Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-06-11

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other man dropping out Of sight: the
city Is too accustomed to sucn disap-
7 pearanees to worry about another add
ed to the list. believe me. don't regret
our arrangement
Regret il, indeed. The salary offered
was ten times as large as my income
for tie last year. II would mean at
least plenty to eat and plenty to wear.
a comfortable home and freedom from
the cares which had made life a bur
den The wolf of poverty that had
haunted my door would be driven on
10 howl about the dwelling of the next
poor deYt At an earlier stage of my
career | might have hesitated. have
paused before cousenting to bury my
self in the country; but it is a rarely
vigorous ambition that thrives on
grinding monotony and grows strong
through wears Of semi-starvation: mine
was not made Of such sturdy stuff. Had
Lamar sprouted horns and DISPLAYED
q cloven hoof | might have experienced
| qualms. but scarcely wcll-defned re-
grets.
Three hours later | was again in the
Z
me TO it We're severed. The landlord
took my departure philosophically:
| payment of the arrears of rent seemed
1 to reconcile him to losing the tenant.
A nearby practitioner gladly agreed
70 give room to my books until they
should be sent for, and junkman drove
am easy bargain for ~ furniture A
4 valise WAS capacious enough to receive
/ the few effects | cared 10 take awav
I and even its contents might have been
+ parted with without great sorrow.
/ There were no patients to worry about.
and few questions to answer. To such
as were pnt replied that | had secured
an appointment in the country; and
/ even my professional brother did not
think il worth while. to push the in
CURRY further. In short. my neighbors
'anifested no more curiosity about me
than about the vanished builder of
/ last years birds nest still swinging
4 on boneh Of the half-dead tree 1T the
corner
It would haze been easy to return
to Merton long before the appointed
+ time. but ! tarried i'll town to enjoy 4
luxury which had charmed my fancy
on many a dag when the cravings #
hunger possessed me. There was res
taurant, famous far and near. a gag
{ tronomic Mecca to which many pill
+ grims jourueyed ioyousiy, under whose
roof ] was determined to dine Often
i had I surveyed it's glories from the
4 pavement without. proving about the
/ place ia fascination at hc picture of
j good cheer visible through its windows.
i Now | WAS privileged 20 enter, strong
4 ia the consciousness that roll Of BILLS,
still Of goodly size in spite Of the pay
4 ments made from it, nestled in my
/ pocket. Let it be confessed. how
ever. that as ] stepped through the
/ doorway my hand was chtched about
the money. as il in fear that il might
vanish Not until had dined and the
/ account had peen liquldated did the
dread of an awakening from 50 pleas
ant a dream disappear. The remem-
i brance of that solitary feast win be
/ ways with me; for it brought the
hrst convincing proof that the old
I period of stress was at an end.
/ A suburban train bore me to Merton
early in the evening. | went at once
! To my employers room. Before leaving
| the city / had secured timetables OF
| the road on which we were to make our
/ journey. and had found that through
express stopped at the town at ten
1 o'clock. Lamar was well pleased with
| this bit of information. lie had not
| quilted his quarters in my absence, he
/ said. and none of the MOTEL servants,
| except the somnolent porter who adj
mitted us. had had a glimpse of his
/ face. for he isd kept ouu of sight
! when food and drink were ,rought to
I his Dom. A little before ten o'clock
J settled cur reckoning, and we left the
/ hotel by n side door, reaching the sta
/ ton just as The train rolled up to the
i platform My companion chose y coach
4 "a which there We're few passengers
I and, picking out a dark corner, buried
/ his face in his upturnea coat collar
and pretended 20 sleep. One Of his
hands was ellsped about the strap Of
his little yalise, and not orce ia the
4 course of the journey did lie loosen his
grip upon it,
4 There was a weary ride Of several
/ hours. ana then an equally weary wait
( q q junction at which ve were TO take
train over y branch line: but long
before the lazy folk-if there were
any slnggards in that workaday region
were stirring. our travel by rail had
been completed. We left the ears at
BASKERVILLE. the station nearest ROD
neNtovn. which was separated from the
railway by q ten-mi4e stretch OF eoun-
try rs it happened Sam Carpenter. the
owner Of livery stable near ty. who
usually supplied conveyances to per-
sons desiring g reach the village, was
am acquaintance 81 my boyhood days
With him | was soon in friendly dis
course
4 I've got . patient with me sam.
said I. aud Is wants he breathe pare
sea-hrecses I'm taking him down to
the cid place He needs goo air. anil