The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1922-01-12
stubbs. He's from Greensburs. Indi.

Mr.. Sharp crossed his fat legs, and
then, as IL he had done it merely to
prove that the trick was still In his
repertoire, uncrossed them again.
Seems to me wouldn't 60 very
far" he remarked facetiously, Ito find
q man with name like Stubs"
The boys eyes flashed.
"You would if you was mel" he
cried. I'D go through hell fire to
come face to face with Stubs. Oh,
I'm Iookin' for Stubs, all right. l
want to talk to him. ! want to say:
There's a little woman back in In
diana d like mighty well to see you,
Henry Stubs. There's little wom-
an who's been waitin'-waitin all
these long years, with never word to
cheer her, or dollar to tighten the
burden of running that scrawly,
played-out 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 l don't need to tell
him, guess, how. every night for fif-
teen years. she's gone back to her
work with 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 your" he in
quired. with his first display of in
terest
Hes my father" said the boy. in
q lower tone. He sat down again.
I'm Bill-Im the oldest Boy. Five
years old was when he came out
here on 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
when I think about the load 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 l 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
l got to go back-without him. l
know how it'll be- The train from the
West IL whistle. and she'll wait in the
door-for u.s. And I'll 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 very dirty handkerchief
and passed 1t lightly over his fore
head
"Stubbs," 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 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
a boy They talk about It yet In
Greensburg. Read lynn books, and
pretended he was knight, or some
thing. Carved himself 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 fool Henry Stubs was
An Indiana Quixote. some called him"
Mr.. 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 fortune. Him-make for
tune! Said he'd come back with a
thousand dollars-that's fortune In
Greensburg-o he wouldn't come at
ALL"
And he never Gamer"
"No."
You never heard from him?"
AT first" said the boy, he wrote
to my mother regular Said he was
doin' 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
lumber. and that when he got his
share-two thousand dollars-he was