The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-01-03


and scowiinx 30 terribly that he was
AFRAID to 60 near them.
After a while all Of the men went
out to the barn-lot, where their horses
were tethered. Uncle Fred and Uncle
Dan had their rifles. He stood at the
kitchen window and watched them
with wide, excited eyes. They all
talked at once, especially his uncles-
and they swOre, too. Then his grand
pa stood in front of them and spoke
very loudly, pointing his finger at them.
He heard him say. over and over
again:
Let them go. sayl tell you, let
them gol"
He wondered why his father was not
there. If there was any fighting to be
done.
The next day he went up to grand
pas with his mother to stay. and Uncle
Fred told him that his pa had gone off
to the war. He believed this, for were
not the rife, the powder horn and the
shot flask missing from the pegs over
the fireplace, and was not Bob, the
very fastest horse in all the world,
gone from the barn7 He was vastly
I
thrilled.
But he was troubled about Minda.
Uncle Fred, driven to corner by per
Ainda also had gone to the war, and
At last report had killed several ex-
trsmely ferOcious redskins.
1t was not until some time after his
mother went away-after the lons-to-
bs-remembered 'foonsral,~ with its
hymns. and weeping. and praying
that he heard the grownups talking
about the war being over. Ths red
coats were thrashed and there was
much boasting and Dragging among the
men Of the settlement.
do you s'pose pa will know how to
md me. srandmaT he would inquire.
"'Causs. you see. don't live WHERE
ssed to-"
And his grandmother. besst with this
and similar questions from one days
end to the other. would become very
busy over what she was doing at the
time and tell him not to poster her.
Then one day he saw his grand
parents talking together On the porch.
He distinctly heard his grandma say {:
II think he ought to be told. Richard.
It's sin to let him 70 on thinking"
The rest Of the sentence was lost to
him when she suddenly lowered her
voice. They were all looking At him.
Presently his grandfather called to
him, and bockoned with his finger. His
grandfather took him on his knee, and
then and there told him the truth
about his father.
'Now, pay strict attention, Kenneth.
You must understand everything say
to you. Do you hearf Your father IN
never coming home. We told you he
had gone to the war. We thought II
was best to let you think so. 1t IL
time for you to know the truth. You
are nearly six years old. Quite a man,
my lad" He paused to look search
ingly into the child's face, his bushy
eyebrows meeting in a frown-
THE devil of it is" he burst out,
''you are the living image Of your ia
ther. You are going to grow up to
look like him." He groaned audibly.
and went on in a strange. hard voice: {:
do you know what 1t II TO stealf It
means taking something that belongs
to somebody else"
Yes, sir. Thou shalt not steal It's
in the Bible"
well, you know that Indians and
gypsies steal little boys, don't youf It
IL the very worst kind Of stealing. BE-
cause 1t breaks the boys mothers
heart. 1t sometimes kills them. Now.
suppose that somebody stole 4 hus-
band. Your father was a husband. He
was your dear mothers husband. You
loved your mother very. very much,
didn't your Don't cry. ladHthere,
there, now! Be a little man. Now,
listen Somebody stole your mothers
husband. She loved him better than
anything in the world. She loved him.
guess, even better than she loved you,
Kenneth. She Just couldn't live with
out him. Do you seef That 10 why
she died and went away. She u iA
Heaven now. Now, let me hear you
say this after me Ny mother died b.
cause somebody stole her husband
away from her"
"Ay mother died besause semsbsdy
stoled her husband away from Asr.'"
repeated the boy. Aswly.
Say tAis: Ny mothers hsart vas
eroksa aAA - ~ AisA.-
Ny mothers heart was broken ~
shs-and 20 she died.
You will never fsFgst that, viii yos.
Ksnnethr"
'No, SIR"
Nov, I am going to tell yeu VIE
stole your mothers husband away
from her. You know who your moth
ers husband was, don't year
Yes, sir. Ny pa"
"One nisht-the night before you
came up here to live-your Auntie Ra-
ehel-that In what you called her, int
III Well, she was not your real aunt
She was your neighbor-just a. Mr..
Collins over there is my neishbor-and