The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-11-16

OF bombs 0nupu4GGA III
the sick man lying on the bed In tne
little hotel room stirred YEARLY ana
opened his eyes. A touch OF ''chucnu
had taken strength Ind Vitality ana
an Intense depression weighed llze
stone on body and soul There Could pc
no news In this South American fepup-
lie that interested him. The president
had probably made a speech' the
weekly steamship from England had
arrived. At the thought a sob surged
no into his throat England, ms coun-
ty, how Tar away and how deari
Resting there, motIonless, passive !
picture after picture began TO M
through his brain-the trim little coun-
try houses, covered with vines ana
with trees where the rocks cayEed eter-
naIIy- the narrow, honeysucklc hcdgee
lanes. And Tom-dear old Tom Ihe
mans face softencd. And Alice IL
moved restIessly and strove to think O.
other things, Of his life IN the te!
years since he had watched the whlte
cliffs of the Needles fading into the dis
lance Sheep missing, farming nlillhs'
he had tried his hand Mt them nIi
And now. I'll and forlorn, he lay alone
in this room In Buenos Ayre5. It was
hidden him be particular about II. but
Rocshiu frowned What was tic use
Of getting wcIl?he unused listlessly. No
body cared; there was nobody to care
The thoughts OF England care thronG-
ing back, strong, insistent, refusing 10
be suppressed RockhiIl, weak physical
IL and mentally, let himself drift on
the tide. What had become of Tom
Tom. with his brave blue eyes. his
glorious voice? He could not remem-
Der the time when he and Tom had
not been sworn companions, robbinE
the orchards, whipping the pools 20
getter. To Rockhill, lonely Joy Nv
ing with n stern Old uncle, the com
panionship OF tie other lad mad Dee,l
the brilliant web woven against TIE
dull wool of home life. And the golden
thread worked Into the pattern, giving
II the final touch of beauty and pre-
ciousness-ah, that had been Alice!
Closing his eyes, the man saw 2galL
The sweet, girllsh face surrounded By
Its tangle of gold brown hair. How
| iovously they all had lived and frolick-
ed together until the time when Rock
hill. eager and ambitious, had departed
for college.
The man on the bed shivered, the
memory of that return from college
was yet so poignant. In one night the
hope of n life had been undone.
was then that he had left England
And from that day he had heard nc
word of those behind Were they hap
nv. those two? That Alice and Tom
were long since married he never
doubted. Did they ever speak of him
wonder about his abrupt disappear
| ancc? He brooded over 1t wistfuliy
| Had they cared?
sim browsing in the grip of old
memories, Roclzhill lay, rs the daylight
faded. half dreaming. half awake
when suddenly the sound of voice liz
the next room brought him up with a
start. 4 man was singing softly below
his breath. but still quite distinguish
ably. Rockhill, clutchinS the bed
clothes with shaking hands, tried To
reason with himself. 1t was dream
an Illusion conjured up by fancy and
fever. But the voice Kept steadily on
There was no INSTALLING those clear
mellow tones 1t was Toms voice
Tom himself was singing in the next
room.
word. ''Tom,' he breathed, Tom.
But no sound came. a sudden unrea
sonlnE despair seized him Tom was
there. close to him, and he could mol
call him, could not attract bis atteh-
tion. He would 20 and RocShill would
he left alone again, this time forever
TIe must make Tom hear, he must
And then slowly, carefully, his voice
breakiney on the feeble notes, the man
on the bed began to sing. Weak, baS"'
Iy audible, in phrasins and information
the notes were yet n recognizable inll'
tntIon of Tom singing his favorite
song as he had sung 1t so OFTEN I'D
those old days.
There was stir In the next room,
then the sound of the hasty opening
and shutting OF door. The next mo
ment Rockhill's own door hew open
and on the threshold stood a man. tall
eager faced, with clear blue eyes.
"Tom!'' cried Rockhill. ''ToRn| And
he tainted. When he recovered con-
seriousness Tom, his eyes suspiciousiy
bright, was kneeling by the bedside.
He held Rockhill's two wasted hands
tightly cIasped in his own.
colbert, old fellow" he was saying,
"Gilbert, where have you kept yourself
all these years?" he pursued, and his
voice was tenderly reproachful. How
could you run off that way?"
Gilbert smiled In pure content at
hearing the well known voice.
'T-oh, never mind me" he answered.
81 was NIL right till was taken III In
this confounded hole But you, Tom
you" as If famished for news-"how
did you come here and your wife"-
his voice falterlng on the word.
But Tom did not notice.
sSYnu nv vito Ia with mo he 6ald