Show Il I I Ti HER i E SON S 8 0 N II fi BY CARO CAROLINE ABBOT STANLEY 1 f J yo J k b p F tr oJ hl hlf r ir Ni r f lii I I T M i I r livi ii 1 A 11 f r I JJ 11 1 c F Robert sho she said suddenly and without relevance do you care for this girl A train of at o three coaches drawn by b two engines toiled up the steep Rocky mountain pass paE Below a shining track showed whence whee It had come above an another other far up the mountain foretold where it would go How it was waa to get there here no man could coWd tell w 1 lira Mra Etheridge Eth sat drinking In tn the th glory of ot it all Her unstinted enthusiasm enthusiasm touched the pride of at the local pas passengers passenger The train glided gilded over a trestle and a alsta Ista opened on the other side Mrs Etheridge was as on her feet instantly The Colorado woman opposite leaned toward her Tour Your first trip over the pass Yes it magnificent The woman took her traps and d back of ot the other Til Ill give giva you Y U my seat too she ehe said in the kindly western fashion The views on both sides if It was easy afterward to fall into conversa conversation conversation tion Going far bu asked the Colorado wo woman woman woman man Oh Ob Into the mining district Yes to visit my son Aha Is he married 7 No I 1 sometimes wish he were I dont know said the woman thoughtfully It will be an awful trial to you when you have to give him up upI upI upI I know My eldest son was married last year It nearly killed me And Ive got my husband and two children left too And I should hould have hav nothing said Mrs rs Etheridge softly My husband Is dead The woman shook her head 1 I r hope he wont marry Hell never be the same sam to you Her eyes ees were full tull I II II I 1 feel as if Ive lost mine It Is strange how we sometimes drop into heart talks with strangers Possibly Possibly Possibly bly the very fact that they are stran strangers strangers strangers gers makes us freer to lay Jay bare Our ur inner life Ute They know nothing about us not even our names perhaps our paths will not cross again for once we may say just what we think I You ought not to feel that way said Id Mrs Etheridge Try to feel In Instead Instead instead stead that you ou have hav gained a daugh daughter daughter ter It was one of at thoSe thoste sweet platitudes platitudes tudes with which people who have nev never never never er had a scar try to mollify gaping wounds sounds r I gained a daughter Ive lost a son The emollient had proved an 00 irritant feel Just as I do some day s sI SI I 1 hope not Mrs Etheridge spoke earnestly Ive been schooling myself all aU these years to meet this thing 1 I want Tant my son to marry when the right v eman tomes comes The right woman yes But suppose 4 your our son non should marry a woman that you jou like and My son would never love anybody that I would not take to my heart as a daughter sad said Mrs Irs Etheridge And f he confidently believed it itHer itHer ItHer Her companion looked at her with kindling eyes Youre a good woman she said You deserve a good But I hope he wont marry Just the same The climb cUmb through the mountains was wasa a glorious one Mrs Etheridge felt lifted up spiritually With Robert and these mountains she thought I Ii Ian i Lan an give up the rest She had not seen him for tor four years ears After he be graduated ted in mining engineer engineerIng engineerIng Ing he had an offer In Silver Crag The separation wrung her heart but she made no sign I wilt will never be an ob obstacle obstacle obstacle stacle in the way of Roberts success she had said She Sh did not know it but Roberts success suc ess was dearer to her almost than her hope of ot heaven It had become the ruling thought of ot her life Ufe S SHe He had said sald to her at parting Ill Til send for you mother when I get a start Well have a home together yet She had lived on that thought for four years But the message had bad not come comeI I A month ago the high school in which she taught was burned Mrs Etheridge did some figuring that night She had bad been teaching twentythree years rears It was a long time She could see now the figure going to II that first morning holding tight tightly ly Jy by the hand the little who looked up to her as 88 such a tower of ot strength sho who was In reality so 50 fainthearted He never knew He always thought she was strong Her lIer thoughts sped on through the grammar school days when she was still the leader Jeader to the high school when I sh be roe began to study to keep up with i 3 him They were companions through i it all aU allAnd ii And then why then he went away Ij F from tram her went as Tar far as the great ocean on the east Only that Nay Na NaI She might have followed him there I I ut he went sailing Into the unknown waters aters of ot higher mathematics and phy physical physical I steal science and her little bark must keep close to shore She might not go goI further with him Well It If only Rob I should make a success an abundant success of ot life lIte she would be content Those years had been so 90 long so soI I tong long Somehow the student of ot tech technology technology seemed further away from her herI I than the little lad who filled her stock stocking stockIng 1 ing She closed the book at last Im going to Robert Ill give giva my myself myse myself I