Ross hastened home, and handed the shoes to his mother.
“The cobbler had them fixed, so I brought them home. I told him you would pay him later.”
“That was all right,” his mother said, giving the shoes close inspection as she passed upon the cobbler’s work.
“Those are peculiarly marked heels, but they seem to be good work. You can put these on now, and save your better ones.”
The telephone rang loud and long. Ross changed his shoes while his mother answered the phone.
“Mrs. Brown wants me to help her for an hour,” she said as she hung up the receiver. “You stay here at the house and play until I come back.”
“Can I go down to the creek?” he asked.
“Not this morning,” she replied.
Five minutes after his mother had gone, Ross was invited to go for a swim by one of his chums.
“Mother said I couldn’t go,” Ross declared. “But she won’t be back in an hour. I can take a plunge, and be back home in that time. You won’t tell on me, will you?”
“Of course not,” replied his chum. “Hurry up!”
Although his conscience troubled him somewhat, Ross hastened along with the other chum. Into the creek they plunged, swam around for a few moments, and then hurried back home.
When mother returned from Mrs. Brown’s home, she cut across the fields, and came in the back door by way of the path which led to the creek. Ross was sitting in a rocking-chair, busily engaged in reading a book.
“Did you have a good time down to the creek?” she asked him. “Was the water warm?”
“What?” Ross asked in surprise, his face growing crimson.
Knowing that he could not conceal the truth from his mother, he decided to admit his guilt at once, but determined also to find the identity of her informer.
“Did Jake tell you?”
Not a person has told me a single word,” said mother.
“How do you know I have been there?” asked Ross, seeing a faint hope of escape.
“A silent witness told me,” mother rlied. “Come with me, and I’ll let that same witness tell you the truth. First, we will look at the heels on your shoes. Do you see those peculiar marks in the rubber? Follow me, now, and we will see where those marks lead us.”
Wherever Ross had stepped in a dusty place, he had left that peculiar mark which told the story, and he no longer made any attempt to deny his act of disobedience.
“You can’t cover up sin,” said his mother. “It will always reveal itself. God will see you if human eyes cannot. Remember these words, “Thou God seest.’”
One of the signs of the last days, which brings on the judgment of God, is disobedience to parents (2 Tim. 3:1-41This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (2 Timothy 3:1‑4)).
ML 04/11/1943