The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-07-14
The Artist Son Who
Was Lost
BY HAROLD CARTER

John Marsden was. at thirty.
seif-made man. Not in the ordinary
sense of the word. though. He had
made himself as an artist after lis
father had cast him out Of his
house for refusing to enter his
bank.
And now, six months after his
marriage to pretty Molly Lamont.
word had come that old Henry
Marsden was incurably i'll.
You will 60 to him, dear?" plead
ed Molly, putting her arms round
her husbands neck. "You know
he lives all alone"
Molly, dear. how can II" he
| asked. "He sneered at my ability
to make a name for myself. And l
succeeded from the first. Rawlins
began to buy my pictures right
sway. recognizing their WORTH"
"John," said Molly, Il want you
to 60 because it is right. Promise
mel"
And so John promised. In truth.
he was proud Of his pretty young
bride and anxious for his father to
see her.
They went unannounced. The
lonely old man lay IN his bedroom
In the lonely house uptown. He had
only two passions In bis heart; the
love of power and the love for
John. But John, IL he suspected
the latter part, had never admitted
1t to himself.
They saw the physician in the
reception room. ,..
"A slight stroke" he said. noting
the expression of anxiety upon the
young mans face. HE ought to
live, but"
He paused. He was well &C.
| quainted with the old mans disil-
lusiOnment In his son, and he knew
that there was more than a physi-
cal malady the matter with him.
1T Is his mind" he went on. "He
lives a lonely life. If he could &C.
quire other interests he would get
WELL, II not" he shrugged his
shoulders. HE is asleep" he add
ed. 1T would be better not to dis
turb him."
He took his departure, leaving
them alone. Molly slipped her arm
through her husbands, and they
went through the rooms together.
"JOhn." said Molly very quietly,
"show me the room in which you
played when you were little boy"
He led her up the thick-carpeted
! stairs, and Mt every step remem-
ORANGES rushed back to him. They
passed the bedroom II; which his
father lay sleeping. John saw Il
white-capped nurse beside the bed
through the open door. He wanted
to run in, as he would have done
years before.
At last they reached the nursery.
Once inside, John gave a start and
gulped down the lump rising In his
throat. All the old toys had been
carefully set out. The rocking
horse, on which he had ridden
through the mysterious lands OF
childhood, the bricks that had been
built into castles, the toy railroad.
on which the train of cars Still!
stood. ready. upon the winding OF
the mechanism, to fulfill its circular
journey over. and over again.
John looked at Molly dumbly. He
saw the tears in her eyes.
"Poor John!" she whispered.
"And-the poor old mani"
They passed into an adjacent
room, once devoted to old lumber
and trunks. John switched on the
lights. He did not know why he
had entered-but now he started
back. this time in stupefactton.
The wall was covered with pic
tures-his pictures. There was his
first, "Apoilo at the Well" hanging
the whole width of the room. There
was his latest. 1.-THE Good Samari-
tam" There were half a hundred
that he had sold to Raw1ins for
such an unheard of price for be-
ginner.
John looked at Molly, and he
knew that she recognized them and
understood. And shame overcame
him. He sank down and could no
longer restrain his tears. 81
He felt AIollys hand upon his
shoulder. !"John, dear" she whis-
pered, ut was he.!" 3D..
eyes," john answered.
"But, though he gave you your
start, you have done we'll, dear. You
must not take it too much to heart.
You know, you are making a good
income now, apart from Rawlins."
II know, Molly" he answered.
But 1t was he-hfs loving care
that watched over me. And /
thought him utterly heartless and
unloving."
They went down the stairs side
by side. They paused at the bed
room door. The. white-capped nurse
saw them and came out.
"He has just awakened."5 she
whispered. ."T4e Is better-so much
better. His sleep seemed to be the
crisis. He will get well. 1t is won
! derful. the change that has come
over him during his Sleep"
Did the sick man understand, In
the land Of dreams, that his dearest
desire had come to pass?
It almost seemed Sc, for. when
John and Molly entered he looked
at them without surprise and feebly
stretched out his shrunken arm to-
ward them.
= '.:j6hn-lny boy I" he murmured.
John was kneeling at his fathers
bedside as he had done when he
was child. The old mans hand
rested upon his head and Johns
face was in his hands.
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