self se Ie one year of or rest rast In her heart she was saying sa I will vIii never leave him again I will make a home for him r i Ii I 33 4 r f Robert Etheridge met his mother at atthe atthe atthe the train He Be was a handsome young fellow ellow f No wonder she was proud of ot him They walked up to his boarding place I was but a step and she wanted to see s ee the town Such a place p lace It lay In a canyon the walls of which were the sloping sides of ot the n The canyon Stream str am ran through t the town and the main street was beside it Other streets were dug dugout dugout out o ut from the mountain side and the houses h ranged In tiers one above the theother theother other ther o How I shall enjoy this Mrs Eth Etheridge Etheridge Ethridge ridge e exclaimed stopping to survey the he t town How did you ou happen to give up your place mother her son asked as they started on onI onI onI I stay away from you any longer l laddie But I did not give It up permanently yI I could go back next year yea ear if i f I wanted to Do you disapprove of oft It I t Oh no Only the times are so hard out cut here that we feel when one has a good place hed hes e better stick to It But you can go back next year ye r you say Yes I can go back next year She did not herself hersel notice the change of ot tense They walked on a little dis distance distance tance and then Mrs Etheridge stopped How different the tile effect upon one of being right in tn the mountains she said At a distance they are so in inspiring Inspiring But here they seem eem to shut cne in Do you yu notice It Robert 1 Its the altitude You are a little short of breath I I think that must be it she said slowly lowly s Yes Im sure that is it It At the door of at his boarding house Robert Etheridge stopped You expect to find things here as they are back home mother he said uneasily Mrs Skidmore is a plain woman but they have been kind to me If It they the have been kind to you lad laddie laddie laddie die that is enough And Robert hopefully ushered her In Mrs Skidmore was sitting In a red and gold plush rocker in agitated con consideration consideration consideration of ot a blue album of ot the same material She ran to plush Her red hands handl were just from the dishwater and her conscious manner belled belied the studied leisure of ot her attitude Robert Etheridge presented his I mother Pleased to know you observed Mrs Skidmore with some stiffness Mrs Etheridge shook hands cordial cordially ly My son has told me of your kind kindness kindness kindness ness to him Mrs Skidmore and I feel that I know you already She could not help seeing in one com corn comprehensive comprehensive glance the tawdry furnish furnishings furnishIngs furnishIngs ings the staring family photographs enlarged in cheap white frames and the tho Inappropriateness of Mrs Irs Skid mores dress but gratitude Is like charity it covers a multitude of in inharmonious inharmonious Inharmonious harmonious colors and kindness to ones sOn eOn in a strange land is 1 more to tobe tobe tobe be desired than immaculate taste Mrs Skidmore looked more at ease Thanks she said Weve tried to tomake tomake tomake make him feel to home and I guess wee succeeded pretty well we Rob Mrs Etheridge drew within herself herselt as swiftly and silently as a turtle whose outstretched head discovers within un uncomfortable uncomfortable uncomfortable comfortable distance an alien to his kind She felt convinced of over ef et effusiveness effusiveness He had probably paid his board Rob Indeed In her room she took herself to task What did she expect Robert had told her they were plain In her heart she was protesting She Is not just plain Plainness can be forgiven She is vulgar vulgar gar and familiar At supper she sho met the daughter who came In after they were seated She wore a sweeping tea gown trimmed with cheap late lace Mrs Etheridge had seldom seen a more radiantly beautiful face Miss Skidmore Mis Etheridge pronounced the mother and Miss Skid Skidmore Skidmore Skidmore more responded in the family formula Pleased to know you adding suc sue succinctly succinctly in an aside to Robert who greeted the smart gown with a low whistle Oh shut up Mrs Irs spirits dropped to zero during that meal Was this the atmosphere that Robert had been in for four years What do you ou think of or the girl he asked when they were upstairs She Is beautiful his mother ex exclaimed claimed enthusiastically The most perfect features and coloring I ever saw His face glowed But Robert her manners are re atro cious elous Why she talked In an under tone to you halt half the time Of Ot course she had vantages he be said apologetically I should think not Then she pro to unpack Ive Ie brought some of the new books with me Rob Im looking forward to our reading together this winter It will be nice he ho said But ut he did not ask what the books were And here are the chess men m n Do you enjoy chess as much as ever eyer had a game since Ive Ie been here You Well well have one tonight He looked uneasy uneas Im afraid I 1 1 cant tonight I promised to goto go to a party before I knew you ou were coming t Im rm awfully sorry I really get out of ot it Why all right she said I shant be lonesome Do you ou take a ayoung ayoung ayoung young lady with Interest His friends were always here