The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-02-10


might beacon Allan back TO the shan
~. but II would also prove a signal to
The robbers, II they were still In the VI
entity. The roar Of water came up
from the valleys. but above or through
that roar suddenly he fancied he heard
a sound from the bushes near at hand.
lie held his breath and listened In
tently. Yes, there II was agaIn-a hu-
man sound. beyond question. half
groan, half gurgle. lie turned In the
direction from which II came and stole
quietly forward. Ilalf-a-dozen yards
from the building the light revealed,
first a shadow, and then n figure lying
on the ground. With some trepldaiion
Harris approached. The mans arms
had been extended when he fell, and
his coat was thrown over his head.
Harris stopped and drew II down over
the shoulders exposing the face.
II was Allan.
The first shock Of the revelation al
most stopped the heart Of the old
farmer. and he sat back as one dazed.
unable to accept the testimony of his
own eyes. Then came panic of I'M
certainty. and he fell upon the boy.
cropping wildly for his heart. and at
last pressing upon II in an agony OF
fear. Yes. the beat was there,
faint and uneven, but unmistakable.
With q sudden surge OF returning hope
he brought his ear down to the open
III ..slth Hrh
and could hear the air laboring in the
ravaged lungs. Then, came that hui
man sound, half gurgle, half groan
but TO Harris, In the reaction from
his first paralyzing fear, II was as very
music from heaven. His boy still lived.
and still should live.
Tenderly he turned the body to a
more comfortable position, laying his
folded coat beneath the head for a
pillow. He loosened the shirt about
chest saw the sodden red that marked
his wound. Rain fell In scattered
drops, and he brought another blanket
from the cabin. caring little now fol
the silent form In the doorway In the
sudden shadow Of his greater tragedy.
He spread the blanket over the wound
ed boy. and sat down by his side. ca
ressing his temples with his big fin
gers, and wondering what to do next.
As he sat the helplessness Of his pO-
sition grew upon him. He was deep
In the foot hills. many miles. as far as
he knew. from the home of any set
tier. In daylight he could, no doubt,
find his way back to town, but daylight
might be too late. He did not know
whether Allan was dying on his hands
at that moment Certainly to attempt
to move him in the buggy would be
dangerous In the extreme.
And as he sat he thought of the
missing money. the fruit of his life's
labor, snatched from him In a moment
In the darkness. The loss did not hurt
him as deeply as he might have
thought; he was numbed by the great
er blow that hung over him. II Allan
would only live! The boy had
been his constant companion since ba-
byhood. All his hopes, all his ambi-
tons, which had found their express
sion In his years Of feverish toll, had
been wrapped about Allan. He had no
one else. . His better self revolted
at that thought. "You have a wife
and daughter" IL said. ready to share
your life as soon as you are ready TO
share theirs" He forced his mind from
that phase Of his position. but II re-
verted to II again and again. He could
not wander In memory up the path Of
his boys life without meeting his boys
mother. And all the pain and unhap-
piness of the later years-how II cut
like an evil bank OF fog across the
once bright course OF their career But
he had suffered for their sakes hold
ing fast to his own course because he
knew II to be hest 800 Best? And II
had brought him 10 this? The
question would not down. Rather than
relax an iota from his own purpose he
had broken up his family; he had
crushed them under the wheels Of his
inflexible will. and now that same will
had driven his son to destruction and
himself 10 ruin.
II Is not easy for man who has laid
out q career and followed II with all
the energy of a virile nature. recast-
ing his gods from time to time to con-
form with the evolution of his ideals.
but recasting always In the mold Of
his own will rather than any vessel Of
creed or persuasion-it Is not easy for
such q man 20 stop at nifty and say.
II was wrong" II requires a break In
his process Of evolution. a shock suffi-
GENTLY powerful to pulverize his gods
before his face, to drive home the
truth that they were not gods at all
but mere idols Of his own creation.
In Harris later life two idols had
grown up to the exclusion Of all 9TH
ers; they were the wealth which he
had builded with his hands and the
boy, Allan. about whom he wrapped all
the affection of his nature; and they
had crumbled to dust even while he
worshiped.
He found a flask thrown from some