The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1919-03-01
THE PRoDIeAl SON
BY AUGUSTUS q. sHGRwlN.

ishly engrossed in viewing q pretty
picture, Of which q bright, attractive
looking girl was the center. She was
lust inside the fence Of a clover field
and was daintIly picking the lucious
red tops. Then she would go to the
sepnrnting barbed wire fence. reach
through and pet, converse with and
feed a white-speckled calf. plump.
friendly and spotless of Crime or
brier.
ave nm idea-the fatted calf !"
abruptly chuckled the onlOOker. AL
most as pretty as the GIRL" and he ap-
pronched the fence near which Hilda
Strong stood.
apart Of the big farm q bit back
where they're selling out?" he asked.
The girl. quite startled. flushed and
fiuttered and gave q confused assent.
'.Tn take that calf II the figure Is
right" resumed the stranger.
.But Whitley is not for SALE" an
pounced Hilda. "She does not belong
to the farm. Mr.. Warren gave her to
me when she was the tiniest little
INInk uHu i uuVS Sniocu AA0As
"You wouldn't sell her, then1"
sOh, no! Never! That is-unless
had to. And maybe that may come"
said HIlda, mournful shadow cross
ing her pretty face. "Mr. Warren IL
breaking up and must look for new
home. am an orphan and have only
a few distant relatives"
Her nrtlessness charmed Bart NIL
Ter and her simple ways aroused his
sympathy and interest.
"HeIgho!" he uttered. "We're pretty
near of 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 them?" chided Hilda.
swell. got going careless and rough
and bad. Then in trouble. and finally
/ settled down to life among the hard
est crowd ranch ever knew. 1t was
cards, drink and fighting most Of the
time"
,Hilda had shrunk little at the con-
fession. "You don't look very careless.
and rough. and bad" she said. He
laughed quite boisterOusly at her In
nocence.
"rm not-now. That's why I'm
going back home"
"Oh. are your Are your" cried Hi.
do. sprightly. "How glad your folks
will be to see you'll"
"Father il dead" said Bart, "but
mother is living. and I've sort of spied
out the land before I ventured to let
her know I was around. As ! said. y
was reckless one until year ago.
;, 1islG ig,ale- 80 prospecting. oased az
,ver, trained with hard crowd. One"
lay took drop too much. and tum-
de. l went into pitt must have
been over fifty feet. How escaped
being killed couldn't reckon out.
When I 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 Hllda was fascinated In an In
ense. hypnotic way.
Eyes, on my knees" repeated Bart.
There I was-saved by the Almighty.
was, as I had been at my mothers
side way back in childhood. All my
bad life flashed upon me. The words
II Now lay me down to sleep drift
I'd dreamily through my mind.
couldn't stir for over an hour. All the
time some new spirit seemed to come
over me. Young lady. l crawled out
Of that pit weak and broken-a new
man."
"Oh, how glad your dear old mother
will he when you tell her all this"
cried Hilda.
"With good behavior came good
luck" went on Bart tersely. II struck
a rich mlne., saved, instead Of
I'm going home a pretty
rich man. and my money will do some
good, for I found my mother poor and
neglected. I'm still queer in my no.
lions, young lady. know what moth
er will say when she sees me coming
back"
"what?" urged Hilda breathlessly,
as absorbed as though listening to
some enhancing fairy story.
swell, mother is biblical, and 1t
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 a 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 20 glad met you, for you can take
Whitley. and you're welcome to her.