Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-09

William found the child much
noisier than he had ever dreamed
child could be. And with his wife
unable to work things began to look
mighty dark. He got to feeling that
they We're living temporarily and at
the end of temporarily" something
would happen. He saw other men
out of work; there was no use grun-
bling: he must continue to search for
work. There were hundreds Of Others
unable to look forward and not daring
to look backward. Just hanging on,
waiting for something TO come, was
the attitude be took.
Then came harder days; days Of
worry and nights when William
could not sleep,
what a cruel place this world is"
he said thoughtfully.
Its quite as hard for me as for
YOU" Ruth reminded him.
Agreed" said William.
They grew like that on those days.
One day they had hard words and
William took his hat and coat and
started for the employment Office as
usual. Always as he went up the
street faint hope touched him. But
! the sound Of his own footsteps seemed
/ to follow him, like those Of a man he
e
The shop windows blurred on him.
I The rain soaked into his thin coat.
He stopped once to look at some toys;
/ things he wished he might purchase
/ for his son. He moved toward the
! agency. He stood looking at the
| answers to other mems s 0 S 8. But
| there was none for him. Down the
| list he went, down and down; nothing
! for him.
Down the street again toward home.
| Bitterness in his heart This day.
| Then he trod on something. 1t was
a purse.
| Carelessly. but with beating heart
| he picked it up No one was looking
| He pat it in his pocket. OF course
/ he would advertise it, When he
stepped inside the hall door of his
/ home he opened it. 1t was packed
with bills. He put IL back in his
! pocket.
1 Ruth was preparing the light meal
/ Did you find anything" she asked
! He almost started--till he remem-
/ bered she meant work. He shook his
head.
He hated the cheap food. Ruth
| looked so worn and tired.
| He wanted TO count the money. SO
went upstairs Immediately after eat
/
| 81 500 in the purse. No name and
address. nothing to show to whom it
/ belonged.
1t was fnd-a clear find He
] could pretend to so TO work and bring
7 home $2j a week. They could live
a few weeks better than they had
now for months He could buy a few
/ Injuries for Ruth and the boy.
/ Just to escape his own people say
/ ing, why, William, cant you find
! work"
I He Went downstairs again. William
watched Ruth at her work. She be
| came suddenly fun OF human interest
\ to him. Then he felt u sharp pain
I in his head and WINGED.
| what is the matter?" asked Ruth.
81 do not feel WELL" he answered.
She made him lie down. He was
so weary Of all this hardship. and.
now, just what to do? He realized
that he had not a cent in the world
but this money he had found. Man
/ hood was nothing unless it could be
exchanged into labor 10 support him
self and his family.
He took the baby into his arms
| after Ruth had gone to work in the
other room and said: Fathers found
work"
William jumped up suddenly He
lifted the child up.
IF you hold it I'll keep it, if you
! drop it I'll try to return it to the
owner. Do you hc9r?'
The boy was a beautiful one. and
the father sighed. lie held out the
purse to it. The purse containing at
least six months Of fuiJopgh from
! Temporary land" The child made
| a grab for it lie held it steadily
for a minute, then dropped it to the
floor. Then the father burst into
| tears, a weight gone from his mind
That afternoon ne placed an I'D
vertisement in the local papers. He
had borrowed the money to DO 1t
with.
! In a day or two came an answer.
/ William went TO the address given
/ in the answer. IL was raining again.
| His feet were wet. He Knocked at
/ the door. Some one was coming. A
! little old woman answered the door
/ bell. Yes, she had lost the purse,
/ il was all she had saved for Years
/ II just drew il from the bank. as ]
7 am going away to live. Oh. I am
I SO grateful Please sit down and have
I a cup Of coffee
/ She insisted So William stepped
! in the living room and sat down.
! II want to give YOU a tenth Of IL
for finding It," said the little old
woman.
NO, thanks. really could not
| take it, answered William jerkily.
! Il am glad I found it and was able
to locate YOU"
| He went out in the dark street
/ again, followed by her blessings. He
| leaned against a street lamp. He was
| ready to break down. on. II only he
could get work! When would this
| misery end? Nothing lasts forever.
| When he opened his door Ruth was
singing. She ran TO him and cried:
Mr. Reed your old employer. was
just here and wants you to return TO
| them at an increase in salary. You
begin work tomorrow morning"
William sat down on the couch.
He did not feel excited. He felt like
some one who had been buried alive
and could scarcely realize that he had
been dug up just in time. He could
hear the pouring rain outside, but il
sounded differently now. Then Teddy
cried. He arose and went to the
window. The patter of the rain was
like the echo OF ghostly feet, a mil
lion strong. going through the lost
land Of temporary