Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-03-12

uncnanguu, except whom ne iaunjnti INTO
a new filter. There was the strain Of his
Office work, and tho strain OF his remit
tanccS. and the knowledge of his boys
death, which touched the boy more, per
haps, than il would have touched a man.
and, beyond all. tho enduring strain OF
his daily life. Stray headed seniors who
approved of his thrift and his fashion Of
denying himself everything pleasant re-
minded him of the old saw that says
If youth be distinguished in his nrt, art art
He must keep the girls away from his heart
heart heart,
And Dicky, who fancied he had been
through every trOu 10 that man is per-
mitted to know, had to laugh and agree,
with the last line of his balanced handbook
jingling in his head day and night.
But he had one more sorrow to digest
before the end. There arrived a letter
from the little wife-the natural sequence
of the Others if Dioky had only known it
and the burden Of that letter was "gono
with handsomer man than you" It
was a rather curious production without
stops, something like this; she was not
going to wait forever and the baby was
dead and Dicky was only boy and he
would never set eyes on her again and
why hadn't he waved his handkerchief to
her when he let Gravesend and God was
her judge she wicked woman but
Dicky was worse enjoying himself in India
and this other man loved the ground she
trod on and would Dicky ever forgive her
for she would never forgive Dioky; and
there was no address TO write To-. 4"
Instead of thanking his stars that he
was free, Dicky discovered exactly how an
injured husband feels-again not at all
the knowledge To which "a boy is entitled
for his mind went back to his wife as
he remembered her in the 30 shilling
suit in Montpelier square, when the
dawn of his last morning in England was
breaking, and she was crying in the bed,
whereat he rolled about on his bed and
bit his fingers. He never stopped to think
whether, if he had met Mrs HIATT after
those two years, he would have discovered
that he and she had grown quite different
and new persons. This he ought to have
done. He spent the night after the Eng
lish mail came in rather severe pain.
Next morning Dicky HIATT felt disin-
clined to work He argued that he had
missed the pleasure of youth He was
tired, and he had tasted all the sorrow in
life before three and twenty His honor
was gone-that was the man-and now he,
too, would 90 60 the devil-that was the
boy in him. So he put his head down on
the green oiloloth table cover and wept
before resigning his post and all il offered
But the reward OF his services came
lie was given three days to reconsider
himself, anu tho head of the establishments
after some telographings said that it was
most unusual step, but In view of the
ability that Mr.. HAITI had displayed at
;uch and such time at such and such
Iunctures, he was in a position to offer
aim an Infinitely superior post, first on
probation, and later, in the natural course
Of things, on confirmation. "And how
much does the post carry" said Dicky.
six hundred and fifty rupees. +" said the
head slowly, expecting to SEQ the young
man sink with gratitude and JOY
And 1t came thenl The 700 rupee pas
rage, and enough to Rave saved the wife
and the little son and TO havo allowed of
assured and open marriage came then.
Dicky burst into roar OF laughter
laughter he could not check-nusty, ian.
cling merrimeut that seemed as If IL would
so on forever. Whom he had recovered
himself, he said quite seriously: pm tired
Of work I'm an old man now. It's
about time retired And I will 4"
The boys mad ~ said the mead.
think he was right, but Dicky HAITI
lever reappeared to settle the question. -
Rudyard kipling