Show i I The Evening Story THANKSGIVING Copyright mij b TV t tW W Thc w In man mIi U in the tiny Uny X Eng 1111 land vl la l' l promised a A. warm In ing Th now anew gIld and nd coM cold which outfit ought io to com vw wi io loit t om between 11 a a. 1 II and nd w it t rn nl wind Then Ther would be D summer ajr ilir Jr and a hint of or Kreen n r 5 Mrs err LInton eat su In her comfortable flit flit- lt- lt tin room rooi tb tho before In lug nc an and thoU thought ht whit what a hitter bitter r mock pry mockery n. n in th Ui word ord wa as t to her Rain or snow now or balmy aIr aIr- what what hat did It matter r except that K the th now Know was wn mo more mor remindful ot of other r days day when In Ing had ben en the l lon it b be oaf i Th Thy They y s tI nied emd ao 80 o long lone a pro th o. tho days when lh h too other othor happy and mother fa had butI d about abit roastIng roast roast- tn- tn F turkeyS plc tn nJ TitI llo f auco Tomorrow nho- nho ll II would put on one lonel lonely plate plata on tho and then ah ho would tarn at the cloth nod and think of ot th UIA faces aces that uw d to ho acro across from h hT hr r own the thc husband and anI son who whom she would nver never sc aga lit Ten cn I en jeans r r ac o a x runaway horse liorac oue had dr S' S IJ her hel husband to death Sho had grieved cl and wondered rt how provid nc could h bo he so o cruel t-K t I- I months later Harry Harn her hir only child a n bo boy of 15 had been en 01 I I 1 t n a Thought what whit a bitter bittel mockery the world was wac to her drowned In the cr crack ek east cast of or Since then she ahe hail had been boen a- a moody a-moody mood bitter woman I who reviled Thanksgiving ln and Christ ChrIst- mas Her own life was empty empt Sh She could not bear benr to think of ot others being holme happy Her unhappy musings musings' wore were Interrupted b by a n knock at the door To her word of or invitation old Mrs s. ut z Clancy the village washerwoman 1 entered I 11 dont don't su suppose you'll want me to come COIne to wash tomorrow she wIned whined querulously Tho gI h Its It's your our r regular gular oa aay oay and I 1 cant can't give I e vou u another day this But belli Its It's Thank Thanksgiving Mrs Linton look looked d up with hard eyes If U you care to como come you ou ma may she re re- re plied The day means nothing to me Nor me either drearily Except B to mako malc one remember things that are better forgot Mrs Mia LInton looked curiously I at the lit littie little lit lit- tie tle wrinkled ol old woman She wa waa far from clean liar Her soiled waist and ragged tagged skirt were ere disgraceful Bleared eyes and arid uncombed hair hall made old age repulsive Sho She was not cAen a R careful an But ut the tho town boasted no other othor Mrs Irs LInton knew w she had had worthless x s hue hue- band and a son who whose e reputation was WuI not of ot the best Also that she lived in a miserable shanty t near the he creek Are yot In trouble she asked C care care- lessl lessly Do you ou need money I 1 believe I owe you ou 1 l for tor last week Mrs Clan wiped her yes eyes dreary drear from weeping with Ith the corner orn r of or an apron that Mrs LInton would not have touched for tor Oh I 1 II Vc got troubles Everybody In Inthe inthe th the world worM has their share hare But with an effort J I 1 guess Im I'm better off ort than you My leh sons son's alive alive Mrs LInton winced Then she he spoke with quick anger Why h hare are arc you yon Oll complain com com- plain In jr then I I. I with witha i a. a hard dry catch that thatIs wis wac Is not nota a sob would scrub and wa wash h m my fingers were worn to tho the bone bone and and think It a sin sn to whine whine If If If only onh m my son alive Mrs Clancy Iancy leaned a against aln lt the door and looked ed ot off at the distant Odds fields areen with spots of yellow and brown There was a hint of ot dl dignity In her attitude dc- dc spite her ml miserable appearance a a. dignity dignity dig dig- given b by rIef Dut But It if your our son Ion was wag alive alIve nd ind nd In in Jail Jail and and you OU couldn't Mp him I guess Jues bl bitterly your Thanksgiving turkey would taste bitterer than It doc doci now Mrs Mis I LInton startled startle 1 She e exchanged ex hanged changed few calls with h her liei 1 neighbors Her grief had mAde solitude more agreeable ble bie than chattering friends So she heard 11 little o of the village gossip What has he ho done done asked coldly Mrs AIrs Clancy again raised her hel dirty apron to wipe away the tears that were wet I rolling down iown her wrinkled cheeks Oh he's hes b been n gambling a apr again Its Irs most t tahA ah A always that hes he's for nut But If It It H wasn't for Jo Johi hi his worthless father athel hed he'd be he a a. areat teal leal good ho hoy If It I 1 could only have him b by myself m I could keep kc-cp him straight U c m is ja hi his father tather Oh ho he got ot awn awa before thc they raided 4 the place Tr It him blip bitterly lo to ave we his iila own on skin sl and l kt t liob lb ob stay I th v y ecu send him hint to tu the penitentiary Oh hush crl cried rJ Mi Mrs 11 s. s much shocked You Volt shouldn't talk tall that w way about