The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-12-17


more'n dozen complaints OF n stray
dog; but l couldn't catch the little
varmint."
You'll not have any complaints II
! this dog" said the man. quietly, IS
he turned { ff at one of the side paths.
1t was then that existence for Gin.
ders changed yet again. 1t became
now thing of kind words. scanty but
gladly given food, and bed i'm one
corner OF sparsely furnished room
up many flights of stairs. There
were the 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 and 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 go out for a
walk. where's the use. Weary
care, I'd quit IL, he went on one day.
Perhaps Id never even have begun.
She cared once. Weary Willie; she
said she did; but it didn't last-it
didn't last. She got tired and skipped
skipped" There was a 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-billt.
Long 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.
Hal" cried the man, whimsically.
$50 you do want to leave me. sir?
By Jove. 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 poll
ished metal. which he handled llnger-
ingly. almost lovingly.
Come, let's chuck It, Weary
Willie, you and l." he would say.
And when the dog barked and
whlned, he would smile and lay the
thing aside with the laughing re-
proof: why, old fellow, 1t doesn't
hurt! It's all over before you even
know It's begun"
had no breakfast, no dinner. no sup
per. All day long the man had been
tramp!ng the room like some wild
thing. He, too, had not eaten, but he
had twice picked upI-tns cleaning
thing of polished STEEL only. to lay 1t
down again. " So
At dusk his jaws set in sudden
stern lines. With one stride he
reached the table. clutched the re-
yolver, and raised it to his head. AL
most instantly there came 2 frantic
bark and 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 harmless
resting place in the wall across the
room.
Good God, can't you let fellow
be-" he stormed at the dog. as the re-
volyer fell from his relaxed hands
The next instant he strobe 10 Che door
in answer to a frightened knock.
"Oh-h!" breathed tho woman out
side in glad relief, as she saw that the
man was at least alive. TON! how
could you? Are you hurt?" she cried
stepping swiftly inside, and closing
the door
The man fell back in amazemont.
Sally! your"
yes dear. yes. I've come back
Tom. I've been miserable. wretched
without YOU Twas my fault dear
the whole OF A. I've come back.
Won't you-tako me?"
A shamed red came into the mans
face.
But, Sally. -" his eyes swept
the bare room, and a dospairlug ges-
ture told how little ne had to offer.
Yes yes, / know. murmurcd the
woman, coming close TO his side.
You got discouraged, and thingg
went wrong. But we1 change all
that now Wen begin again. why.
Tom. I'm here. Don't you see? Wen
star. together Tom, don't you
want me-"
want you! Sally" And his
hungry arms closed about her.
Ions minutes afterwards the man,
ihe woman. and tho dog sat down to-
gether.
After ALL Weary Willie. said the
nar D.