The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-11-23
TWO SONS
g
BY r. H. WILKINSON
q. Bell syndicate.-wNU Service.
q. Bell syndicate.-wNU Service.
LID MAN HASTINGS sat In his
favorite chair near the window
that overlooked the lawn and
the shrubbery that lined the

favOr1te chair near the WINDOW
that overlooked the lawn and
the shrubbery that lined the
western boundary of his land, and the
hill that rose above the shrubbery's
even edge beyond.
1t was summer and the hour was
mid-afternoon.
The window was open and the old
man could smell the fragrance of grow
ing things, and feel the soft. warm
breeze against his wrinkled face
Old Man Hastings sat there and
thought of the past. as a man Is apt to
do who has lived his three score and
ten and knows that the future holds no
more than waiting.
He was a detected looking figure,
sitting there alone-alone and lone
some.
No one knew how lonesome.
No one could possibly know, unless,
like Old Man Hastings, he had lived
an active life, life filled with adven-
ture and ambitions.
A life made happy by the love of a
devoted, helpful wife; a life made at
once merry and fearful by the cares
and worries that are inevitable with
the rearing of two children.
Both boys. Ronald and Irving. Old
Man Hastings eyes lighted a little.
Bright youngsters, quick to learn, &C
tive, prides Of their parents, both de-
serving Of the success that had come
to them.
Good boys. Kind and thoughtful and
unselfish.
Old Man Hastings face set firmly.
Yes, sir. Good boys. Thoughtful of
their old dad. Always buying him
something; always sending home some
little trinket they thought would please
him.
OF course he wished they'd come
home a little more often. He couldn't
help that, couldn't help being lonesome.
Everything had been taken from him
so abruptly.
First there was the necessity of re-
firing from business. Doctors orders.
That had been blow in itself.
He couldn't help that either.
A man who's been active in business
all his life, always promoting some
new scheme, advancing new ideas-ro
have 1t all snatched away from him
just like that, well. man had to be
given time to adjust himself to this
new mode of living.
And then Martha had gone. Almost
as suddenly, Heart attack
1t didn't seem as though he'd ever get
over that.
But the boys had been kind. Irving
had stayed on at home for time, just
to keep the old man company.
But after a month or so Irving had
been called away.
1t was inevitable that he go, or for
felt big business deal.
You couldn't condemn him for that.
And he had seen to 1t that the pater
was provided with an efficient house
keeper. A Mrs. Reynolds Capable
enough. An excellent cook. Always
looking out for his needs. But, we'll
she didn't exactly f1t In where Martha
had left off. a.
That had been year ago.
Irving had been home three times
since; Ronald twice.
And once they had come together.
Old Man Hastings consoled himself
with the thought that that was a good
deal. and next year they'd probably
come more often.
You couldn't blame them.
After all they had their own busi-
nesses to attend to. their own lives to
live-just as he had In his younger
years.
And to add to it all he wasn't as
good company as he used to be.
The years had brought on deafness,
and it was difficult for the boys to talk
with him. They tried of course. Sort
Of acted as If it was their duty.
Old Man Hastings wished they
wouldn't feel that way about it.
1t wasn't so much that he wanted to
talk with them; he just liked the idea
of having them around, knowing they
were near.
He wasn't lonesome when Ronald
and Irving were in the house, or when
he knew they were coming soon.
1t was feeling hard to explain; he'd
never tried to explain 1t to them.
Old Man Hastings fell to wondering
about himself when he was Donald's
and Irving's age.
Fired with ambition, he'd been; filed
to overlooking with eagerness to get
out in the world and fight against it.
He smiled at the thought. No doubt
where the boys had got their active
dispositions.
He tried to think of himself as a
youth; tried to recall how he'd felt !;
wondered if his father had been lone
some toward the end. wishful of hav-
ing his children about him In his de-
clining years. Yes, the situation had
been pretty much the same. Things
didn't change much.
Old Man Hastings nodded in sad ac-
acknowledgement of the facts as they
stared back at him.
WL:ko Me-. Coed +.