Show tk TION DUTY i By JOHN H. H HOSE eo Cornet t 1 e J I He was so young to have the heavy burden he was carrying but Martha didn't realize her son was strong mentally as well as physically nor that he could keep a secret as well as the next person u I supper will be ready In J halt half an nn hour called Martha to her son who was entering the spring house with a bucket of milk milic In each handO handO hand O 0 K Kt Mom Shouted the lad ladIn ladin In response Im through with the milking Ill I'll be in as soon as I Iclean Iclean Iclean clean up Martha watched him a few minutes minutes min mm- utes later as he trudged toward the house He was big for 14 and with faithful Shep trotting along at athis athis athis his heels Joey made an nn Impressive picture against the backdrop of the setting sun Just like a n magazine cover thought Martha as tears of pride welled up into her eyes Her little man Joey had shouldered a n burden during the past year that many a aman aman man could not have handled as well The plowing planting fence repairs repairs repairs re re- re- re pairs and the thousand odd chores that must be completed on a farm had all been mastered by Joey He seemed to almost relish his role as asman asman asman man of the house while dad was sWay away Day after day he had tolled toiled in inthe inthe the llie fields with the team while other boys his age were swimming fishIng fishing fishing fish fish- ing and unhampered by bythe bythe the tile cares of ot labor But Joey had seemed impervious to their comings com corn ings and goings Many evenings at atthe atthe atthe the supper table Martha noticed the boy dozing from exhaustion A spoon or fork would often otten pause suspended way mid between mouth and table She never gave utterance to this observation of weariness lest her sympathy extinguish his feeling of being the family bread bread- winner Their conversations were those of business partners rather than mother and son Martha longed to tuck him In at night or to hug his tow head hend to her breast Little Joey was her only consolation in her longing for Big Joe Countless times during the lonely nights she had tiptoed quietly quiet quiet- ly into his room to stand beside the bed where he slept Often she caressed caressed caressed ca ca- ca- ca hi his blond head or kissed him lightly on the cheek as he lay deep In the refreshing sleep of child child- hood Each time she struggled within herself to check the tears of love and loneliness as she slipped quietly back to her own empty room fearful lest she waken him and bring his big world tumbling down around him Joey was living from day to day In a world of big responsibility and she could not in spite of her longIng longing long- long Ing to be more demonstrative toward toward to to- ward her year old Jolt him into reality She told herself hersell that was the reason why she had never told Joey about his father Well-meaning Well friends had tried to persuade Martha to sell the farm farmand farmand farmand and move to town Her troubles dated from the day she had received received received re re- re- re the tile telegram from the Arzona Arizona Ari Ar- j Arl-j zona hospital Big Joe was never coming back backi He had a hopeless I case of ot tuberculosis tuberculosis-it it was just a matter of months But how could she tell Joey The knowledge of her unshared grief had caused her herto herto herto to shed thousands of inner tears In Joey's presence and endless nights of heart breaking sobs In her own room But she felt that somehow they must keep the farm that held so 60 many fond memories The first days after she and Joe were married had seemed almost impossible The work at the barn and In the fields had continued end end- lessly At first she had worked side by side with Big Joe and they had sacrificed everything denying themselves the very necessities of life in order to make the payments on the farm Then little Joey had come to crown their happiness A mutual pride and joy which they had shared In watching other things grow on the farm had then been centered in Joey Martha had decided that life was practically perfect until one day big Joe had come in from his worl in mid Surprised to see him Martha had inquired what was wrong Joe just stared off into space and then he answered Martha theres there's something wrong with me Im I'm weak and tired all the time and I keep coughing and coughing For the first time Martha J noticed how tired Joe really did look She su suggested that he hc see a doctor at once but big Joe said he probably just had spring fever The following come Big Joe would never be coming corning com corn ing back There were those who thought Martha cruel for not tellIng telling telling tell tell- ing the boy that his Dad wasn't coming home At times she thought she must tell him but she postponed postponed post post- it feeling that somehow the right time would come a time when he might be strong enough to stand the heartbreak Perhaps In a few weeks before Joey returned returned returned re