t tYes Yes He tried to look Indifferent but he was watching w her closely closel Miss I Skidmore She was hanging up a dress skirt She pinned the band together careful carefully ly l y matching loops then undid it and pinned it again smoothing out the folds after It was on the hook Do you take her out often otten 1 Her tone was very even een and quiet No not very ver I dont go to parties I much Is she received in the best society here Her voice seemed to cut the theair theair theair air I dont know Yes I guess so soIl If there is any best This party is at the hall haIl When they went off Mrs Etheridge stood at the window and nd watched L them The moonlight flooded the val vat valley valley ley It brought out the mountains In L bold relief against the blue Colorado sky She looked at them a long time Then she drew a labored breath Strange she murmured how these mountains settle down on one onEl The days that followed were an hour hourly hourly hourly ly crucifixion to her She had not hot been L Lin in the house hours before she knew there was something between L Idelia Idella Skidmore and her son What it it was she could only conjecture but when conjecture is turned loose In a aj s jealous j alous womans wom ns soul It t is a ravening wolf rending at every turn She had little to base It on She had seen seer them one day in the hall halt as she stood I Ion on the landing above He was holding her hands and talking in a low tone They had not seen her She went Into late her room and sat down weakly Robert Robert RobertAs As the days passed she was was torn by bI conflicting emotions One hour she sh would say It is only my foolish im imagination the next she would wring her hands and whisper 0 O God Does this seem melodramatic Re Remember member he was her only child the th light ight of ot her eyes the hope of ot years She he knew that whatever this thing be between between between tween them was It meant the blighting S of ot his life or the undoing of ot the girls She Sh came upon them one morning on or orthe the street an hour after alter he hd h had gone gon gonto to his work pleading hurry They r started when they saw her She made mad some cashal remark and passed on the several devils of jealousy tearing her hep soul She would end this tonight She S1 would know the truth When they were alone that evening she unfolded a plan for housekeeping She had thought out every detail A h woman of or no mean executive ability r was Mrs Etheridge and the stakes stake S were high He listened in silence Then he said Mother it pay to go to t housekeeping for tor the little time you yot I will be bo here hereIt It hurt her cruelly There was no rea rca reason reason son why she should not be here always alway if It he wanted her Then she laid pride too on the altar I dont want to teach again Rob Itoh Id rather have the little housekeep ing weve planned so long She laid lai 4 i her head on his shoulder all woman now no She had been father and mother mothe r both so long longI I dont see how ho we can manage It mother he said weakly w akly Im afraid well have to give up the little house housekeeping housekeeping housekeeping keeping Her sacrifice had been re rejected rejected rejected Im a good deal deat troubled about my m business Jie he continued The mine shuts down dowl soon go Its rumored Mrs Irs Etheridge sat up and thought though t rapidly This calamity might prove a adoor adoor door of escape Oh Robert she cried lets go g away rye Ive had an offer here he began bega 1 tentatively With another company compan No To Io go Into business What business The grocery business There was silence in the room for the th S space of ot a minute silence that might t be felt Then Mrs Etheridge spoke C with Incisive distinctness Do you mean to tell teIl me mo that you yoi 1 think for one ona moment of at giving up u your profession a profession that cost cos t you four years of your life she did dh I Inot not mention her own sacrifices for forone r rone one reverse and anda a grocery store Oh well he ha said sulkily he felt tel t that he ho had been called names cow coward ard dolt poltroon a mans got to t live And with silver slIver down to Who made you this offer John Skidmore Mrs Irs Skidmore S son Robert she said suddenly and am i without relevance do you care for to r this girl What girl Idella Idelia Skidmore I think a good deal of ot her yes Would you marry hor her There was no escaping her searching directness It was the same tone she sh 0 used to take years ago when she aha would woul f hold him by the hand and say Now Nos 0 tell me the exact truth and he would feel that he had bad to do it Ho ilo felt so 50 a 0 now J JA i j iA jA A man might do worse orse he h an answered n defiantly Whre Wh re 1 t I Oh well mother he said angrily youve never done dons these people Jus Justice justIce tice flee Because they are not up p to your standard of grammar you think they are wholly bad bado No o I dont think that But Rob Robha she ha cried passionately they are not our kind of people They are aro my kind of people eople 1 he re retorted and she felt that he was choos choosIng lag Ing ng between them themI I am afraid they are getting to be beshe beshe she said sadly What do you mean r rI I mean and she looked him Im straight in the face that the change wrought in |