OCR Text |
Show I 74r. Hainer's Change of Ihart t H Saw aa Children Saw Hin and T 4 tha Who rnmiy Thought th T I Millennium Muil Hava Com. T 44T ahut up! and got In ynur If work'" Mr. limner comminO'd V roughly. I "Itut he In mtn. father. You I aald if 1 rul-ed him I r-oild h ive 4 him lied have died tf I hdn t taken tilt h care of htm. the bov (.- nl- .l "Vhnt do 1 feed ym fur. Id Ilk- to know. If you've not to b paid for everv chore you do? (in "Inn. 1 tell )ou"' he raiaod II threatening hud If tit the boy could not glv It up Th roll wa hi. end he nmid nt auhmtt quietly to having It sold, though he knew til il.J-rih.ua w. .1,1,1 make rw l lfTr-n. For the flrt time In hl life he uiired bark re-kiea-lv hi father a t;unt. "I don't epet t be pnM fe everv Chora, and 1 wouldn't get It If I did. nr.d I i'pom you feed me Muae you ran't hl" you tin-If I ton la mine' he a mine!-niid you ve no riirlit to aell him!" "Tsk that, ynu Insolent ruhr giving th boy a blow aor.-sa Hje cheek with . trap that started the blood. "And t;ik yourself off. too, or 1 11 get lha rawhide! Vv a II eee who . master h-r"" Kor moment the hoy faced hi father With a look of Wlrked vindlrllveno-s. (hen slowly turned away, wiping tha blood. "I don't know aa I rare ao mtirh for tha nit, Hainer,'' the would-h purchaser a., id doubtfully. "It aeoma 1M t la- ton bid In tak him whan your boy fla ao atout U." NnnnBl' llatner replied Impatiently. Impatient-ly. "If I paid attention to alt th-lr whlma and clnlma ) d he In a pretty tlx! If you want the cult take, him: ne'e worth very rent of the nrli-e llond blond, ami lha boya have fooled with him ao much that has already br- ken to ride" "Yea, I think he'a worth the money. I hough It'a mora than a little vou ak for Im. Well, If y ur boy really hna no claim to him. I guess I'll take htm," and the barjrain waa cnmrleted. "Po Fred off mi lh in a; somewhere, la tier Mr llnlner rcnwrtad. noticing the tad' absence from the dinner tattle. 'I've got a, good hiding laid up for him to-night." "I should think ha d been puntahet. nough, being forced to give up hl own!" Idea claimed. Hhe wmh growing old nough to loae her renr and Tin lit bick "Ilia ownr her futher aneered. "I aop-gtn aop-gtn you all think you ought to huva Whatever you aet up a claim, to, but you'll And out you're mistaken. 1 own thla Blare and all thnt'a on It 1" "You gave Krd the colt when you R ought it waa going to die." Item re-rted. re-rted. "and now after Fred ha taken urh care of htm, and he'a got to b auch a, ftne home, you take" "Hold your t;iucy tongue, mla. and leave tha room!" her father Interrupted furiously, "you d bo all the better tor u larruplrg yourself. A for Fred. I'll teach him not to make another au. li icn aa be did tu-dv. He'll know who a mauler whan 1 gel through with hltn to alahti" III wife looked at him with an atrange n aipreanlon In her eyea that he wift allenced. and went nut wondering. She ! had learned lung ago that to Intercede for tha children waa only to make the pun-lihment pun-lihment more evere for them, and rarely rare-ly m-iU a renmrk In htm about It. If he could understand her look at al). It me.nl warning to him. but that waa ao ahMurd that ha laughed at th Idea, lie wmh a man of violent temper, the humoring of which ha mlatook for the exMrlfi of hl authority, and he nunlahnd aavaralv anv reilatanca to Ma will. Fred kept out of hia atght all the afternoon, after-noon, which waa an addutonul grievance, and jual before chore time he went Into the back hay bain to e that hi raw JiMa whin waa In Ha timm) plce and condition, con-dition, lie would have been eurprlaed i reaantful If any one had deemed him ' ripahla of rinding enjoyment li) the auf- I -rn Mi terrible punlchmente rouaed; v.l " truth la. all Indulgence of re. enf -.1 feeling la a gralltlratlon. and drew tha pllahla lah