The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-08
AN OLD-EASHIONED TALE.
BY Gertrude Cushing.


Il don't see what you're glooming
about. That's a perfectly good in
vitation for Thanksgiving day, n
l think it'll be swell. A big hotel
and music and ice cream n turkey
n pies n ev'rything.'
Mrs. Kimball sat in trance-like
Stiffness. holding the sheet OF let
ter paper. In truth, she was miles
and years away at the moment.
With effort keeping back the tears
which her 15-year-old son could not
be expected to understand, she
came back to the present and the
invitation.
ut hurts mothers pride So, Tom.
OF course it's kind and sweet Of
Robin, but to have my daughters
fiance invite her family to a hotel
on that day, because he knows her
mother can't afford to have a prop
err dinner at home, hurts cruelty.
Why, Tom, your grandfather never
carved turkey on that day for less
than sixteen"
"Oh, we'll, ma, expect that sort
of thing isn't done SO much nova
!, days." constellation, with wisdom
which made his mother draw her
breath in a quick sigh. What are
you going to say to the invite?"
well, accept, of course, dear.
1t would break Lbs heart to re-
fuse, and it would offend Robin.
He wouldn't understand"
Good for you, ma. Then that's
settled. I'm off now. Old Ryder
kicks like a steer if you're late"
and with a resounding kiss, Tom
was away to the florists, with
whom he had standing Saturday
and Sunday contract to deliver or
ders.
! Tom was standing on the rear
platform; and an enforced slowing
down Of the line Of trolleys gave
him a clear view of small wooden
box lying in the gutter. 1t looked
like a box that had not been open
ed. String and seals smooth and
tight, caught his observing glance.
Kind of an interesting box, Tom
thought. It had q lost look. In
fact, 1t was the, kind of thing that
a boy like Tom had to investigate.
He swung off the car and ran back.
7; Yes, it was quite surely lost, for
the fast6hings were secure and the
address was St. Louis. 1t struck
him that it was queer with SO
much postage, there was no return
address. Old Ryder would have
fused about that. He turned il
over in his hands. What to do be-
came an absorbing question. Two
years of contact with business
even as a boy meets it, had given
Tom intelligence beyond his age
He decided to tell no one, and tt
watch the papers.
In the Lost and Found" column
of one Of the Sunday journals h
read the following:
REWARD 905 Park Row,
Room 1872. SIS reward will
be given any person returning
to above address small wooden
box addressed to Hergeshu-
mann & Co., st. Louis, if box :
| is ip same condition as when
lost"
Its cinch they don't want any
one to know what's in it," though
the boy, shrewdly All right, i
: wasn't anybody's business, he sup
posed. and SIS was SIS. He wa
still of a mind to keep his owl
; counsel and the next day, which
/ was Monday. secured an hour
leave from an indulgent schoo
teacher and at $50 was In the ele
vatpr of the building indicated II
the advertisement.
i Room $50 proved to De around
/ corner, at the end of a long, ,ner
row hallway. The sound Of an q
cited, angry voice reached Tom
ears as he nearsd the door. II
{ you hadn't put In that about no
opening the box" it was saying
1--we could have got away with l,
Nobody'd dare to break the seal
on q piece of mail"
3 "Oh, wouldn't they" anothe
, voice broke in. ANY guy'd kno,
there was something phoney abou
all them stamps and no sender
.namo-s