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wxdkxbnjly titcxubkb 31 1030 theacton free press 3up jfrpp ijjrpbb hnrt turu a shadow of the future harriet lummis bmith suipobe youll be rather lata i getting h stephen stephen boyd home rom oollege for the holiday grinned engag ingly his look was ao amiable that no on could have guessed it masked irrita tion it was queer how mothers the best of them took that tone as though a fellow were a child to give account of hlmnelf latel his tone burlesqued horror not at all early i as early as tho milkman ills mother smlud rather painfully in tribute to ids labored humor at the head bf tho table his father went on with the dinner his face expressionless trick a doctor loams early stephen guessed he was annoyed however and be came dignified social affairs don t begin at dusk as they did in your day mother the telephone rang in tho homo of a country doctor the telephone has a way of ringing during meals j uhoda the middleaged maid who had been a member of the household for fifteen years answered the call then bustled into the dining room they want to speak to you doctor its the iennlngtons oh the pcnningtons said doctor boyd and rose qulcky ho wafl at tho telephone a full minute and when he oarne back there was a new gravity in his face shes worse asked mrs boyd yes i 11 drive out as soon as i have finished dinner sorry to leave you alone on new years eve oh 111 keep mothur oompany for quite a bit stephen won recalling that lila mother had planned a little party for that eve 1 thought id ask in your old crowd stephen slu hid said her face lighting up in a way t had when she was pleased with an lda for now years evh- you know ho actually liad dreadod to toll her of hbi engagement it was that reluctance ho was inclined to think which hod made his voice seem so gruff im asked to scotts for new years eve they are having a big house party bobby saw me on tho train and said hed send one of tile cars for me tho sootts do you mean the scotts at urookside now mother his voice sharpening noticeably dont bo small- township bobby scott belongs to one of tho most exclusive groups in tho university just because theyre not your sort you dont need to assume tint they arc not at to associate with its common talk that mr scott made his money bootlegging on a large ncalo however he made it lie has it stephen had answered and thats all people care about nqwadays tho con versation had taken place more than a week earlier but stephen could still soe the color leap to his mothers forehead and her lips tighten although slio hod aaid nothing more a his father had d the alone perhaps youd come over were not having a party but therell be qultn a orowd of us to watch the old year out mrs boyd left stephen to decline iln said lightly thanks but unluckily i have an engogument at tho scotts i he scotts i why i dont know tlinm you must have hoard of them at hrooksldo you know oh yev said constance but her volco hod flu tinned shu turned to mrs boyd and laid un impulsive hand on hern 1 11 think of vou when tho cloxk striken lwulvn nho lalighixl and wuh you a happy now yew she woa flnilllns when him budu stephen goodby but he was aware that when she had learned his destination for tho evening she had rot oiled small town again i tho car was to como for stephen at ten and us ha dressed he found hlmnelf debating tho wisdom of what ho was about to do lie told himself wrathfully that ho was just going out for an oven lugs fun yet ho had an odd feeling of having conic to the parting of tho ways wnu it was true unit girls uko constance had hotulmt hi common with tho ulrls of itobcrt bcotts net smoking drinking swearing screaming ho knew which sort he preferred but after all a fellow had to think of tho ruturo if ho bo- camo friendly with some of these influ ential people ho could secure the sort of position ho wanted when ho was gradu ated ifo wanted something connected with blocks tho oldfashlonod idea of putting by part of ones earnings and investing it was too slow for him when tho nor came for him stephen ran downstairs whistling and stopped tnicijiimiwm other goodnight yoir wont sit up for father i suppose no i think i hhall go to bed very soon im a little tlrod hor face bore out her statement she looked palo and weary but after tho door had closed upon her hon she sat motionless looking down ut her folded hands halfpast three now years morning stephen entered his homo ho moved softly both because ho did not want to waken his parents and because ho had no wish for an encounter with cither just at that minute ho was aware that ho smollcd of liquor that his face was flushed and tliat his speech was nomo- what thick ho knew exactly what ho was about but at the same time ho realised that ho was no fit object to moot tho rye of father or mother ho titolo down tho long upper hall to his room opened and closod tho door hoftly and put on tho light ho took a htnp ahead and a topped short ills first impression was that tho mirror had moved since ho last had looked into it then ho saw it wan hanging in its oc- ciri torn fid placo hut tho image he had seen in it a fuw hours before had moved over to tho chair beside tho window his heart jumped ho tookoif his hatand aal and ntole a furtive glance at tho