through hie and with pleaauruhle anllclmitlon. Volcea In ha hy mow above arretted lila attanlton. and he lUtened to nxoeriHtn who of tha bo j a wera w.tHfng their time, which belonged to him. loongtng up there "Hut, Fred." h heard ttoh.l afiv. and nodded hi hand. Betting down one more nark to Freda accuunt: "hut Fred, Iff mn uae to raalat. It only mukee maiter worae." "I don't care." Fred answered doggedly. "I've atood all I'm glng to. I 11 My lit Row If he kllla ma. Iwlah he wotiid kill me an that they wou.d hang him thut would be worth dUng for. I know he juat Itching to cut the akin off of me tonight. to-night. Not that I've dona anything to de-rv de-rv It, but because he a ao devllUh cruel nd lovea lo draw btm d. 1 hate him! 1 hate hlml I hate him!" the boy cried with an Intensity that tha listener vou:d not mistake. "And I tell you. Ifob. Id killed him to-dav If It hadn t been for mother. When he drove me to the hnuee with my cheek cut open I got tha gun and loaded both harrala." "You couldn't shoot a barn with that Id thing," Bob Interrupted, laughing a little, "and what did you load with?" "Ammunition," Fred replied promptly, that I Had and atule to get. Two or thre tlmua when he aent me to town. I kept back n little money (for ha never lata ua hava ft cent) and marked thtnga up to hide It; and I've worked with that old gun till It'a a aura thing now In any reasonable distance. 1 started with It I waa going to waylay him and give him both barrels. I'd 'a' dona It, loo. for tha devil waa aa big In ma then aa It waa In him, and thai e saying a, good deal, but mother oh. well, no uaa saying what ha did. Anyway, 1 let her take the gun, gnd I promised her I d nver think of do-lug do-lug auch ft thing again." TYou wouldn t hava don it, Fred,' Hob aid. "I'd Wed hard, any way you'd thought Pit you'd aean ma. Mother knew I would aha let me out with the gun. Mother Ban do anything with me and aha never hurt me In my life. Did you ever think, hob, how atrange It la thut a woman like gne la, so kind and good, ahould have Uk"ri uu with th.it old devil ' "Ya, I'va thought of It," llob answered, grcMpWng as a matter of course, the plth-t applied to hin father. "If mother could do as she pleased, we'd have aa good tttnea at our houne aa anv tody," Fied went on. "We U hve tutwra nd magailnea. and birthdays, nnl Christ-m-ieea and werylhlng eUa like other (oiks Mother luve ua children hut fuihe'r t tell you. Hob. he don't rare for mining on earth but hloiNeif and b.tvtna lili own way, und making money. Winn rou wuB au-k that time he worried all ne while about the o;a of vour help. nd tha expense it wia making htm. All the mat of us whs afraid yru d die. and mother never loll you a minute, hut ha thooknt only of tha expense me and II wuirhed him." "Thnt'a so,' asuented Ron "he's throwud It at ma a good many times how nich my alck ain-Il co.tt him-n If I could help being eickt Mv work save ''"Ho'de's'inlne.'' Interjected Fred 'Voa, for be makes us do lit work of rnett. and we g"t little ereJIt. i don't illume Fr:tnW fr leaving m soon as he auis of nn, be got nothing more bere than uoaid and dollies." Toor btmrd and cheap clothes at that Ha ha to ll u 1" achwil a few Siontha In the winter, but we m-ver have ooka enough, and have to borrow and double UP till I rn aahamed. I m going go-ing to run away, that la. If I live through to-night. I told molher an to-day. and I gueaa h thlnka Id belter be away J don't get on a well wit h him aa you a.