New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-02-06

cheer her. or a dollar to tighten the
burden of running that scrawly
played-ou farm"
He stood up. His cheeks were
afame.
Yes. | reckon I'm lookin' for Stubs
; I'm lookin' for him to tell him how
every night for fifteen years, when
! the six thirty-five train from the West
. has whistled round the bend. she's
. gone to the door and shaded her eyes
with her hand-her hand. that's skin
ny and ugly. slavin' for the kids he
left behind. And don't need to tell
him. | guess, how. every night for hf'
teen years. she's gone back to her
work with a sigh, settin' her hopes
twenty-four hours ahead to the next
nights train. Yes. sir; | want to see
Stubs. | want to ask him where he's
been these fifteen years"
Mr.. Sharp blinked in awed wonder
in the face of this outburst.
WHATS Stubs to you?' he in
CURED, with his first display of in
terest.
He's my father" said the boy. in
a lower tone. He sat down again.
I'm Bill-Im the oldest boy. Five
years old | was when he came out
here on a get-rich-quick gamble. and
since that day, almost. I've had to
take his place on the farm. They
preach about honorin' your father; but
uhnn thipE ,hnYt tho loud on that
woman's heart these fifteen years ]
could ~strangle him on sight"
oh, no." put in Mr.. Sharp pacific
ally. "Oh, no, now"
But | wouldn't" the boy went
on for her sake. She wants him.
Mortgaged the farm. she did, and sent
me out here to find him. She's wait
in. And now the moneys gone, and
| got to go back-without him. |
know how it'll be. The train from the
Wet II whistle, and she'll wait in the
door-for us. And III come down the
old Miller road and up the lane past
the crooked beech. I'll come-alone."
His voice broke. and he turned hast
lily back to the window. Mr.. Sharp
pulled out a very dirty handkerchief
and passed it lightly over his fore
head.
Stubs" he unused thoughtfully.
Stubs. of Indiana. | don't recall the
name"
1T wouldn't be by name you'd re-
member him. the boy said. He'd
change that. Trust him. Always got
on his nerves, that name did. No name
for a dreamer, nohow,"
Dreamer queried Mr.. Sharp.
Dreamer repeated the boy bitter
ly. That's what Henry Stubs was.
That was what sent him driftin' clear
out here, away from a woman a mil.
lion times too good for him. Read
books, he did His hands was too
white for a farm-his soul was too
heightened"
His voice rose in scorn.
Started his fool ways when he was
n boy. They talk about it yet in
Greensburg. Read lynn books, and
pretended he was a knight, or some
thing. Carved himself a shield and a
spear, and every night, when work
was over, he used to get on my grand
fathers old white farmhouse and ride
round town for the folks to laugh at.
They're laughin' yet-in Greensburg.
Used to sweep down on the kids play
in under the street lamps. and scat
ter them with his bum spear. That's
the kind of a fool Henry Stubs was
An Indiana Quixote, some called him.
MIR. Sharp's notified face contorted
into a smile.
"A funny kid. sort Of he COM
mented.
"A fool" sneered the boy. Fol
lowed his silly notions out here. Wife.
children, home-they didn't count with
him. Said he was comm out here to
make a fortune. Him-make a for
tune! Said he'd come back with a
thousand dollars-that's a fortune in
Greensburg-or he wouldn't come at
ALL"
And he never came"
mo
iOu ntNtI HttTu lIOll Hlm
AT first" said the boy, he wrote
to my mother regular. Said he was
well-cuttin' timber in Oregon
with a man named Harding. A few
months later he wrote that Harding
had gone to Portland to sell their
and that when he got his
share-two thousand dollars-he was
comm home
"Well?"
THE next letter was the last she
ever got. 1t was scrawly-discour-
aged-sort of-well, pitiful, in a way.
You see this Harding turned out a
cur-a mean, contemplate cur. He
sold the timber and skipped out with
he money. Somehow, that seemed to
10 my-do Henry Stubbs-all up. He
said he was goin' to try again. but
here was no heart in his words. He
wrote again. Now and then
people from home would send word
hat they'd run across him out here.
said there was another woman"
He stopped. and his breath came
as he gazed out at the droop-
ng town. In his favorite corner, Doc
haywood still snored Justify. With
lificulty the landlord of the Crystal
Palace extricated himself from his
hair and toddled toward his friends
the shelf. lie returned smacking :
lis lips. .
You cant believe all you hear" he :
emarked charitably. IF l. was you. 1
wouldn't add any sin on to Henry :
list | wasn't sure of" ]
Il don't intend to-" returned the '
10y. She says"-his voice softened-
he was a good man. Keeps sayin'
hat right along through it all. Says