The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1908-12-03
CHAPTER /.

e. 4 Claim Indt LOT DdCIelOI tIlcIc Is
no comfort like that Of a fur
nished room. A hotel gives certain
measure of independence, but you are
never for moment unaware that you are
in q hotel. You are one of many, and no
matter how long you stay, you never feel
that you are at home. A clearinghouse
is place where you have all the disad..
vantages and none of the advantages of
hotel life Private board, so called means
that your privacy is in all respects reduced
to the minimum. Extensive apartments
the only one in say. Lake Ontario. But
a we1l-furnished room with good light,
proper heat and an obliging landlady will
insure all the comfort any reasonable man
can desire; and the feeling that he is lord
of all within his four walls comes to him
and comforts him when, wearied and dis
gusted, he comes home at the close of
trying business day
I had engaged such room as l had
long desired. 1t had no outlook worth
mentioning, but am much more inclined
to reading than to looking, out of the win
dow. If ] were anxious for view of out
of doors, had only short walk to River
side or Central Park. The room was spa
cious, my own belongings were duly
placed, the fire was blazing in the CRATE
and settled down to my first evenings
enjoyment of my newly occupied apart
ment. / was so well satisfied that ! felt
have occasion to choose other quarters.
And yet SO uncertain are the affairs OF
human life that was destined never
to spend single might within those
walls, even though the clock was just then
striking the hour Of ten.
i, l leaned back in my chair in dreamy
enjoyment, accumulated by the fact that to-.
morrow was Thanksgiving Day and there
was no going to the Office. | am not
lazy, but who does not enjoy a respite
from the regular daily grind of business?
/ determined the hotel at which would
dine on the morrow, the excursion !
would take, the theatre would attend.
Then, though my years are not SO many
as they are now, 1 fell to thinking of the
past. Everything is relative and the young
man looks back few years to what seems
the distant past and sings "Auld Lang
Syne' as sentmentaliy as the most ancient
of his elders.
This was especially the case with me,
who, in coming to the city years before,
had in a moment completely severed with
the past. On leaving the little academy
which had furnished me with all that /
could afford in the way of higher educa-
ton, l had gone straight. to the city and
by an odd chance stumbled into salts
factory position. exchanged letters with
my friends and relatives, but they grew
less and less frequent and harder and
harder to write had few new-formed
friends in the city, but they occupied little
of my time or thoughts. So worked
through the day and at night went to my
room and read and thought about the
past.
That evening, which above all others
must stand out in the memories of my
life, was thinking, as often did, of
Lucy Dean. had known her but year
when was at the academy, but she. was
) still before me-. joyous vision such as
never expected to see again. There was
her father and family. They had come to
the little town and rented house and
Lucy had gone to the academy, the father
had walked about with his head bowed
and an aunt had kept the house and kept
out visitors; and people wondered and
talked and shook their heads. Where
they came from nobody knew Often
times the question was limited and some
times put point blank.
Papa does not want me to talk about
his affairs Lucy would reply with so
sweet smile that there was no chance
for offense. The two elders were shorter
and more decisive in their replies.
One day the news went round the little
town that the Deans were gone. They
had rented furnished house and the rent
! was paid three months in advance. They
owed nothing in the village. Nobody had
any word of their going Nobody had
seen them at the station. They had no
any, SO far as anybodyrknew. Theft flight
d