-d Frank I'm too much like him Frank nd Molly and you are like mother; and haaa and me and Hlllle are like him. and don't we hat it though! I could almost kill myaeif sometimes, I m so much like klin, and Usa is the same way "vVhy 1 never heard you talk like thla before. Fred," Rob laughed. "No you're next to Molly and you ton hum' Haas ai.4 me are churns Wauae we era so near of an age. and so muui Ilk, and hat him r I wish I waa aa leer eeventeen aa Bs la. It would be aster for me lo get a Job: but I'm pretty da for fifteen, and I know how to work Im not afraid I'll starve, and III never hv la tk another beating one I ra tmfr,-u mmmmnmmvin M , m .nP ii out of fnther'a rlutrnee I'll trt tn he-have he-have maf. hut I m pretty well ap.ll.I. H..h; I'm men an 1 uaiy natnrallv. 1'ka hint, and he mak me worsa ail the time " 't never found mi inch had lot, Ff'-'ie." flop -I1 ro'Tffirtlnrlv "Tni don t k'ow nil xe t.en up tn, Rob. hut I don I rare There;' no ue t'-ving to he m dec-u fhip when I'm Ilk him. Thrti a WMit ie av. we both It-Ink It U'ifttr to be hi rouni-rptrt Honestly, Hob, dn I you Wish he wa Whv, Fred, vou mustn't aay that! "Hut you don t any ynu wouldn't like If Fred Uuirhed -n-tlcilly. "I believe be-lieve mother Could mik amnethlrg of me -t If he wn out of l'ie wny. HeB and me w.ft h'-th sorry he dhln t Bj-t al lbjJ vfl to talk over tb fun wed had" Hob m'1e an et'-1 tm nlon. end the mnn hrlnw let n ins auilit the Wnll. Hie whip King at hie feet. to. k off hi tvt ""d wiped hla ilmip forrheid. strrlng with eea that look-d a If l ev w a "V"1; For the flit time In h life he reilired thnt hi rhil.lren. growtrg now to be men ; and women, were d.Minct P ron illt intelligent human hetegs. with eouU thnt iw-aer all hi t.rut il oppreion w;t-he him. w-mhed htm j-nliied him, condemnel h'lTe had nee'tnowVM'wtVether his ehll-dren ehll-dren loved M n r not, nor r.ired about It. Hut it I ore thing to occupy live position In the fiffectlon of other end tin entirely different matter n find one' self the. ohje, t of atirh a- tlv hltred a w.is shown bv the boy's hitter wonla. lie e,ra SO tgrnse.t With Iheae n'W , thnughta and the etr.uige feeling of horror hor-ror tey brought th:it he heird no more till Frd laugued out deriatvely. answer- "'"Yea. wouldn't h". If he knew w were loafing up here! Hut I don't enre. hell give It to me as hard a he can to-ma:?". anywav. a whit's the din-rence? I ought tn hive run isv to-duy, but mother winte.i me m will till hi ned un my rhthea. I bet ahe'a sorry now th-it I stayed to get another beating H'H he won't huve It all his own wnv! I here going tn he plenty .,f blood end It won I all he mine. I've got mv "n1' r?,,v- ""'J I II right! I enpect one of us will be killed and it shan't h me. if I can hrlp It Mm Blwnva sill he'd k 11 U If we (ought Wk. you know thnt. Hob; he demands thnt we stand atlll and let him torture us a mti'-ri n he ple.iaea- and don't he lliie It Itn ulh! Pnort like a mad hull with hlB eyes hi Inn and uch n wicked look a If he I like to kill outright If he dled. 1 V watched him when b banting me; and H- anya she ued t'l, too. 1 eup-roae eup-roae he'll put off hla fun till after auiu.er. You'd better come out In a half an Hour or so and see which of u t d -.!. lt'a go and do the chorea, maybe we'll never do them together ngiln." Fred look MB se.it ai ma 'piw " with ft glance of sullen den un-a at hia father; lire.' eyea vats swollen with crying, cry-ing, and his mother' face waa white und l.e did not touch the food on her pi tie. Mr. llnlner felt th tension of nervoua expectancy that, aa ueiml. pervaded th little ktniT lorn over whlrh he ruled o n-locr.itlc;iliv. n-locr.itlc;iliv. when he waa about t" administer ad-minister punishment. He looked furtively from one to another, at limes. Ilkn a man atudylng th face of th Jury that waa lie winced at the start and thrill that shook them when h roxe from the tnhle; and as he ait wllh a volume or agricultural agricul-tural report In hi hand, he f i conscious con-scious that they regarded him with Incredulous In-credulous wonder; tliey roul 1 not renlla thnt he meant to fmegi the promised punishment. They all believed that h enjoved It. and loved tn 'draw