Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1919-03-07
The Wide,
Wide World
@~
By 8. 3. HAcKLEY

"Oh, Bobby, we can't tell your moth
er thatl How win we tell herr"
Flora Nelson's large eyes filled 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 weeks before. the father. who
worked aboard the river steamer Mary
Ann, had Quarreled 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 go free. But the Canters were
influential people in West HardtOwn,
and the trial had ended unhappily for
Greer.
The boy-he was scarcely twenty
took his sweetheart's face between his
trembling hands.
"We won't tell her, Flo," he whis-
pered, tive won't ever tell mother-not
even If she comes to die. Dad said for
me to make her believe he's deadl"
"Dead!" gasped Flora. make her
believe that? why, she's looking for
him today, as soon as the Mary AIMS
unloaded. She came in about an hour
ago."
81 know it" 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-
err 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
81 h0k
Charley Greer was one of the dead,
but Jael refused to believe 1t.
Charley was always the first man
off the boat when she docked!' she
insisted. He'd always come to the
house to see me moment, then he'd
go back and help unload. tell you,
Bobby, Charley isn't dead. He's alive
and we'll somewhere! He's always
wanted adventure and he's never got
to have any. He begged me to go with
| him, when we were first married, to
some Wild country in South America,
where he could hunt. but was afraid.
Then you and your three little sisters
that died came along and he quit talk
ing about 1t. And now, since you've
OCCA SIO"ht DODOyB . " say
anything about wantin' to wander for
fear you'd laugh at him. just believe
he's slipped off from us all togo some
where and take his funl And when
he's had it he'll be coming back. Why,
Bobby, what makes you cry? Don't
you know daddy'll be coming back"
When six months passed with no
h11S nd
planned his silence to her son by the
fact that he was in the wilds, where
no mail could be sent out, but at the
end of the year, at each meal, she set
a fancy plate that Charles had always
liked at his place at table.
Hell be coming In at just any time
now, Bobby" she told him. "A year is
generally all the time men stay on a
hunting trip, isn't it?"
"Why, no, mother" Robert ex-
planned, 1--WE read that EnglIshmen
who hunt spend as much as six months
or year In one place, trying out the
hunting in each place. Sometimes they
put in FIVE years or more at hunting
big game, and If they take notion to
go on exploring trips there's no telling
how long"
Jael's face fell. "Stay away from
their families all those years, BobbyT
Robert averted his eyes. "Of course
they know they're coming back to 'em.
mother"
For an instant her lips Qulvered.
then she smiled again.
''Of course, and we want daddy to
have all the fun the rest Of 'em have.
He knows you'll look out for me and
never leave me while he's gone, Bobby.
Charley worked awful hard all them
twenty years that's past; he's earned
long, long holiday. We Oughtn't to
say word. even If he's taken notion
to tour the wide world around, and
we'll stay right here in this house and
walt for him until he comes back |"
Roberts rudy face paled. Flora's
mother had been ordered to Colorado
to live. and Flora was her only child
and support. Flora would have to go
to Colorado with her; her cousin had
already secured a teachers place for
her there - and he - he'd Intended