Show Daily Short Fiction Story THE M MOCK lCK PRODIGAL By ELLA EILA RANDALL Copyright 1914 by the McClure Newspaper News News- Newspaper paper S Syndicate From his hlo retreat behind th the tho green vines vinos of or the shaded veranda Britt Max Maxon on somberly som lorn- bert berly eyed his younger brother the gay central of a. a lively group on tho the lawn All Mi his life lire Cecil had been a care and anda a trial Ho had defied d restrictions outraged outraged out out- raged conventions dipped d Into all the pett petty dissipations of ot the town loafed laughed and snapped his lila fingers at everYbody every overy- body bod wo 10 sought to restrain advise or reproach ch him His final ACt act before his disappearance had been lh the ap appropriation tion of a small amount of ot his firms firm's cash h which sum um his his' father rather had promptly made good good and and an n attempt to elope elop wit with the ministers minister's pretty daughter The TIie girl however had faint taint heartedly left him atthe at too the second railway station and amyl returned d home we wc ping and repentant Yet for tor all the dark record of a a. checkered checkered check ered past hero here he was at homo home again with tho the family and tho the town gathered gathered gath gath- ered about him each ach one trying to ou outdo do dothe the others In gladsome hospitality Vive the returned The cIder ci cI- cI cider der broth brothers brother's rR meditations were war bitter It wonderful The folks wouldn't make such fluch a rues fuss Usa over me If It I stayed awa away fitt fifty years They're making evenda every even da day a a. fete Cete day now and nobody knows s or cares whether Im I'm In It or not Unit Britt Maxon was as usually of good humor humor humor hu hu- hu- hu mor and kind kindly disposed toward every one oven een the erring YOUn younger tr brother but at this moment his mood wR was hos ioa tile Ule His HIA watching gaze gare took In not only tho the lithe bo boyish fl figure re of the returned girl who ho had been beside him almost constantly con con- since hl his hll arrival Mora Kemp tool And sh she he had scarcely known Cecil before his absence Th the with way a women re- re the watcher Give Olve a man the I reputation of or a dashing devil ma may cat care scamp and they'll find him charming Yes les tes C Cecils Cecil's a mighty ht good looking tel tel- low more low more like a gypsy than ever e But I thought Mora Kemp had common sense Well Im I'm S SHe off orr He turned abruptly running Into his hie sister Fann Fanny near t the tle o Inside stairway Oh Oh Britt will viII you OU come and hull some berries Im I'm going to make sonic some of oC those biscuit shortcakes Cecils Cecil's BO so fond rond of or He says cays he ht hasn't seen ono one since he went a away auay Q And Miss Kemps Kemp's go going ng to Ha to stay tea She Sha and Cecil are going over to the farmhouse now for the tha extra tra creamS cream I I said Mid ld 1 Id I'd d send Mo Molly y but th they r. r think It'll ll be bo a 8 lark I I considered the tho long n lonely path across the wooded hills to the farm- farm louse and ground round his teeth His brother was certainly m making th the most ost of his early opportunities At the tea table encircled with guests none was so o merry as Cecil CecH and the lIe blonde girl who Eat sat at his right riCht hand She turned two or three times to chal- chal lengo lenso i her tier older friend Britt Maxon but hut the il dull savage sa 60 J mood kept hePt possession of rr of i M clumsily him 11 and nd his hili attempts at gayety ganty were mechanical I. I Itt In the evening Cecil cecI dolin Played tho the mandolin man man- and adans sang fascinating foreign songs sona some of or them accompanied by lan Ing sla glances Into th the nearest t feminine eyes ces When It was time for the little le leC party to break up he C went home wIth Mora Iora Kemp A A little more ot of this tn's sort of ot thing thine and andin Ill I'll tu turn Pr prOdigal Kal myself dec declared ared the in elder brother Cecils a hero Ive I've been to sane lane o be taro safe and stead steady so lon long 1 Ive I've ve ceased interesting its it's time I gave tem fiem all something to think about A week later after Cecil and anti Mora Iora had been out canoeing and the former had carelessly upset the bOil then than boat boat- t. t and had made a heroic rescue carrying the tho gui In her Maxon faxon drIppIng garments to the home Britt felt that his time for action had come The next day everybody In town was talking over the tl Maxon had stran strange o news Britt Britt klaxon Maxon had i gone sUd away y mysteriously Suddenly given ghen up his fine posItion with the thes richest firm In town Britt Maxon had f thrown