your sour h husband cu easy to Hay ay when it Il f n s soil POll on tha that's l' l being pulled down non JIo How old is your Is-your 1 our U son I oti She stumbled over Ol th the last t words word I wenty T ase Jl Just the thc ago of or Yes I Ive I've heard ard Rob Bolt t talk II about him rh They used to so go o to to together th r MIJ V T LInton wit sat very cIT still In her halt chair For 01 the fIrst time In Iii el began to to that thaI th there N arc are I i 9 O v Walt Wait till I 1 como como back Mrs Clancy I Iho sho ho ordered c thing A In lit titan than da death tho She Sheat hc at III the thought that h her Ivr r son 11 If II he had Ih lived night might hive disgraced h line r Of or t cour course he lic would h have he e lied had better earn care better influences IJ than thin this miserable o-d o td woman could pl I h her r bo boy But Hilt yet et Mr MUI I Ione LInton l n d rd more than one ca many ry-many c cae cases p They rushed 1111 thick k end and tact fast Into to her mind N eases cases of b born who hl had h h- h hd had d rt good excellent nt moth mothers mother and pattern father r. r and yet who had chosen th ir own vii evil path and had hd clun clung to 0 It With a 8 tart Matt site ho awoke E from her hI re reflections to- to n to the that th the tb for for- or- or Iota lorn old woman before her was speaking After all nil she sho murmured between sobs Ive more to be thankful for tor- than you you- No matter what m my boy bor Is Is hes he's alive ali Mr Mrs Iri LInton slat stated stared d with wonder r. r Was It possible that thiat a 1 mother could be bo thank thank- ful tul that such a bo boy was alive And th tUn S Sa a a. great reat wave of ot thankfulness swept over her Her grief had been hitter and heartrending heartrending heart heart- rending but she had he the satisfaction of ot knowing that her hr boy was safe safe Bae safe sare under un UT der cr the sod What will they hey do t to your tO-your your our bo boy sh she asked In a a. tone who e gentleness had not been heard for ten years The judge jUde fined him 30 30 I cant can't pa pay It so M hell he'll have hae to work it out out days das that'll b be And I had bad a good Job Joh for rOt him to start Monday And he promised me me- that he never would go o crooked clocked again Now ow when he gets out of or the hell he'll be so O bitter that he lie won wont won't t. t try again I Just kno know It It was preposterous rous Mis LInton ire ire- e crded hastily Surel Surely the Ignorant old woman could not expect her hel to pa pay a 1 gamblers gambler's It was ridiculous And n x vol Cf cry likely as soon an as he got out he would do something elie and bo ho arrested again When a a. boy bov was WMS worthless It was no use to help him When a boy bov O was wai worthless then worthless then she slip remembered the white face faco of od her own on son as she site saw It l last It had been very cry calm and peaceful but she hp remembered that her hus huSband band had told her once Just st before his lila own death eath that Harry wa was going to need nd much care arc and watchfulness watchful watchful- ness aces when he was a few tew years ol older Jer lie lip Is all aa as lon long as h Ite 11 Js III s with the flue right crowd ro d John LInton had said 81 But If IC h hr lie over ever nets gets a wrong TOng start stait and we are not at hand to pull him straight and nurl k keep p him hint straight tra ht hell he'll go pretty fa tar far At t the time h site she had Indignantly ic- ic the tire Idea Idea- her hur moth mother I love was sure jure ure th that t Hairs Hairs- never be anything but wh what t lie he should b b. b Then John had died And then Hall and th thieve J had harJ been no need for or watchfulness Walt till I rome come heck back Mr Mrs Clancy h cite he ordered Thou Then 1 she chic left the room and went vent upstairs to toa a room loom that had not t lx rn touched for foJ ten tell years eat Fishing tackle birds birds' Js' Js eg eggs balls arid and bat bat bat- batH bat all H inc tM clutter of a boys boy's v ori la lay laj- there On Ott tilt the H shelf Jn in th the wa was a 11 bank banka batik batik- nka a rusty Iron lion bank It jingled IM heavily an uc uch sh h she 11 u it down Man Ian Many times Ph fh she bad had th thought of ot Us IIA foments and tn wondered rJ what tnt f Ih she he should do with them Sh She couldn't bear heur to tin tho money be- be sid dried she lIhr didn't need It U. Mrs still stood lIt by thin Iho door 1001 when Ih slip site The Tite tired exe held hell no expectation Site She had long lon c tH eJ to expect anything hut but woe from rom th the world Ml pushed buk lI the Iron run and took tOol th tie HIP money y out out so out overal Several bills I tw two tt J c and find a IH handful of f silver four dollars dollar and lw twenty one one cents rente lan fan ou Oll oj c tt t t him out for or tomorrow she sho askel d gently Mrs h latier wan waa sobbing JC Yes to re to to- to night And nd If It you jou knew how luppy JQ you lui luif P f made n a poor pour fIll rant old woman woman- Mr Mm II then pok quickly quickly- kb I 1 would Ilk to hat luve 01 ut ou anti and your OUr on rat lit Thanksgiving dinner tinner with me tomorrOW |