The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-03-31
Joel
.Tykesbury's|
Farewell
1t Changes the Whole Course
Of His Life
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

When Joel Tykesbury opened the let
ter and read that his step-uncle on
| his mothers side had died without
comfortable sum Of $4,000 in cash
there was not a soul to whom he
confided the astounding news. Close
locked behind his compressed lips was
| hidden a secret that would have pro-
vided the people of Little River with
measureless source Of interest for
the coming winter months.
Joel kept his secret, and no one was
the wiser when he closed the little
harness shop and spent several days
| In New York. But when he returned
from the city and proceeded to sell
the contents Of his shop at auction
prices, when he presented the fur
niture contained In his lonely bachelor
abode to the thriftless Nichols family,
who lived on the edge of the village.
and finally when the minister dropped
a word in the midst of the Ladies' Aid
society's Wednesday sociable then Lit
tie River sat up very straight and took
notice.
EYES," said Mr.. Beeman. thoughtful-
ly stroking his scanty beard; Joel
says he's tired of Little River, so he
is going to New York to live. He
seems to feel rather bitter about the
way he's been received in our vii
lage. He says he's lived here fifteen
years and he isn't much better ac-
quainted than when he came"
"That's every mite his own fault,
them" cried Miss Fanny Pollard
warmly. Hes the most unsociable
man in Little River. My conscience
is clear about Joel Tykesbury. I've
done the best could to make it pleas
ant for him in church and outW A
suppressed giggle from the young girls
in distant corner closed Miss Fanny's
lips into a grim frown. Her small
brown eyes shot little angry sparks at
the gigglers.
"That Is very true. Miss Pollard"
soothed the minister peacefully. 81
am sure we have all done our best to
make Joel feel at home in our midst"
Mrs. Deacon Spinning bit her thread
with a sharp click Of her false teeth
and folded up the Bingham apron she
had completed. Seems like I'll never
forgive myself If Joel Tykesbury goes
away from Little River feeling sore
about the way he's been treated. !
don't believe any Of you really know
just how kind hearted he is. Only he's
dreadful shy, and it's a setback to
him."
"He was terrible noncommittal," an
nounced Fanny Pollard, with the air
Of one who is treading familiar ground.
''Many's the time I've sat and pom
dered what Joel meant when he said
such and such thing"
Most times l reckon he didn't mean
nothing at ALL" said Mrs. Spinning
cheerfully. II take it Joel was shy.
But, land, why are we all talking about
him as if he was dead and waiting
to be buried? If Joel Tykesbury don't
like the way he's been treated here
he's not going to stay in Little River
for nobody. I'm sorry he's going, for
1 do like him. Once he shut up his
shop and came over and helped Henry
get in his hay when it was threatening
storm, and another time when Lin
ny had the measles he went clean over
to the Ford after Dr. Mitchell and
didn't want to hear word of thanks
either"
"And giving away his furniture
amt that the queerest thing? | s'pose
likely he's going to board when he gets
to the city," murmured Annie Baker
Maybe he is going to get married
Now | come to think of it I shouldn't
wonder mite If that was the secret
Of his going He's going to get mar
ried to wilder, maybe and she, hav.
ing a houseful of furniture left by
her first husband, won't have no need
for Joel's things" Mrs. Spinning
beamed around the busy circle. I'm
mighty glad to think he's going to get
married. He's just the incest kind Of
man. He'll make some girl good
husband. I'm disappointed. though. ]
kinder hoped he'd pick wife from
Little River
There was long silence after this.
broken only by requests for the "sixty
white thread" or the forty black"
until at last Mrs. Willowell, at whose
house they had met, announced that
refreshments would be served in the
dining room, and so for the time being
Joel Tykesbury and his affairs were
forgotten.
Joel himself, having given away his
furniture and disposed Of his business,
sat In his lonely room in the best hotel
the village afforded and wondered what
he would do next.
,"Ill shake the dust Of this here vii.
lage from my feet" said Joel morosely.
eying his reflection in the wavy mir
ror with gloomy frown. 'There
won't be one person that will miss me
when I'm gone. If I'd been treated
decent here I'd never thought of leav-
ing Little River. 1t would have done
the village good to spend my money
here. could build house as fine
ms Lawyer Beggs and live on my in
terest money. The women amt never
noticed me much, and l amt q bad
looking Teller" Joel Redeemed as he
lifted shy eyes at his reflection in the
mirror. Good looking in spite of the