Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-07-03
The New Life
By JESSIE ETHEL sEERwlN
opyright, 1919. by Western Newspaper Union


passed the time of day quite casually
to all appearances, but always man
aged to detain him long enough to ask
him a question In which lay her vivid
interest:
'What do you hear from Allan?"
At the first Mr.. Barker had answered
with a scowl and a carping TRADE
against the boy who had run away
from home and had made all skies and
sevens of his destiny. Some spark Of
humane interest in the old man, how
ever, became revivified when he
learned indirectly that Allan had gone
abroad a volunteer for Uncle Sam.
Then with some pride he told Bertha
that he had received a twO-line letter
from Allan. He even showed it to
Bertha: "Dear Old Dad: have cut
out drinking It's all fighting now"
And such a glad, rapturous sparkle
came to the eyes of the longing girl,
and such a glorious flush to her fair,
fresh face that Mr.. Barker exclaimed:
Hello! what's this? Surely you
haven't any hankering after that
young scapegrace"
"But aren't you glad that Allan has
has reformed? Oh! dear Mr.. Barker,
If he only comes back to the world
and it's old sweet ways!'
"Poetry! Sentiment" scoffed Mr..
Barker. 81 haven't much faith in the
boy" but Bertha fancied there was
false note to his avowed disbelief.
Hes coming home, Allan u.s." an
nounced Mr.. Barker one day in the
armistice year. "He thinks next
month";" and he put out his hand to
steady Bertha, for she acted as though
she was about to faint. She recovered
herself, however, but her lips moved
TREMENDOUSLY as though in mute
prayer of gladness and hope.
Allan Barker had made record for
himself at the front. Not only that,
but he had picked up a small fortune.
He was one Of a group which had sur
prised a party Of looters among the
enemy who had slaughtered half of the
inhabitants of a little town and had
burned down every house in sight
There had been sanguinary fight. Aft
er it was all over Allan showed to his
with gold and jewels, which he had
wrested from one Of the foe.
"Well," observed this official, "you
had better turn it in"
hot ,.fY Al
LAM
ITO your own personal safekeeping,"
came the reply. "Its ownership cam
not be traced, it is fair jetsam, we've
got too much heavy fighting ahead to
bother with trif1es. Call it trophy Of
the conflict and take it home as
souvenir"
"YOu bet I'll make good use of it,"
declared Allan reverently, and he did.
And when he appeared at his native
town few months after that, surely
returned warrior never vaunted such
interesting mementOes of his expert
ence abroad! For when he left the
train, just at dusk, four neat-appear-
ing happy-faced children, ranging
from four to twelve years, accompa-
MED him.
"Allan Barker and family" was the
way he registered the strange group
and the hotel landlord stared, and his
motherly wife took charge Of the lit
tie ones as though they were her own,
when she learned that they were all
that was left of a Belgian peasant
family.
''I've simply adopted the four.
That's my share. I'm thinking of the
forlorn orphan refugees. I'm lucky
having quite a snug sum to care for
them" advised Allan proudly.
"Oh, isn't it just like you, Allan Bar
ker, and no one else!'' enthused the
sympathetic lady. "You were always
good and grand at heart, for all your
wild ways"
81 wonder if dad will echo that SEN
timent?" said Allan. "Tm on the look
out for mother for those little ones,
and l think l know where to 20 to find
her. Then there's a home needed.
I'm going to report to dad and find
out how he feels about it,"
'Well, you've come back, see," was
the greeting Allan received as he stood
before his father for the first time in
five years.
'The bad penny returned-yes,
dad!' laughed Allan. "See here, YOU
know you're not sorry, for all that
scowling face you're putting on. Come.
father, shake hands and say so. I've
come to stay, if you'll let me, with nv
four little ones"
"YOur whati"
LET me tell you story" and Allan
did. 1t involved the heroic resolve of
down-and-outer reformed, newborn
/ courage, the impulse of bravery. the
final determination of a. worthy soul
to indeed redeem the wasted past and
provide for the broken lives of four
little homeless waits. And at it's end
John Barker broke down and buried
his face in his hands and cried like a
little child