his I amily Into a a. panIc and a and nd Mora Kemp had Fanny Maxon been een crying on e each ach others other's shoulder houlder while Cecil t tryIng to was comfort them a I Let Iet the duffer dutter go It'll do him c cried ried the good ono one Im glad to s see ee BrItt cut up a bit Show m man an es e's hu- hu 1 1 dont don't he hes he's gone cut II away to up said Mora with But hIm his splendid position with the Tweed Lomax-Tweed p any pany company com coin Why he started to ork there b Ix e at s 3 t. t a mere a M week walled d h hed he'd ec just I been beegi Fanny Panny And Anti C Canton anton n club b And made mado Id I'd president of or the e 11 counted on his p pl laying all my ly t tor ter er this win win- win win-I I I play f for Cor you ou offered ir i Cecil blithe blithe- J l y but h his sister slater shook s was as given to her head Cecil Cecil Introducing startling Im- Im p Sn pro in ft all J his 1 musical perform perform- 7 a Oh lJ ll be winter back winter before re Indeed no sighed Fann Fanny lie He wrote to d did id when Is more than you OU you OU ran aW away and Cecil ho h at a trip to South America Cecil whistled Ills travels had never t taken aken him as far CaL as that The summer r passed and no f c came ramo from Crom the th absent on one but Mrs Maxon l received a a. gift gilt now and amid then b bearing some somo distant postmark The t tokens came came unsigned but hut the tho mothe mother 5 smiled softly she sa saw saV V them Once Mora Iora Kemp n. n handkerchief c chief hief of oC delicate Mexican 1 hand work In her mall mail but sho spoke of t till to one ofle It was early In the next spring that t the he station master at at Canton saw BaW a f familiar figure approaching from the halting eastbound train Ginger Ginger Britt Maxon Mazon Well Vell I thought wo wed we'd d see liP you back about this tin time e. e and arid Then fell foil tie he to M hands In ln a hearty Va way chatting as In times Jonc gone by Britt walked through h the main street of ot time town where id ii frIends greeted erected him as ts II though he had been seen but day before Two vIo or three stopped hIm to ask aAk k about his travels but he felt lh that t Js return was I not causing casIS A a. sen- sen To b he Fanny flung y her bin i ny herself elt upon with a girlish cr or cry of delight and mo hand trembled hand trembled In Iii his own for an n Instant hUt hUt- but l J Know knew you'd oud come I back Drill said Mr Mra Maxon gently I And Ani Ia say nay Britt whispered Farm Fanny soon as-soon floon as they In III the hall ball again you you got pot hack back Just in time Cecils Cecil's gone away awny agAin Gone Cone echoe Drift BrItt And mother Oh she sha h Isn't worrying about him this M time Hes He's 1 a a. a. a born barn tramp and hes he's just kept tho the whole place upset anyway But Cecil coaxed old Mr Mr- Ix max to try him hini In your place with the Inn and ho lie didn't make good And last night Mr Lomax was WM asking after alter you OU and and and- and and and- Fanny cried BrItt catchIng catch catch- Ing up up his hat An hour later he had hafl l secured this his hili former position J Ith the Tweed company campan Glad GIRl you ot arne carno me In Just at this thin time commented the tho head of or the firm finn We thought likely you'd oUd rather settle In Canton On his Ills Va way home he called to see lite Moia Moi-a lol Would ho timid find n R grief stricken girl whose shattered red h heart art was In th tile the keeping keepin of a a. d debonair graceless gr 8 runa runaway She came eagerly rl Into th the thA room her hands extended In a n frank welcome Britt I knew you'd oud come com comet I She mUM archly at him One rover roer In the family mIlY U la enough Sir Ir h has your our conscience never ne troubled d you while hUe you O were awu away Bewildered red the youn man took a SP sent seat t beside her Has your conscience never troubled you ou Mora Moral 1 lie hA n asked feelingly Dont you Ou know It was be because he- he cause of you ou I went way Her golden h head art drooped And now no 1 because o of or rne tn C me-Cecil's me Cecil's Cecils gone she fat fal fY Yes that's true I didn't care i for or him as he but he-but but it wasn't m my y fault Britt HI his heart Ga gave g a Ii wondrous throb and hI his hla face shone hone like the sun Can it be possible Then he laughed laughed- happily Well the prodigals prodigal's l' l returned and Blid while ee seined to ex expect ct him Rn there ther Is no rue excitement In la tO town Ill I'll IllIe re Ie e satisfied if It f you'll just Junt make a n. little fuss oVer aver hi bus Mora Mora darting darling You ou a prodigal sweetly Jeered Mora from th the shelter of his arms arm Youre Youra only a l make believe c dear ilear l ar old f |