West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-12-27

| ueserts. Then she named n reallv
handsome salary and paused for my re.
| ply.
Now. the fact is that would have
welcomed such haven. and. above all.
l would have sacrificed much for the
sake OF sharing any sort of work In
which Miss Glendon was engaged. but
am honest in the main. and this thing
was not possible. told Miss Gleudon
frankly that ] was filter to he an in
mate OF her nome than the head of a.;
that j was utterly broken down and
prematurely In my second childhood
and that. I'm brief. the institution could
not fall Into worse hands than mine IL
the manager were chosen by chance
out OF the directory.
Ii appeared that my friend had pre-.
pared her for this reply. He had told
her that was n bit the worse for past
anxiety and unwisely worried about
my health, but that there was really
nothing the matter. All needed was
a little encouragement.
Accepting this view, Miss GIendon
proceeded to encourage me. She told
me how well l was looking, and, as q
matter OF fact, | actually did look as
rugged as an OK. In earlier years 1
was very strong, and the muscular
shell still stood, as the bark OF n tree
VIII sometimes stand when the heart
OF IL Is dust. Fifty times while she
was talking to me | had to shake my
wits together and with n spasmodic ef-
fort remember where 1 was and what
had happened, yet talked as straight
as tight string, as my friend inform
ed me afterward, except" lie added,
Tor that foolishness about yourheaith."
Ine upshot OF IL was that became
the manager OF that institution. and
my act was crime. | was no more iii
for 1t than deaf man To lead an or
chestra. However, the novelty OF Il
buoyed me up for few days, so that
none of my subordinates knew that
was out of my wits.
The work was really extremely at-
tractive to one who had come out de-
reated from the selfish strife of money
winning, and IL had been only little
less battered and worn / would have
been n fairly efficient person. Even as
1 was, the force within me might have
proved sufficient but for the increasing
rush of work incident TO the coming
holidays.
Miss Glendon had high ideas Of the
Christmas time, and her plans for max.
Ing II memorable In the home were
well considered. but exceedingly com
prehensive. Moreover she looked TO
me for suggestions, and / was becom-
Ing increasingly eager TO serve her
well.
But when mans mind is i'm such
condition that lie can't depend upon re-
membering his own name IL asked for
II In a hurry there Is little use I'm ex-
pecting him 20 lay plans or even 70 car.
ry out those Of another person. / be
gan TO worry about the matter. TO
dream OF II and to talk aloud about II,
to my own great shame.
Then / resigned and was laughed at
by Miss Glendon who assured me that
my success had passed her utmost cx-
pectatiOns. SO nothing remained but
to go on. wooden autOmaton that
must run It's course and then drop
where II stood.
And " didn't want to break down.
Let me assure you that had no anne.
lite for such performance. / strove
hard against It and wore out in striv-
Ing the very strength needed.
On Christmas day was at my very
worst. ! wandered from room TO room.
giving orders that others seemed 90
think were rational though had little
understanding Of them myself. We
had many visitors. and greeted them.
and they sald pleasant conventional
things, as " they noticed nothing nmiss
In me.
And then. rs II seemed to me sud
denly. we were I'm the long dining
room. The children were taking their /
places; the visitors lined the walls. On. /
joying the sight Of so much happiness
There were 60 children. and they
looked 10 me like GOO The room 1
seemed to stretch away a mile mt least
to where Miss Glendon sat at the far
end OF the table with her eyes upon
me.
] had risen 10 speak, but why I ala /
not know. Eyery one was waiting.
| could no: remember what had I
meant 70 sny nor why I had decided 10 /.
speak at all. merely knew that this I
was the end Of me- and the tears came /
into my eyes.
Then IN the Stiffness heard a /
shange cracking sound. / felt n slight /