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Show I ' 'Car 2fzzr jzmdzrs I (CopyrlBht, 1905, by Dally Story Pub. Co.) M- a urcd-looking woman camo out o( tho houso and Btood In tho Httlo patch of sunshlno on the north porch. Sho gazed longingly down tho dust-white, country road, and tho last forlorn hope died out her wan eyes as she returned I to her kitchen. Joslah Lenks had not been prcpos- Bossing of manner nor endowed with many endearing qualities. Ho had been parsimonious, tyrannical, fault-H fault-H finding and stubborn, but his wife only remembered that ho was her man. and that It was very lonely In this quiet, orderly house, which, as Is UBual at such occasions, had beon filled to overflowing In tho Intorlm of demise and funeral, but was now deserted. de-serted. Sho wished again and again that her son, Jo, would come. Sho had not known Just where to reach him. One seldom did know whero to reach Jo. Ho had a comet-like way of appearing ap-pearing and disappearing. Ho had been a wanderer since tho days of schoolboy truancy, and ho had served in many capacities as tralnboy, clr cus rldor, soldier, tramp and stage K driver. In fact, overywhero but on his H father's farm. She had not known whero to send word to Beth, either. W Beth, tho little, orphaned child of a distant cousin, had grown to young I womanhood on the farm, and then had I gono to a distant city to teach. She was away on a vacation, now, and had B no settled address. With these two MMf absent, Mrs. Lenks was Indeed alone. fX Suddenly therd , hurried into tho r" kitchen a tall, at-long-shouldcrcd man. jg, "Sorry I couldn't havo got hero In 'm time, mother, but I'm hero, now nnd B, , we're going to bo togethor from now i on you and me." ! Tho Httlo woman nestled in his I, turns. 5 "You know I never could hit It off with the old man. There I Don't (ook scared, mother. I am not going io say anything against him now. I guess I said all I felt to him. Every tlmo I tried to stay at home, I had to pull out." "I know, Jo!" she said feelingly. 'Ho was hard to got along with." "Well, I guess you ought to know cotter than any ono. I am going to make up to you for your Blavo life. You aro nover going to do any more ' Work from now on." "Now, Jo, tho farm work must go on." t "You arc not going to do It. I am k . going to got supper now. Whoro's the I U Stood In tho little patch of sunshine h m on the north porch. ' kottlo? Using that samo old leaky, rag-caulked ono?" For tho next half hour, Mrs. Lenks had an odd sensation of bolng some ono olso as sho sat In n chnlr and i looked on whllo Jo deftly sliced up cold potatoes, fried bacon and sot tho i tablo. 1 Dosplto his flvo nnd twonty years ' ' and big frame, Jo Lonks gavo ono tho , ' Improsslon of bolng' very young nnd t unsophisticated. Perhaps It was duo to his round, beardless faco, which was plnk-hucd nnd smooth, to his eyes Infantile In expression, or to his unformed un-formed and rather small features. "Look Jos' Hko yer did when yor wuz a baby, Jo!" old Miss Green had exclaimed, seeing him after an ab-senco ab-senco of somo years. Thereafter he was over known ns "Baby Jo." His cheerlnoss was like a rush of sunshlno In a dark place to his mother. Throughout tho suppor and evening sho folt as If sho had taken a tonic. When she awoke in tho night sho feared his home-coming had been a dream, and sho stole into tho room whero ho lay asleep with his head on "Bethl" his arm as ho had lain in tho days when ho was In truth, her baby. Then sho cropt back to bed, contont, and did not awaken until tho sun was streaming In tho east windows. Sho hurried down to tho kitchen whero Baby Jo greeted her with a grin and a toasting fork. "Breakfnst all ready, mothor, and tho stock fed." "Now, Jo!" sho protested when, after breakfast, ho began piling up tho dishes In the pan. "No, I meant It, mother." And sho said no more. Baby Jo had always gained his point. When tho work was finished, Baby Jo left the house, saying ho was going to "see tho folks." In nn hour Molly Burt camo In with a big satchel. "Baby Jo's hired mo to work hero for a week or so. My! but he's good looking." "Why, whatever will I do?" gasped Mrs. Lenks. "Sot in tho parlor and bo a lady," advised tho new help. "You'vo had to work Hko a nigger, and now your time's come. Every one's tlmo comes sooner or later. It's churning day. Is tho cream ready?" Mrs. Lonks tried to sit comfortably In tho parlor, but Its unfamlllarlty oppressed op-pressed her. So sho compromised and took tho Httlo, lean-back rocker Into tho dining room. "Well, mother," said Baby Jo, when he roturned homo Into that afternoon, "what would you say If I stopped tramping nnd settled down Into a .stondy, old farmer, fixed up tho placo with somo now togs and brought homo n wlfo?" Tho Httlo mothor showed hor disappointment disap-pointment at this last word, but sho struggled bravoly to say, "I'd lovo to havo you In tho old place. Jo, and I'd Hko to seo you woll married. Is sho a city girl? Would she bo contont horo?" "She's living In tho city at present, but sho tolls mo sho was farm-hrod and thnt sho loves tho country. I know you couldn't help but Hko hor, mothor." "Whon aro you going to bring hor horo, Jo?" nskod his mothor, in faint, forlorn tones. "Sho's horo now." "Oh, Jo!" sho cried in alarm. 'It I-n'tIt can't bo Molly I" "Molly! Well, , I'll . bo jlggored. Mothor, don't you give your good-for-nothing son grftdJLfQX moro tasto than that? I don't dosorvo "much, but, !" f f Molly! I won't teasq Jf !Y Ho went out of the t0 ,and roturned with a tall, &tlged M oa hla arm. ' . . , "Here's your futuro doughtcr-ln-law, mothor. What do you,". nqw? Will sho bo contented witr. our ways?" ,' ' "Both!" ,: Tho two women ero ,n each other's arms. ' "I didn't got tho word about Cousin Joslah until Jo wired me. I was so sorry not to bo horo!" n "When did you and Jo "Always," laughed tho girl, with a fond look at hor lover. "I ought to havo stayed hero with you until he camo back to us, but I was lonely without him hero, arid I thought It would bo nlco for mo to earn money to help us start housekeeping. But wo will all Hvo hero, happily togother-won't togother-won't we, mothor?" |
