Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-02-19
"TNEY WHO NEVER
COME BACK"
BY Arch M'MackIE

Maurice Smyth sank exhausted IN
to the great arm chair and smiled
YEARLY at his valet, sleepy-eyed,
standing in the doorway. James.
crossed the floor and bent at
his masters feet. Deity he unbuck-
led the dainty pumps and laid them
aside. The man in the chair stared
vacantly at the glowing Goals in the
crate and sighed.
my God!' he moaned. Ten years"
He scrutinized the man at his feet
James,
Yes, sir the valet answered
"Have you ever been SO unhappy
that you could have killed yourself"
Indeed I have, sir" his man an
swered. But he paused in his work
and fumbled at the snap above his
masters silken hose
James" Smyth queried, "have you
ever been in love?"
Eyes, sir" James answered and he
rose to his feet, a perfect sympathy
and understanding creeping over his
face
"Sir," he said, would it interest
you to know that Miss Morrisey called
this afternoon? She wanted me to
make sure to tell you of her call"
rs that all?" Smyth yawned James
/ face fell in disappointment
James," Smyth went on, its not
that-it's just she and the rest OF
them whom I want to get away from!
| I'm sick-Tm tired"
Perhaps, SIR the valet suggested,
half turning to do the errand, per
haps glass of port will do you
good?"
"No-no" Smyth painfully sighed.
mot that. Wine! I've been wine drunk
for ten years. I'm homesick--l want
to go home l want to go-home!
The voice was so soft, pathetic, SO
like tired, disappointed child's voice
that the valet stopped and laid q
friendly hand on his masters shout
der.
Eyes, sir" he said, Il know how
that is, sir"
"You wouldn't think that a man
could change as l have changed in
these ten years gone. 1t came to me
suddenly at Brice's hall tonight.
was with those Dillon girls. There
was a one-act skit with a rural set
ting. an innocent milknaid, a farm
err boy-and darn it all, he looked just
like me fifteen years ago. Then In
comes an actress who was-was hav
ing hard time getting back to the
Great White Way-an awfully clever
plot, wonderful setting-and thai
boy; he looked as I used to look"
1T would be hard to imagine such
of you, sir" the valet replied.
Smyth slipped into his loungin9
robe and stretched his feet to the
glowing Goals.
81 wish I could go back" he said
back to the farm again. And gree
old friends, and drive COWS, and hum
birds nests and make love to country
girls" He stopped abruptly and sanl
back in the chair with his eyes closed
"Her name was 'Bess,' James," h'
said dreamily. Her hair was faiI
and braided, her eyes were blue ant
her cheeks were rosy-and she lovet
\ me-so she said. oh, no, she's no
waiting for me to come back-that
inst in books. She married the lead
ing dry-goods merchant in that littl'
town of ours. They have several chill
dren."
The two lapsed into solitude unit
the tick-tocking of the hall clocl
sounded like steel on an anvil.
docs one ever go back, James?
Smyth queried.
"No, sir" the valet answered.
"No doubt you are right" the mas
Y ter said. He began beating ma
Y tarantatatum with his finger nails uI
on the chair arm I'VE never go bacl
we never go back. How ut-ter-l
damned are we. How utterly, utterly
utterly utterly, utterly, damned ar
wei"
He arose and reeled dizzily to hi
bed.
4 '"By the way, James" he said, 'yo
say that Margaret called this aftel
n noon?"
Eyes, str." The valet sighed in re
Il lief.
n BLESS her heart! And she left o.
ders--"
n "For you to meet her at the Amer
A sir, at luncheon to-day"
u "And that will be at two. James
call me at nand don't let IN
N oversleep. Do you hear, sir?"
? Destructive Museum Beetle.
: The larva Of the museum beet