chair by tho window yos it was still occupied and uko himself whowho are you his volco wan huiiky oh ho put tho dark of tho winters night stephen strolled into tho front room where his mother was playing softly ho rocailod by some ono strangely that many people felt his mother luid given up a career when she married a country doctor it wan a shame stephen question and tho voice that answered reflcptod watching tho slender figure wa i hunky too as if it had been an that his father hud not nettled in tho city rcho im steplun boyd who aro whore a man had a chance to make money hut father before him stephens grandfather had boon a physician doc tor stephen boyd living in this homo house it had been his fathers dream stephen know that he too should study medicine and como back to tho old town doctor boyds hud practiced tho same old sign would do for his thought stephen his up curling his fathers name was charles and his brother tho stephen of that generation hail gone aw fro homo rorlv a tiled smo yoi i m stephen boyd artor a mnmentj nllonco tho figure in tho chair was uhakon by a convulsion of l n nlc uu with bad com- sllmt mirth i might have known it rn h ta fighting tho terror that threatened to master hlm im just hearing things its not real the figure in the chair chuckled thats right youre just a bit of memory taking shape and looking real enough to pinch but btchpon boyd the doctors son the cleanliving ltkeafalq youngster docsn t exist except in my brain thats a lie said stephen hoarsely im as real as you aro that is im tho ono that is raal you re just a fancy how can t bog gaqaonod the- furunyl in the chair i ran remember all about you and there are things in my life youve never dreamed of in your vilest moments the figure rose suddenly and advancing on stephen touched his arm that sottlos it doesnt it- tho touch frightened stephen to the point of fronny tlio creatures bloodshot eyes wore looking into his a spasm of nausea shook tho young man he broke away from the hand clutching his coat nleevo dashed from tho room and down thn hall his father was just coming up thn ntalm his fi re drawn and weary stephen horror and anger bliiidcd in his volte as dm tor boyd apoku his mn h name a door op nod and mr boyd appeared stephrnl site looked from her son to hr husband what irt it- mother i stephen ran to hir and caught hor hand ivo boon drinking but im not drunk i heros something in my room mrs boyd gave a little moan and put her hand 10 her heart doctor boyd ntanding just bark of him spoke in a voice stephen hardly rocognlzcd so history repeat itsolf ho said oh no oharlcs criod tho wife it cant be it mustnt bo 7 hero was a change hi her volco charles 1 look i something was miming slowly down tho hall 7 he floor crooked under ili tread doctor boyd whirled about and cried steuben how did you get hero stephen boyd on his knoes at his mothers foot turnud his head tho figure so like himself so unlike wan peering into hlii fathers fare dad it said interrogatively 1 no stephen im your brother oharlrs how did you got hore the quenftoil was ignored im seeing thiiigittouyit yepmedtho man you wouldnt bollovo it but as i sat in my old room i walked in on myholf tho boy i used to ho charlie a handsomo ohap how did you get here stephen well i got tlrod of the placo where you toolc me charlie and after id gone xq bed i got up drwuuid and slipped out it would have been a long walk 1 gurns but a car camo along and tho driver asked mo whero t wanted to go i laid to doctor boyds and he sold ho wan going within two blocks it was pretty late when i got hero but tho door was unlocked and x went up to my room ill toko him to the front room and got him quiet said doctor boyd to his wife youd better telephone tho hos pital theyll have men out searching tho two brothors moved away and mm boyd hurried to tho telephone stephen followed hor his confused brain truggllng to mako the tioroisary adjust ments after hit mother had finished her call ho spoke tremulously was that uncle stephen mother you always told mo ho was dead wo thought ho must he dead for it hud boon many yearn since any word had como from him but tho fall you went to collegu ho appoarod wo decided tojcavo youjii-iguoranoo- stephen for ho wan dlneorod in body and mind your father placed him in doctor mitchells hospital and visits him often her clear controlled volco helped to quiet tho buzlng in btophonj brain i thought mother ho looked llko mo you are very like what ho uncd to he at your age stephen terribly llko your fothi r and i have seen you chang ing into his llkepliin with feelings i cant well describe not that ho wu nt whispered youro tho ubodtobo stove nothing of tho nort doelorod stephen bin throat won dry but somehow it uoomod dangerous to lot tho statement go unchallenged im stephen boyd no uuidtobo about it lie fl r in t ran its fin whore abroad stephen guessed tlwt this through its hair wull well it said uncle of his had been tho black shoop of whore it a chanco i iiupposo that im tho family probably tho old folks had the goingtobe stephen possessed hitch straitlaced ideas that highspirited young follow was bound to rebel i mrs boyd was playing chopins noc- turno in d flat ono of her sons favorites stephen moved unoaslly with the tid ing that tho musla v as