The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1906-12-18
EVANSVILLE, CALHOUN COUNTY, w. VA.


| OF the house. In times of stress such
as this tho wood-pile was his greatest
! solacc, and thither he went now
All the morning Martha heard the
/ drone of the saw aud the sound of
the AK on the chopping block but she
wisely RETAINED from interfering until
| the midday dinner was on the table
/ Then she put on her overshoes and
her hood and went across the back
| yard.
You better come into dinner an
| stop actin SO ridiculous" she coun-
/ sclcd. The idea of you bein out
here with your coat off. never
heard of such thing in my life!
You'll get the rheumatism all over
! We.
In silence he followed her into the
house, but once in the kitchen, his
eyes fell again upon the stand in the
| corner.
He STROBE over to it and stood re
GardiHg it with narrowed eyes.
Too old to git an invite TO her
weddin am II" he mumbled. well,
if that's so. I'm a good deal too old
TO be a-tiDkerin clocks to give her."
His arm shot out and swept the
top of the little table clean.
Wooden wheels, levers and weights
| fell crashing to the floor. He kicked
the debris vicious into the corner
and slammed the cable. bottom up,
on top of it,
Maybe ! am too old TO go TO we'd
din's! Maybe | am! But / amt so
old that / amt got some spunk left
yet. Now lei have dinner"
All the afternoon the old man sat
by the kitchen stove. pretending to
read the paper, but Martha noticed
that every few moments he laid the
paper aside to- stare long and silently
| through the western window at the
bleak vista of fields and the ragged
line of hills beyond. That he was
| deeply hurt there could be no doubt
She felt growing resentment to-
ward the thoughtlessness OF the
/ Thorpes
81 shouldn't "a thought they'd "a
forgotten him. she told herself Il
| declare, It's too bad of Ellie, He's
talSin' it dretful hard"
In her hating, clumsy fashion she
tried to comfort her brother, but her
attempts were such signal failures
that she finally gave it up, and left
him to his paper and his brooding
1t was just at dusk that the back
| door opened and some one came brisk
~ into the little kitchen Amos laid
aside his paper and looked up.
Why, Ellie Thorpe," he heard his
sisters voice .exclaiming. Come
IN. Amt you cold?"
Cold? Indeed not" laughed the
( girl. Hello. Uncle Amos"
! He Strengthened himself in his
chair. Good evenin':" he said, coldly.
The girl drew chair beside his.
in the gloom of the room she could
not see the pain and disappointment
in his face, but something In his tones
told her of trouble. What's the mat
ter, Uncle Amos?' she asked Aren't
/ YOU well?"
"Oh, I'm tolerble, toler'ble," the
old man replied, with n reserve that
she had never seen in him before.
Il came over" she said. Especially
to bring YOU this She thrust a thick
white envelope in his hands.
He took il and fumbled la awkward.
! ~, turning 1t over and over.
WHAT'S it,? he asked haltingly.
ITS your invitation to the wedding.
Uncle Amos she laughed The boys
! took them down to the office TO mail
last night, and somehow this one of
I yours was caught in the bottom OF
/ the basket. | found It there this af-
| ternOOD. wouldn't have had yours
delayed for tho world she added.
gTavely
The old man bent forward to bring
| the fading light from the window on
| the envelope. There was his name
across it in the same bold hand. He
coughcd weakly
I'm much obliged, Ellie. much
obliged he said. Frightening no per
/ oepubly
And you're coming. aren't YOU
/ Uncle Amos?" she asked .
Comm? OF course | am" he de-
clared. with emphasis.
I'm awfully sorry Il happened this
way she said, for I wanted you TO
/ have your invitation as soon as 10
/ could be sent. And Uncle Amos" she
said, drawing her chair closer to his,
you know there's no one to give mo
/ away at the weddins-nO father OF
| brothers, / mean, and I want you
| 10 do that for me- VIII you?"
Me- he echoed, with an ilrcon-
ceoled touch Of pride. "a ain't NJ to.
You don't want sech an old fossil az
| ami
yes. do. she interrupted. q
shall count ON YOU"
Well ne announced iudicially. "if
/ you're terrible set on f.. maybe I
/ Will"
When Martha returned 10 the Kit
/ chen. after she had rendered her visi.
tor the unusual honor of being shown
/ through tho frigid hall TO the front
/ door she found Amos ON his knees be.
/ fore the little pile Of wheels and lev.
/ ers in the corner where he had kicked
them at dinnertime. BY the feeble
/ light OF candle on the floor beside
him he was sorting over the pieces
of The wreck
Why. Amos. what q start you gave
me- here ln the dark what ON earth
/ are you up to now?' shc demanded
lie lifted zoo her u face which wore