1898.]
The words of his mother's letter came to him again; and now
he realized their full meaning. " Father, dear father, speak to
me and forgive me." But the old man slept on. Long and
wearily he had tramped about the streets of Chicago, looking for
work and shivering in the cold. Some pitied him, others cursed
him for the annoyance he gave. Tom knew what a struggle it
must have been for his father to lie down among this vagrant
crowd, and as he looked into his face the thought came to him:
" How would father feel to have me find him here ? He shall
never know it." Pale and trembling Tom arose to his feet.
" Fellows," said he, and even under such conditions there was
a touch of pride in his voice, " this is my father. He has come
to Chicago to earn money for me, and this is the result."
" We'll send him home," stammered Brown, turning away to
hide his tears.
Two or three crisp bills were put into the old man's pocket
with a note which Bob Hunter wrote on a note-book leaf, and
leading Toni away, they hastened for the train. That night's ex
perience made Tom Belden realize how the lives of his father and
mother were wrapped up in his, and made him resolve that, for
his part, no desire for position or enjoyment should cause them
further sacrifice.
When Farmer Belden awoke next morning the noise of traffic
was beginning to come through the corridors of the City Hall.
Stiff and sore from his hard bed, he looked about him in a dazed
sort of way before the awfulness of his situation dawned upon
him, and then he knelt and offered up the silent prayer, so often
repeated, that he might find work to keep himself from starving
and to earn money for Tom. As he arose to his feet with an
audible " Amen " the tears were running down his face. A
stern-looking policeman, who had been watching him, brushed
his handkerchief across his face and, directing him to a free soup
house, watched him with a pitying air as he picked his way out
between the prostratp rows of unfortunate humanity.
At the outer doorway the biting morning wind made him thrust
his hands into his pockets. In amazement he pulled out the
crumpled paper, a five-dollar bill, three twos and a one, and
neatly folded with them a slip of paper, on which he read: " From
friends who see in yours an honest face. Please use this money
to go to your home." The good man's perplexity was almost
" For Tom"