The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-11-26
EVANSVILLE, CALHOUN COUNTY, w. VA.

1
more'n dozen complaints of stray
dog: but l couldn't catch the little
varmint."
%You'll not have any complaints Il
this dog" said the man, quietly, IS
he turned n at one OF the side paths.
| IL was then that existence for Gin.
ders changed yet again. 1t became
now thing of kind words. scanty but
| gladly given food, and a bed i'm one
corner of sparsely furnished room
up many flights of stairs. There
were tho same walks in the park, only
now he both went and came with the
man. There was the same bottle. and
there was the same cautious tipping
of it to the mans lips-but perhaps
less frequently now. At all events,
there never again came a time when
the man was not fairly erect and in
his right mind as he sat on the
| bench.
AS the summer passed the mans
clothes became more shabby, and his
cheeks more hollow. At first he had
| gone away from the room each morn
| ing ana returned at night clinking
n few loose coins in his pockets; but
now days and days passed when he
| did not leave the room until night,
apparently preferring to lie for hours
on the bed in the corner with his face
| to the wall.
Where's the use?" he would say
more and more frequently. as Cinders
would leap upon the bed and coax
him, dog fashion. to so out for a
| walk "Where's the use, Weary
Willie? IL there was some enc to
care, I'd quit it, he went on one day.
Perhaps I'd never even have begun.
She cared once, Weary Willie; she
| said she did; but it didn'. last-it
didn't last. She got tired and skipped
shipped. There was long pause,
then the voice began again. You
don't blame her, do yor. Weary
Willie? Maybe you'll skip some day
-eh? She said twas incompatible
ity. old fellow: in-com-pati-bilit.
Lons one. isn't it? But not half so
long as the misery it holds S'pose
it will be that way with us, old boy
incompatibility?
The dog whined and leaped to the
floor.
"Ha," cried the MAJ, whimsically
so you do want to leave me. sir?
BY Joye, old fellow, | should think
you would, he added. suddenly, get
ting TO his feet. Come, let's go for a
walk
Days passed. Both man and dog
grew thinner; and the nights when
the man came home clinking coins
in his pocket grew fewer and fewer
Even the walks at twilight were not
taken so frequently now. and the man
had fallen into the way of passing
long silent evenings. gazing blankly
into space. Sometimes there was in
his hands cleaning thing of pol
ished metal. which he handled linger-
ingly. almost lovingly.
Come. let's chuck It, Weary
Willie. you and J." he would say.
And whe;, the dog barked and
whined. he would smile and lay the
thing aside with the laughing re-
proof: why. old fellow. it doesn't
hurt! It's all over before you even
know it's begun"
There came day when Cinders
had no breakfast. no dinner. no sup
per. All day long the man had been
tramping the room like some wild
thing. He, too, had not eaten. but he
had twice picked up the cleaning
thing of polished steel. only to lay it
down again.
AT dusk his jaws set in sudden
stern lines. With one stride he
reached the table. clutched the re-
volver, and raised it to his head. AL
most instantly there came frantic
bark and 0 sharp report The woman
| coming up the stairs thought the two
had occurred at the same instant; but
the man in the bare room on the
top floor knew that the bark had
come just in time to startle him so
that the ball had found a harmless
resting place in the wall across the
room.
Good God can't you let a fellow
be-! he stormed at the dog. as the re-
volver fell from his relaxed hands.
The next instant ne strobe to the door
in answer TO a frightened knock.
"Oh-h!" breathed the woman out
| side in glad relief as she saw that the
man was at least alive. Tom! how
could you? Are you hurt?" she cried
stepping swiftly inside, and closing
| the door
The man fell back in amazement.
Sally your"
Yes. dear, yes. I've come back,
! Tom. I've been miserable. wretched
| without you. Twas my fault, dear
tho whole Of It, I've come back.
/ Won't you-take me?"
A shamed red came into the man s
/ face.
But. Sally. -" his eyes swept
the bare room and a despairing Cos,
! ture told how little he had to offer.
Yes, yes. / know" murmurcd the
woman, coming close TO his side.
You got discouraged. and things
went wrong But we1l change all
| that now Wen begin again why,
Tom. I'm here. Don't You see? Wen
start together. Tom. don't you-
! want mc2'
Want you! Sally!o Aud his
hungry arms closed about her
Long minutes afterwards the man,
the woman, and the dog sat down to-
| gether
After all, Weary Willie" said the
| man roffIv oq no roftcJ th, 1o.,,.