weaving a spell about him bht ho opoke with an affec tation of hilarity why dont you pep that up a bit mother jazz is the thing that goes nowadays ho wanted to move her to protest that would help him to shako off the wholly unreasonable feeling of deprctslnn which was his response to tho music hu mother as though alio had scon through his straugom only vmllod and continued to play 7hen tho front door opened and some one called may i come in it was constance bright of course stephen had grown up beside hor nnd had walked to school with hor in tho days when tho multiplication table wan the chief of their troubles ho had seen her half a doxen times since bin return yet ho noticed with a nemo of pleased surprlso the agreeable modulations of hor voice tho girls he had seen most of late all sdundcd uhrlll they screamed i and squealed until a fellow had to shout j in order t be board j constance was in tho room her fair face pushed from tho nipping air outside we saw doctor boyd drive by aftcf upper i hope hes not going to be lata getting home on new years eve it w v afraid imld mrs boyd vv thought if you and stephen were stephen looking arrow the room flaw that tills was probable tjie figure in why i felt as though you had broken my heart whan you told mo you were gblntf she wni not so nulf controlled after all her volco broke in a dry sob in- htontly stephen wan on hln foot soutlng hor hand in his listen mother ltu tlmo for newyearh resolutions now id rather youd wait till aftor youve slept i cant wait mother but ill do it again after ivo iilcpt kvery day thin tho clmlr hatl ueemod a replica of hlmiolf dono wlth bo0i0 vm do whin ho first caught sight of it but it wlth tlutt crow1 mother when i won really tho image of o much older to coll im going to buckle man there won a ponty whltonnsj in tho to work vo pvud or face while the nuinctas of tho throat hung loose but the features wore thou youd bettor go to bod now nho slats- wary by robs farqduab friday well ma went to a brldgo party today and ant emmy was loaded up with newralgy ao i and pa wont i i the rwjtcrant for are supper we dldent think so very high of the servus we got at the restorant txcus when they give us ouy why they did- dent servo no saw sera and wr had a nard tlmo a drink ing tho coffy with out no sawsers baterdoy ma acmme to the dm store ror sum mnd- islne for ant emmyn nowralgy and pa glvn mo twenty 5 ctil to got iium mrdlnlnc for tho dog who all no in nick i mudo thn druggist mark both parklgh v ry plain beruz i woodimt have nuthlng happen to that dog for uuthlng sunday jane rflvo a solcct tea party ton lli up at her houtui hociu slio had co wiuli she wanted to honor sum way and i hud thu co out in tho ubry and finely i thot niobby i ml to try and kins hor mrhhy and she nlapn mo three times and fluuly she blacked my eyo and i am ulmoit sure sho did nut want ma to kiss her or uther wise why wood shn do that uway munday the uicuchcr ant aro clans why was tho ilayii longer in tho summer than the nltei is and jake red that whcil it cooled off the nltut contrark becilk cold rontrorkn and heat xpandn x think juke will bo prltty gkd in kemlstry mi bliy ieunilay wo had co tor supper tonlto and when i put my napkin in my neck ma pinched my leg and whim i split nupe on my cote uho grinds my too with her ft sum tlmis 1 wuht i waa a bride groom no nobuddy woodimt pay no a tension to me wctisdny elsys ma nayn nho has got to bo vasrliutted onxt week and now she tiayn nho in in a plkklo booun she dunncnt no whrra to get vant in a ted at on occt of uuittlibm ahantreno rnpid hnreof lately 71iirdfty wll i am looking foreword to eantor day and i fel tiorry little bits of kldi witch uro to yung to go to fikool to have hollowdayn frum each evry hollowday in a non dblxod blofirng imd etc in thli laud of tho brave at tho homo of tho free winihirkakm thn late mrs oeno stratton tortcr used to critlcizo tho furmeru in her llmbcrlont country for clearing their land too thoroughly 71iey aro accus tomed sho said to level every treo and to destroy every old snake fence so that every inch of the ground may bo cul tivated it is a foolish tiling to do for tholr vory eagerness to turn all to visible productlvonejjj and profit often ends in disaster storms nweop across tholr land and destroy tho work of tholr hands whereas if they had left a few acres of forest in the mlddlo of their land and a border of trees round tho edge doep tmoutfh for a windbreak they might have savt d a summers labor besides providing windbreaks colonies of troea afford shade and by pre von ting evaporation preserve tho underground supplies of water there aro places whoro reckless doforentatlon has lm- povorluhod tlio land for growing thtnjs need tho protection that trees glvo human life has similar needs llfo may bo too tvspoj ed to bo fruitful with out spiritual windbreaks without placrn of hhado it may become barrui and p milt lefts the sabbath for example was intended an a windbreak to do for life wluit tho troen do for tho earth but forgetful of that original purpon many pooplo want to hack down the forent of sabbath dnyn thoy say it is j tholr way do you like sunday anked a worldly woman of her gardomr a dimple ro llgioiii man i do ho annwerod it is tlio best of all days to me really nho