The Witness

was so old and worn that its original shape and color were scarcely distinguishable, and there was one spot where Mother Marshall's tears had washed some of t

ld felt hat hanging there, just as when Stephen was alive among them, but Mother Marshall never said anything about it; she just kept it there, and it comforted her to feel it; one of those little homely, tangible things that our poor souls have to tether to sometimes when we lose the vision and get faint-hearted. Mother Marshall wasn't morbid one bit. She always looked on the bright side of everything; and she had had much joy in her son as he was growing up. She had seen him strong of body, strong of soul, keen of mind. He had won the scholarship of the whole Northwest to the big Eastern university. It had been hard to pack him up and have him go away so far, where she couldn't hope to see him soon, where she couldn't listen

in such times as these, when Father had gone to town and stayed a little later than usual, th

college, because he said that Father needed to have things easier now. Father would be in the machine, and by this time the lights would be lit. Father was very careful always about lighti

e would be something less fiendish-looking to take their place. They always looked to her as if they were headed straight for destruction, and the person on them seemed as if he were going to the devil and didn't care. She secretly hated the idea of Stephen ever sitting upon one of them, flying through space. But now he was gone beyond all such fears. He h

something happened to Father? That was the only terrible thing left in life to happen now. An accident! And this boy had come to prepa

a fat envelope, a book, and the stub of a pen

ehow that Stephen had escaped death in some miraculous manner flitted through her brain and out again, controlled by her strong common sense. Such notions always came

that fat letter. She lit the lamp, too, put it on the supper-table, and changed the position of the bread-plate, covering it nicely with a fringed napkin s

lights sent their rays out cheerfully without any one at the kitchen window to see. Father was getting worried that the kitchen door didn't fly open as he drew i

air to the door, and she held the envelope in her hand. Sh

about you!" she declared, joyfully

had to stop, and get her pumped up," he explained, "and then the man found a place wa

erly. "Supper's all ready and I

biggest pork chop and the mealiest potato, and given him his cup of coffee creamed and sugared just right, Mother got out the letter with the university crest and began to read. She had no fears that Father would not agree with her about it. She read eagerly, sure of his sympathy in her pleasure; sure he would think it was nice of Stephen's friend to write to her and pick her out as a real mother, saying all those pleasant things about her; sure he would be proud that she, with all the women they had in the East, should have so brought up a boy that a strange

other better 'n any woman I ever saw!" said Father,

t on with its proposition, but he shook his head

Besides, it don't seem just the right thing for that young feller to be paying her board. She wouldn't like it if she k

ell ask us, you know, without saying something like that, e

els, no matter how many he has of 'em. You can see by his letter he ain't spoiled yet, and if he's got hold of Steve's idea of things he'll find plenty of use for his money, doing good where there ain't a young woman about that is bound to object to being took care of by a young m

hat I thought right away when I read that letter? I thought, suppose that girl was the one Stephen would have loved and wanted to marry if he had lived. And suppose he had brought her

throat. "I guess she'd be com'ny for you, too, Mother, when I have to go

up a young girl's room when she comes home from college, and I'd like to fix it like that if there's time. You paint the fur

y, sure! Get some pretty wall-paper, too, while you're 'bout it. S'posen you and I take a run to town again in the morning and pick it out. Then you can pick your curtains and paint, too, and get

mes except when the telegrams came, but they hadn't the heart to have it disconnected, because Stephen had taken so much pride in ha

g to take that letter. Tell him he's struck the right party, all right, and you're on the job writing that little girl a letter to-night that'll make her welcome and no

ore he went to bed, and got his reluctant promise that he would be on hand at two o'clock the next afternoon. The

uce the telegram to ten words

iting you both to-nig

phen's Mothe

ng late, and Mother Marshall realized that they must be up early

onnie, written in a c

Littl

home to heaven. I've heard all about your sorrow and loneliness, and I've taken a notion that maybe you would like to come and

e are sending you mileage, and a check to get any little things you may need for the journey, because, of course, we wouldn't want to put you to expense to come all this long way just to please two lonely old people. It

ixings. Just come as yo

ight through. If you've got any other things besides your trunk, have them sent right along by frei

time you start, so please send a telegram as soon as you get this, saying

y, your

l Mar

nd was more brief, bu

ul Cou

boy and I'm proud that my

saw himself once more standing in the hall in front of Stephen M

t wanted her, we could not have said no when you asked for Christ's sake. Father says we are returning the check because we want to do this for Bonnie ourselves; then there won't be anything to cover up. Father says if you have begun this way you will find plenty of ways to spend that money for Christ and let us look after this one little girl. We've

ing

r Mar

cker between for a window-seat, and she would make some pillows like those in the magazine pictures. She pictured how the girl would look, a dozen times, and what she would say, and once her heart was seized with fear that she had not made her l

, and Father put out his ha

er, Rachel? Aren

e'll have to get a n

Father, relax

sebuds, soft and th

osebuds," murmured Fathe

ittle faster than usual she winked at it, for she was anxious to get to the stores as soon as possible. She had arisen early to read over the article in the magazine again, and she knew to a nicety just how much pink and

their faces, that an idea suddenly came to both of them-an idea so chilling that the eagerness went out of their ey

alled him Seth in times of crisis-"you don't suppose

eady for some one else. You know Stevie always wanted you to have things fixed nice and fancy. But you fix it up.

cloud, with moss roses scattered over it. He was proud to think he could buy things like this for Mother. Of course now they had no need to save and scrimp for Stephen the way they had done during

e she shou