La Junta tribune., 1908-02-15


ties II would le pity TO have them
die
They won't" assured Senple. ''ons
pint TO each plant | remember
You're dear" sh. exclaimed. -it''
awfully good OF you. Ned 10 let tne 10
when you won't even hAy" tc"uy
vacation yourself l feel almost
ashamed Of myself leaving you all
alone In the hot city
You have the time Of your lIfc." or
dercd Sempie. IN H. nil right Don't
you worry about me
Il have such u surprise FOR you she
said. smiling through the tears that
filmed her eyes. II want you TO write
and tell IN. just how you like it,
What's the surprise? IN let It's !
cat"
Better than that and not half the
trouble she declared.
There's my train being called. lt's
shame they viii not let you pass the
gate, kiss N" again. dear. and do lie
careful Of Yourself
Ned Semple kissed her not once, but
half dozen times He worslilped
this dainty little woman who had Iift,
ing houses and had made home a bit
OF paradise on earth lie hated to
give her up for whole six weeks but
he could not got away from town him.
self. and She needed the rest aud
change.
He waited until the train pulled ont
OF the station and went back to the
hot and stufy office. IL was no hard.
ship TO work when lie worked for her
and there were certain deals that could
not bc neglected. II these deals went
through they would both go To Europe
next year and the occasional problem
OF where the money FOR bills was to
be found would he solved.
lie remained Mt the Office later than
usual to make up for the time he had
lost over their last lunch together. The
occasional charwomHn only made the
desolailon Of the huge office building
seem more pronounced. The elevators
stopped at $. aud II was after when
he descended iutcrininablc flights OF
steps. and the sense OF depression grew
upon him.
In the street the open ears whizzed
past crowded with tired workers who
found Ia the speeding troilcys the
breeze that could not lee coaxcd Into
their sinny rooms. Whole families MI
cd some Of the cross benches and Sem
Pile thought rcgretfully Of how only
two nights before he and Aida had
taken n ride IN the cool OF the evening
going clear to the end OF the run and
stopping at the restaurant for bite
to eat.
In Al f.s..l i.asY .fy.i,f
though he had hnd no dinner He left
fhe ear NJ his corner aud crept up the
stairs To his apartment.
Ry this time he was thoroughly blue.
and the darkness Of the place crowned
his misery As he opened the hail
door he seemed TO hear her voice call
CHEEKY Good evening, dear. | hope
you had vn easy day. Did you;''
Could 1t be possible he asked him
self, that Aida had come back: She
might Ice hiding In one OF the closets.
lie lighted the gus in every room, but
he could find no trace Of her save in
the orderly neatncss which worked all
for his comfort
He went back 10 the parlor and
puffed thou2htfully nj his pipe. In
his low nervous state hut one eNplana
tion of the phenomenon was suggested.
Aida was dead. and in her love she
had come to greet him. SO thorough
ly wrought up did he become that he
teicphoucd thu railroad company to
ask II the trail had been wrecked.
The response did not seem to soothe
his rufiied feelings II II did reassure
his anxiety. ana at last lac went TO bed.
only TO toss rcsticssly Sleep did not
come until absolute physical exhaus-
fion closed his eyes.
I, seemed scarcely five minutes be-
fore the alarm clock rang. and he
dragged himself out OF bed. Aida
had left coffee and crackers and con-
dcnsed milk In the house. and he sip
ped a cup of coffee while he searched
the morning paper for news Of
wreck.
He could find nothing OF the sort.
and at last he St rted for the office.
As he opened the door Alida's voice
rang in his ears again: 'Goodby. dear.
hope you have luck today"
II was what she always said. and.
although /, did not sound exactly like
her voice. there was no mistaking GER
tain tricks OF speech. He hastily closed
the door and hurried down the steps.
There WAS a telegraph Office at the
corner. and he sent telegram asking
her to wire her safe arrival. In the
Office building was the booth OF an
other company. and he sent q second
i. dispatch, She WAS not due~ at her- dea-
0natten for full two hosirs yet. and
be could not hope to receive message
before noon. but he paced the office
impatientiy. unable to concentrate his
attention upon anything except the
IAgGing hands Of the clock.