hlond, a Kred had said. And had he not given them occasion fr thnl belief? lie studied himself na h never had before, from the point of view of those around Mm. Ills children looked uton him ft ft hated tv-ranl. tv-ranl. nnd would feel relieved bv. If they did not rejoice nt. his death. Reviewing hi line of conduct toward them he con-fesseil con-fesseil th.lt their attitude of d. ep hostility was the natural result of hi treatment He glowed With ehame B he recalled Fred' picture of himself un-W the Influence In-fluence of pstonnte. unreasoning anger tie did nut doubt that the bov had roemt to shoot hl-n. or that he would 'fend himself to the death, a he had declared he would. Ills domineering wl.l urged him tn IlKht It out and show himself mne- ler, by riant of aui-armr power. Hut hie h,.tte.r self wis eroded, and he mad the rtimlute determination to govern no more bv brute force. He was auririaM to nd i that he w nted th good will and respect i Of hi children. "I have made them hate in 1 " f htird from now on to win ;.-ei h and i confidence." he prnmKrd r - .. It wm not an sy thing t U : t was difficult for hlrn to hilng hlma'f . fiv i elder th w1h-B of his children; nl they would not hetteve tn hla good Intentions. at first. They were aliy r mis fatnr they had ncv-r nown. and would drop Into embarrassment when h attempted to Join in their conv-ratlon. The rawhide raw-hide disappeared, to Hillle s nstonlshmriil. who wondered over It a good denl. "He alk Res, that's the reason ties an quiet and good-natured, waa Freda applanation as thy talked It over. "I don't know." Rs replied Ha verv atrnnse but sometime I think It a beraus he d.Vs really care for ua. Why. I'll get tn think lota of him If he keep on this wav; somehow h look aa If he wanted us to " . Mr. Il:ilner'a temper got th better of him aometlmea. and h brok out In the old way, but he always controlled htmseir quickly with a sense of sham, without aroing so far na blows. It la a blessed truth that good desire and good hublts grow as raadllv as avll. if we give the-m th aama cultivation, and aoon the new atat of mind, nd reaultant actions be--ame a habit, and the family begn t oe th lr nf watchful restraint hi nresenc had alwsvs Imposed. "Thv want blrthdaya. and Chrtatmaa nd auch thing, do they." ha muisd. remembering re-membering som thing ha had ovr-heard. ovr-heard. "Well, there chanc for n of Dim coming pretty quick. "Roy." he said aa they were pick na; corn, all 'oadtng on wagrn "Doy. It a I r.e mother blfthdav lehday; iupoose we give her aurnrlae." They looked at him with Intereat. and a llttl doubt. He soiled and ent on- "Bne need n new rook stove; we might get her a range Ilka Mrs. Maaon is Hhe think that such a good one. If Molly Crtn conx her tn go away fo- the day, we II all go tn town and get It and hav It set up when ah gets horn. Don't you think w can dn It ? "fi father'" R'h and Fred eKctalmed together, while Rillle pranced, shouting. "It'll be her t hrlstmn f.rasmit. loo. 'cauae Haturday's I'hrlatmas!" "ThJt'a ao." hla father admitted, and stood ron-thlerlng. while Hie Imva waited -llently. "I'll t-ll ym what." he turned in them "sunprn wo wult and have her birthd;.v and Chrlalmna together. We ran come home hite the night h-fore. so that she won't see the range, and maybe we c.uiUlIp UP early and l.U " "ady Jollv'" Fted cried "We'll have to hav a real old-fash-loned t'hrlalmt dinner to try the pew i rniiue and c-l hiate the day. And I've I been thinking ' he added a 1IHI ni-hirrasaed. ni-hirrasaed. for It was not e.iy to meet the auri.rls and wonder his new courwe wTa causing "I'v been thinking- It would be pleasant to hava I'hriatmna ii it'Hi' n t , ar.d I thought wed tuk a big lond of corn tn town and divide up whwt It bring so thut we can gl presentg all around ' He did nut look up. hut he felt the