* Ù S IY E R èlT Y 0<F OREGON T O M B O Y
115
Fred. It -has. been 'twelve .years sin,ce?4.- left* Chicago and my
f a m i l ^ l ^ ^ , that’s a long time-.;' But 141-say this mu$h,T did
noi H B W -family -without meanse, «1- gave- them > all ,1 had. It.
was enotttMfo©/ I. used Rework a t handling ®res;in.a reducer
and reffne&y.* ' Since I left Chicago 4 ’ve .been, all through thia ’
WesterM country. I like it,-and. I’ll come hack.’
<< But your-.children! ” b exclaimed.
H d looked at me -straight and steadily, and said/ ap-tf’h e
had ¿skedW him self the« implied' question* and answered it ma,ny t
times: “ Maybe they'll’ask me to stay, and-think they want me'
there; but tt-wouldhtt de> They’llh a v e their affairs add I’ll
|
m in$t «No, iW cpm e back here.’'’
And the ©Id'man. kept his word, early in March -he returned.
We khesy fce meant tp stay. ¿¿There was in his4ape a look- of urn
alterphlfe decision. W hatever the cause-of his tong absence and
this final separation from his 'family, evidently the grievance
was irreparable." Immediately he set about gathering supplies th;
.take out to the mines. He went about his >work cheerfully, even
eagerly! but when all was ready, the tost box packed and nailed-,:
h,è lingetudlnd waited ano'ther day,.and;yet.another, and another,
What was he watting-for?' For the snow tp-creep a little, farther
up the "mountain side? F or buds to swell? For the larks to take
up their fullspring carpi?, ; Perhaps.
It was th e last evening he w-as.-yith Us. Mother' and 1 .sat
at a table reading, and he.mused before,the fire-place, g
D oypu want to pee something pretty? ” he said, turning-
and plUpkihg me 'by the sleeve. He drew from hi§ ppcket a pho-s
tograph antf-gav^jt into my hands', it was the .picture
a little-
girt in a white pinafore, a miniature,.of swpèt, trustful childhood^
“ That’s'm y jtttje granddaughter,” he. explained
“ Isn’t Sfyp pretty?
“ A regular rose-flower.”
“ I wóqdef that you coufd leave her,’^ -v e n tu red .
“ Sure enough, L did come pretty near staying, .in spite of
all.. The little thing spemed to take such a-notion to ,me. S he’d
.sit on m yknee by th e hour, and put her little arms around me.
But thè' child, h eart-^ th at’s i t^ s h e wouldn't always keep that.