Show X 1 master bobby xa jt starts out to X 5 t if find a father 5 1 X A by harolld CARTIER CARTER 5 Q 1821 1924 western newspaper New paper union ODBY was lost it Is very hard to abbe be lost when you are only five years old and have gone out into the world to tand a fattier fullier fut lier ile he hold held tile scrap of p paper aper which in his hand lie ile was to bo be a talisman find taken that f from roin mothers desk when site she wits was in the other r room ile he knew that tills this would ile kielp lp him to find a fattier father such as lie he had always wali wanted ted suddenly bobbys bobbye fogs 1 egg gave out ue ile was tired and bewildered hy by tho rush of traffic and the busy pedestrians lie ile sat down upon the curb and rubbed hla his eyes with two grimy little hands and still lie he could not rub tile tho tears away tile the matt matter er asked a big policeman striding up to him aro are you oil lost boy bobby handed him the piece of paper the policeman looked at it and whistled mr Sw anscott I 1 lie he ejaculated saints nelvel Is he your daddy hobby bobby nodded dubiously the policeman lice nian picked him film up and carried him across the street to a big building and spoke to the porter tho the porter took nobby bobby to the door ot of a little room that was moving up and up upstairs john scott was holding a company meeting the directors were ill all assembled and really ready to begin business john Sw anscott walked restlessly about the room ills heart wits was not in the company that day ile he was thinking of tile tho girlish wife who had left him five years be before fore be cause because well he had tried to find her many times but hildas pride had lent her power to evade him and lie he had loomed nothing ile he did not know for lu instance stance that lie he was the fattier father but with the shrewd shrewd instinct of five years bobby ha haill dilong long ago divined that something was tho the matter with mother true lie he did not know that mothers ought not to cry at night and sometimes during the lay day as well it was only a subtle instinct that informed him how happy lie he would be and mother too it lie he could bring homo home a fattier father ile he lind had noticed particularly that the piece of paper with the name on it was treasured and that often mother took it out of the desk drawer and began to write a n letter and that she always ended by tearing up tip the paper on which she had written and throwing the pieces into the basket ali ah well it was not necessary tor for jolin john Sw anscott to know all this lie ile had troubles enough lie he had thrown himself unreservedly into his work tin an embittered man and not a very generous one the name of swan aswan scott had become feared in wall street there was not one of the dl directors who stood nervously about the room who was not afraid of him the meeting Is called get gentlemen it lethen ho fie sald said and just then a clerk came cam e in through the private privat e door to see met exclaimed john swan scott the porter did you say then anger aneer got the better of him did you tell hitti I 1 had a company mee meeting he began and just then a dirty little boy with a tear stained face and grimy hands that clutched a scrap of paper cattle came toddling into the room bobby looked round gravely pad and he be stared into the face of each of the amused directors in turn before planting himself upon his sturdy little legs in front of Sw anscott wen well sir what can I 1 do for y you ou inquired Sw anscott gravely have billave you come to attend tho the meeting of tills company yes answered bobby with equal gravity 1 I want a father fathi pir tile the words stung Sw anscott t to 0 th the a quick ile he glared at the little boy an and d the directors each of whom knew the tragic story of Swan scotts ufa life though he did not know they lihew tried to suppress sup presa their interest so you have come to me to find a fattier for you have you inquired the president what Is that you have in your hand young man bobby stretched out ills his liand land and offered him the paper with tile the assurance of five years old Sw anscott took it anti and gave an involuntary start it was Il hildas lidas handwriting that he saw before ills his eyes it was impossible to mistake that how many times had lie not seen it upon those letters at home every ono one of which he had read so often that lie knew it by heart I 1 mother alother Is always crying because I 1 a fattier father explained bobby she cried all night and sometimes she writes things on a piece of paper and then tears it up and brows it away so I 1 thought I 1 thought I 1 wo would ali get n fattier father john Sw anscott looked round him and suddenly a warm warin sense of humanity filled ills his shrunken heart and the directors the look upon the face drew together into a corner what Is your name asked swan scott of the boy bobby that wat was his name his second name and tl it had been arranged that if there were a boy he h was to inherit Sw anscott reached tor for ills his hat well bobby I 1 guess you have found une he be answered gentlemen ta en 11 lie added turning to the directors there will trill be no company theet ing edity today |