astonlHhinenl that held them dumb. He had tlwua been close with them, sven to meuniMs, and even Rob. neurly nineteen, hud never had a dollar for '"ltniie'broke th awkward silence with a, whoop "Me, too, fitther; ma, too?" b demanded. "Yes all of you. the girls, ton; divide nvtii to do what you like with. W must tell the girls about the rang and th dinner, so that they ran fix aa much ""II s going crasy, I know h la," Fred deelaied moodily, and Rob und Molly looked as If they reared aom thing o( th kind lie's not. he's just coming to hla senses!" Rsb exclaimed, "ana I'm getting get-ting to Hke him. I ll love him pretty soon If h keeps on this wa) ; It'a grand to have this kind of a father; It aeema aa If th millennium had come"' The four had met behind tha woodshed to talk ovrr fhrlatm plans out of earshot ear-shot of mother Inside th shed a man who was hruanlng hla clothes, drew hia hand arrows his eve whnering: ' He's going to keen on. rtass. till you'll II think It's the millennium.'1 Th young folk war full of eager aa t!"lpt1n: It w a", an new to ,m lth mv.trrlmi bundles thit were nul'-k-I whiaked out of fight Mother had been a little beetl'ered bv the cringe tn th home atmosphere, nnd fenrful tt wmiht not nt. but the dred ami anlv tint had always overshadowed her wis fading awn. end hf the preparation f"r t'-e t'hrttm s festive) went or. she felt that ie would nerfertlv hn-nv If aie "ly dared to l.tercetl for Funk and have him with them. It turned cold the dy Kefr Chrlatma. and Mr H i'n-r rnsa esilv rhrlstmsa morning telling her not to hurry, as It would take s-m time to get th house warmed up Belftlv end silently aa poe-Hide, poe-Hide, the shining r.ew ra'iae a set tin, with n larae card beirlng the word, "Mother's birihdav prent7' standing on the nlrkH-plated WITtd" shelf The girls hurried hre-hrM on the table, and their f iher cO'ed. "Com. inothr; there a a good ftre now!' A she entered th room evervhody ha-gin ha-gin t" ffv "Merrv fhtlntmas'" tn her nnd to erh thrr. and In the hanpv con-tnloi con-tnloi s'e rttd pot see br birth lay pre, ent till lUllle, unable to Walt any longer, cnlle.i nut: "Vother, what th matter with your atovoT" Then -h stared nd robbed her eves, aed aln-ej ;.g tin. ex- l itmlng. "Why, father, what d -c this meinl" "It meina we've begun to hav Mrth-das.nnd Mrth-das.nnd 'hrt-tmsea nt mr house." h laurhe.l. to cov.-r Ills ronfiiHlon "it me.ns lots of fun et our hnue"' Hlllle said, orenlng evervlhlng he could aho it the range to exhibit his knnwle lKa. "It mem th millennium. I gue Rr.s sild, edging up to her fither shyly, and Mollv Fmlledat him gratefully. "Yes." he Bald with twinkle, "end yonder comes aop - -ire of It I've hern watching lor." sou ruahed out and brnorht In Frank d nut him In hlfl mother' arms, her Christmas present. The breakfist was cold before anvtody thought or it, ther were en many ex-pl-intlons to make and present to give and reclv, end think nnd k1Kes nnd teirs. aa c a laughter. And ther Wa yet one more surprise, for while the glr'a made tiew enffee nnd warmed things ver th boa went to do the chores. Rot It was not long till they were back With a rich end a hurrah, and Fred him hl"d In. "falling all over hlm-elf," Rillle cried, shouting: "nn father! Fit her I Moiher- llesa-.inlHMlv!-h'a given ma lirn bar-v nt1n-mv hon'B out there-It a.iy t'hrl-tmae piesent to me!" end h r.uighl hi fathers hind and tried to thnfk him while everybody laughed r.nd crowded nbeiit. and shook hand with Fred and father, and wiped their eyes, and laughed again, till Haas a id detld-dly: detld-dly: "It Is th millennium. X know. Rut If We don't hive hrnikfift wa will not u ready for the big dinner thnt'a coming!" "Yes, daughter. It's ojr Christmas millennium," mil-lennium," her f.ither added, looking around nt them sll with shining ayea. tSprliigneld Republican. |