The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-01-04

out; that's II thing dead certain. Ii
would he a confession Of weakness to
seek distraction. wonder if she
won't write and ask me TO come again.
| guess it's too soon for a letter, but
she might send a messenger. Then l
could coldly express my regret that
1 was unable TO see her. and suggest
that it would perhaps be better that
our correspondence should cease.
That would settle the matter. and IT
would be a satisfaction to know that
it was actually settled. j guess it's
settled, anyway.
81 wonder how that trial balance
is coming out. Mosier is going to get
fooled on his guess. They want to
get some ink that won't clog on my
pens the way the last did. don't be-
licvc in the economy Of buying cheap
ink. There's going to be plenty Tor
us to do between this and the frost
with the ANIMALS and the holiday ship
mcnts. and it won't let up with the
new year. We'll. | shall be glad to
have plenty Of work to take my mind
or this business. Work. That's what
there Is before me now. Good. honest,
hard work and no fooling. Not that
] wouldn't have worked just ac hard
for her. There was our home TO work
for then. Now it will be just money
grubbing. Well, I'll grub TO beat the
band"
lie laughed a harsh. sardonic and
dissyllabic laugh, the sound of which
reminded him Of a villain in a black
cloak whom, in happier days he had
guycd from a gallery seat. lie felt
that he had misiudgcd that villains
art. but at the same time he ceased his
solIloquy and lit his pipe again.
1t was easier to stop talking than to
keep from thinking. and his thoughts
went wandering oil to the little home
they two had planned. There prob.
ably never had been a house built just
exactly like it.. and there probably
never would have been. hut it had
grown very familiar to HIM in the lirsl
half-waking hour, NJ morniug-par.
%iiculurly the room where they would
=. together. Her fcc-. Castles IN
Spain, Money grabbing now .ad,ad.
cnng ~ human feeling, a scll-con'
tanned. sclf-suflicing existence that
would harden hi. heart and set hit
face in lines that would scare chill.
drcn. lie took a savage satisfaction
in the contemplation Of his fu;ur,
self. but caught himself %softcning al
the picture Of this a%damantinc mil
lionairc, yielding to the appeal Of tn
love Of his youth and raising her from
poverty to ailucncc; So he picked NJ
the newspaper again and tried to in
tcrcst himself in the partition o
China.
The door bell below suddenly rang
and Pcrciyal started to his feet. Coul,
il be- the messenger? lie half oponc,
his door and listened. lie heard hi
landlady say: Il think hes upstair
in his room now. You can 90 up an,
see; its right at the head Of tn,
stair," and then he rctreaicd TO hi
chair, chokod with emotion.
II was the lmundryman with hi
weekly bill.
Would he have written that note
after all? Suppose she could have cS
planned. And would it not be bette
to give her the Opportunity to eS
plain? OF course. she could. Sh
could make him look like fool in ON
sentence, but he was not the man I
allow any girl to twist him around he
, little finger. lie would show he
AlhAs - AllNAhl AhNN's l'llhlFs u
! some people might look at it. but wha
could there he trivial in their inter
cour,c. Looking back. he could r,
member other instances. slight i
themselves, but were they no, az float
ing ,traws showing the cbbing tide c
love-
! But to return TO the Chinese quci
ton. Oh, hang the Chinese question
. Yet il should be a matter of huma
! interest. Great nations were playin
e a great game there; armies wer
. gathering, How would it be to cnlis
4 Here was a subjec, worthy Of seriol
I consideration. What could life ole
t him here but the prospect Of a drear
shaving over account books? WI
that n career for a mar with blood i
t his veins and strength in his sinews
e On the other hand, strenuous acti,
t ity, the joy of conflict, the thrill {