Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-01-05

the bright-eyed. joyous wife who had
been his companion and helDmeet.
and while the bells were pealing forth
in Joyous promise they seemed TO
sound the kneil for his own dead
heart. buried forever. Richards had
been a different man from that time.
and he knew t. He was thinking OF
that while his fellow printers passed
the little board partition behind
which he had retired for his lunch
Two of them were talking about him.
and he could distinguish their words.
"Old Richards is a little crankier
than usual to-day" young Gaynor was
saying. What do you suppose is the
matter with that fellow, anyhow? just
constitutional is it?"
81 don't know what II is and don't
care" responded the other. "but III
tell you what. he'll jump on the wrong
fellow some time. Then he has no
cinch on the job. anyway. and thereT
be roar that steele cant afford 10
ignore. even il Richards is the best
foreman he ever had" Then the
young men passed on down the street
Richards knew he was not cranky.
He readily acquitted his parents of all
responsibility for his defects. whatever
they might be. II was not so very
long ago that he had been a carsfree
conpositor. like Gaynor. and nobody
ever called him queer or cranky then.
He had loved the good-natured cyni-
| cism of he shop. and entered heartily
into the serio-comie discussions Of hen
and affairs with which printers are
wont 20 tighten their labOrs.
His feliow-typos were doubtless cor
! rect in their estimats OF his character.
8 but mistaken as 20 the cause Of its de-
fects. In the solitude OF his lunch
room the events OF the past five years
/ rose Nivid.y before him. He had en-
/ gagged in business venture OF his own,
and had failed. II was iil-adsised. inn
| possible OF success from the very start.
but he had done his best. lie had
worked with superhuman energy.
while wiseacrcs suggested foolish eN-
pedients and ignoran. critics carped.
! Failure had been gall and wormwocd
to the proud spirited young man. Yet
he could not remember that anyone
had spoken of him then as Gayuor had.
Perhaps he had not been quite the same
since that ill-advised attempt, and yet
If only she had not died.
At home there had been no trace
of constitutional crankiness" in the
chummy father and husband, nor
were his relations with the print
ers in shop ~ so very disagreeable
then. But when the relentless hand
OF disease. and suffering. and death
had robbed him Of his treasure, the
heart OF Richards nurscd the bitterness
Of misanthrope and he hated the
world. which had iil-used him, and
mankind. who would not understand
him
J The words Of Gaynor's companion
alarmed him. Was there another
crushing blow in store for him this
Thanksgiving? Stee.e was his friend
and il was true that Richards was fai
r more efficient than his predecessors
: but IL a concerted demand for his re
/ moval were made there could be bu
one result. He might not get another
place. and there was the deficit from
that ill-starred journalistic -ventur'
: which must be paid Il he hoped TO hol'
? up his head among men again
D Richards. as usual. was the last q
stop work. and the others had passe'
7 into the front room or the street whei
/. Minus approached him.
b steele wants 10 see you, Mr.. Rich
). ards"
' The tense lines about Richard:
: mouth grew harder than they had a
- Gaynor's words. As he entered the OF
h fee the two or three who had bee
I lounging i'm the street returned. The
: were all there, waiting to witness hi
;, humiliation. Steele turned away froI
= his desk as his foreman entered.
2 "You want to see me?" said Ricf
v ards. quietly.
"Yes. The fact is, Richards, we hay
? been considering your case latel,
S Perhaps the boys have mentioned
y to you.'
:. mo, SIR" said Richards, doggedl.
d He knew what was coming and wa
q determined to die game. mo. the
: never mentioned it. The boys don
p get much chance to talk in there, NJ
y. Steele"
h We'll, they have been talking to m
d and il has set me 10 thinking ths
something must b. done. Ne have a
thought a whole lot about you the pas
n year, but il is easier TO let matter
n slide along than il is 10 take actio
and then you know most of MS hay
:, troubles of our own. You're soneson
- =