The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1928-10-12
WHEN
ROBERT WAS
TWENTY-ONE
s.o~s-Css.O<>.s.<>o-s-o.s-C.s-O-s-O
90 by D. ]. Walsh.)

w 7HEN the wealthy building
\X I contractor, Alexander Ware,
wv was killed In an automobile
accident, and then, when his
widow, one short month after the fu-
neral, married Silas Bartlett, the res
idents of Shipleyville were astOunded.
A report gained currency that Silas
had been her first love. that she had
Tilted him in moment Of pique and
married Ware, and had always re-
GREETED 1t. This explained but did not
excuse her shameful precipitancy.
Her neighbors conceded, however, that
Wares sixteen-year-old son had ac-
quired kind and gentle stepfather.
But If the son, Robert, had been less
of stole he might have dlsillusioned
them. Bartlett, the stepfather, soft
spoken and suave In public, became
to Robert In the home a monster Of
unceasing petty tyranny; and, curl
ously, the wife made no effort to pro-
tect her son from Bartlett's calculated
prosecutions. One summer afternoon
Bartlett called Robert into the IL
brary.
"Pve heard you talking about 60
ing to college," Bartlett began, with
: brutal abruptness. "Well, put 1t out
of your head. You can't afford 1t. I've
tried you in my office-and you're no
earthly good. Your father was car
penter; maybe you'll take to tools.
I've got you Job in Allen Hinchey's
garage. And get to bed early, for you
start In the morning. Your work will
keep you out Of mischief and away
from that pauper next door"
what did little Irene ever do to
your" cried the crushed boy, goaded
at last to angry speech by the unmer
tied slur.
"No temper, young man." warned
Bartlett. "Now I'll tell you this, and
you can inform your friend and her
mother. I'm going to give them no.
tice to move; and I'm going to tear
| down their shack and put up bunga-
low. That's all.'
Robert turned away, bitter but
| hopeless. The Widow Sanderson, a
weak and delicate woman, who
| worked In Mrs. Vogelsang's bakery,
| and her nine-year-old daughter, Irene,
| occupied a small rented cottage on
| the grounds Irene Sanderson, beau
| tiful elflike little creature, was the
| only friend Robert had left; and now
she was to be gent away from him.
| Two nights after Roberts one-sided
interview with his stepfather, Irene
| Sanderson saw her mother ascending
y the front stairs with especial diff
Guilty and ran to help her. When the
mother began to talk OF colored lights
. and golden angels, and then, when she
tried to cough, and fiecks of blood ap
Z peared on her lips, Irene became ter
s rifed. She dashed out Of the house
s and across the street, to summon ole
8 Doctor Godfree.
: dying on her feet" the kind ol(
: doctor later told some neigbbors wht
had gathered. "Last stages of pneu
s monia She'll hardly last the night.
And the doctor was right; In the
: morning Mrs. Sanderson was dead.
Fate now grudgingly bestowed one
: kindness on the two troubled young
: sters, Robert and Irene. Irene was
taken into the home of kind-hearte(
: Mrs. Vogelsang, and the Yogelsane
8 home and bakery was located on Mair
8 street exactly opposite Hinchey's gar
8 age, where Robert was employed. Rob
: ert and Irene were enabled to NEE
s and converse daily.
{ One day when business was slack
8 Robert had spent an hour In the store
8 with Irene. He came back wearing {
Z long face, and his employer, AlleI
s Hinchey, joked him about his love
: making. Good-natured Robert, 70
once, did not respond to Hinchey'!
Z humor; instead, he suddenly became
! desperately frank and unburdened hi
{ mind of the whole story Of his perse
{ cution.
so ho" exclaimed the amazed
s Hinchey, at the end. 81 always though
s that angel of Silas Bartlett was to,
: good to be true. And he was In her,
J last night asking me to raise your pa,
and every cent Of 1t goes into nj
: pocket, ehT' He paused, thoughtfully
you're eighteen now, Robert, and Tn
z paying you fifteen week. Candidly
! you're worth thirty, and you'll sool
be worth fifty. But, seeing how th
land lies, I'll not raise your pay. In
I. stead I'll make bargain"
s He pointed through the great opel
8 rear door of the garage, to cottag,
Z facing on the next street.
81 took that property for debt,
he explained. ats falling apart from
: neglect. If you spend few minutes
! day on 1t, painting and patching
you can turn 1t into palace In thre,
8 years. You'll be twenty-one then, an,
: I'll make you gift of the house. Ant
! I'm getting along In years, Robert
! When you're twenty-one I'll need ,
! partner" He held out his hand. "I
1t go?"
Robert was too overcome for speech
3 Tears welled in his eyes, He coult
! only reach for the hand and grasp I
: warmly.
7 "And now," said Hinchey, don
] tell soul except the little girl An,
: warn her to keep 1t under her curl,
{ yellow wig."
Life took on a different coloring a
! once for Robert and Irene. At lengtl
came the day when Robert was TWEEN
ty-one.
And Silas Bartlett and his wife re
membered this fateful date. To shov
their parental interest In the boy se