exclaimed in astonish mont wo think it in a nulsanco it in term p u all our pleasurci you know i wrtttrtophetfmrtwonryotrrfl sinull wonder that life becomtn impovor inhod and pitifully unfruitful ilfo noodn wonjilp and meditation gamon and tho quentof pleaiiure do not toko tlio place of religion and devotion stokagk icaio tho current cold storage news letter of tho jqomlnion department of agricul ture carries an uom of special interest to apple grower it dealt with cold stophon iw wlcn ha fneil the mirror l v bjplrn miuteriid ho hlkh orohau th aflultlno n i 0 l0 t rpat 11 h luid mill nnd th olft hln an h ntnro1 hu i dnwn lit th nd of th jiiul torimo dlflrultk mor porllcularls hart thumplnlf th nunro hook its hond kulir th promnro of th ntnrauo ujiild ud toft puu both nr uomathlniis wroiu it aid you mut ro who lmd hlmlf tho itolng- nomnwlint nlmllar in oxtomal appar- b th ukidtob utphri barnm i al bt p ll thmiuh th applo had uidlo r v wmy tipliiituiward w w th oold morning hopink my father and mothor j ii wouldnt huar mo nnw thn outlln o tho brlghta hlu btrphon did not reply ii atood trn- b w bllm roillln that tho liquor in th i oonl4c with a ooktall mut havo bon dadly hdd muul of 1a throat llro h wa taking part in a iirouqiio n contanro awort plucky and onvonatlon with a thing that mut bo ncntlv to a iollow to a n of hta imagination if only win h dropped on h had fallon in with hl mothora plan for now yoara kyo or acooplod con- 1 wuh stance s invitation i he took a step toward the closet and stopped to roach tho closet it won bnrad of asthma makes countless thnu- mcehsury to pons the chair in which tlu- tuuuls mlneruhlo night after night tho llgure sat and hn could not bring himself ttai kn return add even when brief ron- to do that esiiorlally as it had begun to pi to in given the mind is ttlll in torment npcjk again a short life and a merry from cohtlnual antlnlatlon dr d ono said tho figure mthat was always kolloggs asthma uemody ohangeh all my husband in merely a manufacture my motto a short llfo and a merry onol thin uellof comm and at onco while nr of wanlobiutkets sighed tly woman as long as youre just starting out futuro ottneks are wnrdod off leaving tho with asplratloiui it seems such a prosy stephen used tobe ill toll you that it afflicted ono in a btato of peace and occupation wnnt ti rrirrry n y hlnk mn hihml he nnre bmuvod- ha oould 0hiecntrar7rthirttristtniirytmicli boon touchod to or rolled on a hot ntovu but the nof t i en id affects tho tlwuo of tho wpplo to a consldorablo depth where as ntorago ncald in largely a mattur of a kkln affection most storage troubles j out of faulty methods in lumdllng prior to ntorago quite an much an from lmpropor htorago practlcoii bomo gen eral rulca for overcoming scalding lu upplot are only properly matured fruit nhould bo elected for htorlng tho use of oiled paper lu tho container and plan ing fruit to bo stored into coldor com- rp m mon ntorago promptly that is within 3 i hours of picking hu knows a happy and prosperous new year nhort nlthr itnai lhore nnvr rnjoy inoxpcnslvo and bold abnoqt poetry in wasutwidcetji replied tile un- rldstephn aloud ovary whoro appreciated bard the year 1930 is elosiiigt we areon the threshold of a new year full of op portunities some happiness and some prosperity for all mingled with some re verses to a great extent your measure of happiness and prosperity for 1931 de pends on yourself its impossible to secure a marked degree of either just by wishing no matter how sineere that wish may he made every successful business man makes a study of his customers needs strives to anticipate their wants and fulfil them promptly that is taken for granted in the average business man of today lie doesnt buy something he never expects to be asked to supply or can create a demand for but no matter howcarefuhhc buyingrno matter how big the stock or how court eous and prompt the service if you dont tell the buy of the t that make your store outstanding in your estimation they will not become your customers its a long way round waiting for your friends to do your advertising it takes all their help and all the other aid in these days of keen business competition every week you can address between 4000 and 5000 prospective customers allowing an average of three readers for each paper certainly they dont all live in acton but ttie free press circulates in a wide territory jn the country surrounding if you have an attraction for these readers you can get acquainted with them real in timately by your message to them each week prosperity in 1931 will come to a great extent in just the proportion you go after it among the sages and spokesmen for big business iri- tcrcsls better times is predicted in many quarters what share will you play as an individual in having it come to your com munity and to you now is the time to make your plans for 1 931 we have many facilities never was there a bigger field pre sented to serve you in actons paper tiie free press never were we able to present a belter service to you we will he glad to go into detail with you if yoxi will call us and arrange a suitable time may we assist you in your plans for 1931 the acton free press constantly striving to maintain leader ship for acton with a representative newspaper r