The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-09-19

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
Willie? II there was some one to
care, I'd quit 1t" he went on one day.
Perhaps I'd never even have begun.
She cared once, Weary Willie; she
said she did; but 1t 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 you, Weary
Willie? Maybe you'll skip some day
-eh? She said twas incompatible.
ity, Old fellow; in-com-pati-bilit.y-
Long one, isn't It? But not half SO
long as the misery It holds. S'pose
1t win be that way with us, old boy
incompatibility?
The dog whined and leaped to the
floor.
"Hal" cried the man, whimslcally.
/ so you do want to leave me, sirg
BY Jove. old fellow, should think
you would" he added, suddenly, get
ting to his feet. "Come, let's go for
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
ishsd metal, which he handled linger
ingly, almost lovingly.
Come, let's chuck 1t, Weary
Willie, you and l." he would say.
And when 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 ever
know it's begun!"
There came a 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 II
down again.
AT dusk his Jaws set in sudden
stern lines. With one stride he
reached the table, clutched the re-
volyer. and raised it to his head. Al.
most instantly there came a 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
bel" he stormed at the dog, as the re-
volver fell from hts relaxed hands.
The next instant he strode to the door
in answer to 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!-you?"
"Yes, dear, yes. I've come back,
Tom. I've been miserable, wretched
without you. Twas my fault, dear
the whole of it. I've come back
Won't you-take me?"
A shamed red came into the mans
face.
But, Sally, T." his eyes swept
the bare room. and a despairing ges-
ture told how little he had to offer.
"Yes, yes, know" murmured the
woman, coming close to his side.
"You got discouraged, and things
went wrong. But we'll change all
that now. Well begin again. Why,
Tom. I'm here. Don't you see? Wen
start together. Tom, don't you
want me?"
want you!-7Sally!" And 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, softly. as he patted the dogs
head, II reckon it's just as well you
did bark when you did, little bit
ago. There's some one now to-care."