re- re- re turned to school or when Miller moved in to sharecrop the farm The summer had come and gone swiftly Already the first suggestion suggestion suggestion tion of Impending autumn was noticeable noticeable noticeable no no- in the coloring of the countryside The crops had been abundant and the harvests were good for Joey and Martha Many had bestowed compliments and Joey Jocy glowed with pride when the themen themen themen men had remarked about the size of the yield during the threshing season Returning home from a Saturday shopping trip the two were makIng making making mak mak- ing b big g talk about the coming school term We sure were lucky to get Mill- Mill T r t 4 it t r ry y p 7 r 44 F 7 v c g L Just like a magazine cover thought Martha as tears of pride welled up into her eyes I Sn Saturday when they went to town she had persuaded him to stop into in into into to see old Doc Doe Crane It hadn't taken Doc Doe long to decIde decide decide de de- de- de cide that Joe should have some X The folIo following wing month the X-rays X were taken by the county health officer in the new mobile unit and Doc Doe Cranes Crane's fears had been substantiated Doc suggested Ari Ari- zona Martha could still remember those two weeks when she and Joe had planned how they could make out if Li she could keep the farm go go- ing Her father would help and little Joey would continue to school Big Joe was not to worry but exert exert ex ex- ert all his effort toward getting well again The first year things had gone very smoothly Indeed until the rheumatism laid her father on the shelf shel Martha was desperate All the spring work lay ahead and it was Impossible to find anyone to take takeover takeover takeover over the work She had talked it over with Joey and together they had decided to go it alone She could still hear little Joey as he said Gee Mom Morn Im I'm big enough todo to todo todo do the work Grampa let me plow some last year and Im I'm lots bigger bigger big big- ger and stronger now So Joey had become the man of the family Then the telegram had er er weren't we Mom asked Joey Yes son replied his mother And not a bit too soon either I dont don't know what I would have done donel with you going back to school If If we hadn't found someone to take takeover takeover takeover over this winter Suddenly Martha knew that the time had come to tell Joey the unhappy Unhappy unhappy un Un- un happy secret which she had carried now for more than a year In her stricken grief-stricken heart But how could she bring herself to do It She must strive to make It as easy as pos pos- sible She swung the car into their lane and pulled to a stop in the yard before belore the kitchen door The purchases were quickly unloaded and Joey lighted a fire in the big kitchen range Now was the time Even before she removed her wraps Martha laid her arms across Joey's shoulders and began Joey dear theres there's something Ive I've been wanting to tell you for a along along along long time Ive I've been so proud of you this summer and I Well somehow it seemed I just couldn't spoil everything you were working so hard for with bad news Now youre you're going back to school and were we're so fortunate to have Miller coming I want you to work hard at school this fall falI she continued as she noted the questioning look In his eyes Then she simply related God decided that you and I had a aJob ajob ajob Job to do together Joey Your Father will never be able to come home In fact she continued as she struggled to hold back the tile tears he ma may may have only a few more months to live Of There was a long moment of si silence silence silence si- si lence a moment which lasted an nn eternity for Martha Oh dear God make him understand she prayed silently Joey didn't say a word but drew his mothers mother's face to his own and kissed her tenderly and boyishly He patted her softly on the cheek Aw gee Mom I understand he said and the tears stood In the corners of his eyes Martha could see how brave he was trying to beNow beNow be Now I better take care of my feedIng feeding feed feed- ing he said somewhat hoarsely Can we have the pecan roll we got in town for or our supper Mom Morn he asked as he changed from his suit coat Into his overall jacket The coat was thrown carelessly across the seat of a nearby chair Martha watched him walk slowly from the room a firm set to his shoulders He took it like a man she thought as she removed her own wraps Then she saw his coat lying j on the chair and smiled thinking He acts like a man In some ways but when it comes to his clothes hes he's all aU boy She picked up the coat to hang it properly As she did so so a small notebook and some papers pa pa- pers tumbled from the inside pocket Gathering them up to reI replace replace re re- re- re I place them Martha was startled at the tile sight of the yellow envelope Could it be I It was wasl Among the contents of ot Joey's pocket was the worn well and much read telegram from rom the tuberculosis tu tu- I sanitarium |