one Of the dead
but Jael refused to believe II.
Charley was always the first mai
of the boat when she docked!'' sh'
insisted. He'd always come to tn
house to see me a moment. then he''
go back and help unload. I tell you
Bobby, Charley isn't dead. He's aliv'
and well somewherei He's Away
wanted adventure and he's never r.
to have any. He begged me to go wifi
him. when we were first married 4
some wild country in South Amer-c;i
where he could hunt. hut was afraid
Then you and your three little sister
that died came along and he quit talk
ing about It. And now. since y0uv
been grown. Bobby, he's hated to sa
anything about wnntin' to wander fo
fear you'd laugh at him. just bel'ey
he's slipped of from us all to 90 some
where and take his fun, And whe
he's had II he'll be coming back. Why
Bobby what makes you cry? Don
you know daddy'll be coming back?"
When six months passed with n
letters from her husband, Jael e1
| planned his silence to her son by tn
fact that he was in the wilds, wher
no mail could be sent out. but AT III
end Of the year, at each meal, she ST
fancy plate that Charles had Away
liked at his place at table.
Hell be coming in at just any tim
now, Bobby" she told him. "A year
generally all the time men stay on
hunting trip, isn't IT."
"Why, no. mother" Robert e.
planned. "rve read that Englishme
who hunt spend as much as six month
or a year in one place, trying out ii
hunting In each place. Sometimes the
put in five years or more at huntin
big game, and II they take a notion
go on exploring trips there's no tellir
how long"
Jaels face fell. stay away fro
/ their families all those years, Bobby
Robert averted his eyes. "0f cour'
they know they're coming back to 'er
, mother
, For an instant her lips Quivere
then she smiled again.
"Of course and we want daddy
have all the fun the rest Of 'em hav
He knows you'll look out for me ar
| never leave me while he's gone, Bobb
Charley worked awful hard all the
twenty years that's past; he's earnt
long. long holiday. We oughtn't
say word, even II he's taken a motto
to tour the wide world around an
wen stay right here in this house an
wait for him until he comes back
Roberts ruddy face paled. Flora
mother had been ordered to Colorat
to live. and Flora was her only chi
=, and support Flora would have to {
to Colorado with her; her cousin hf
1 already secured teachers place (,
her there and he he'd intend,
to take his mother and go out Their
, too. But now He knew his mother
, gentle ohStinacy. Never would 81
leave her home while she expected h
father hack And he could not lea,
her atone ?hrrc was nothing to Z
but To RELEASE F.,iA from her promi'