The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-31

The young man larshed ana shook
us head
No. In p telegraph alefa'cl. But
the VIE aud ! decided % lake a teo-
years vacation and here We
are Bit the tines about up. I'm
going back into The once this lall
after / eet the grapes Of
Daylight listened there came %,
him 1 sudden envy nt this young fell
low living right III the midst Of an
mis- which DaglIsh had travelled
through the last few hours.
ewhat IN thunder are you going
back 10 the telegraph ONCE fur!n be
demanded. Is
The young man smiled With q GER
tain wistfulness. ~ -.
"Because we can't get ahead here
" Che hesitated an .instantl,
"and because there are added exf
penses coming. The rent, small asst
IS counts; and besides. I'm not strong
enough to- eftectnally farm the place.
II owned II, or II were a real
husky lfkejyou. I'd ask nothing better.
Nor would the wife" Again the visit.
full smile lowered on his face. fYou
see, we're country born, and after
backing with cities for few years,
we kind Of feel we like the country
hest. Wee planned to get ahead,
though, and then some day wei buy
patch OF land and stay with it."
Daylight could not persuade him
self to keep to the Travelled roads
that day, and another cut across coln-
Try 10 Glen Ellen brought him upon
a canyon that so blocked his way that
he was glad to follow a friendly COW.
path. This led him to small frame
cabin. The doors and windows were
open, and cat was nursing a litter
OF Kittens In the doorway, but no one
seemed at home. He descended the
trail that evidently crossed the can,
yon. Part way down, he met an old
man coming up through the sunset.
In his hand he carried a, pail Of foarny
milk. He wore no, hat, and In bis
face, framed with snow.white hair and
beard, was the rudy glow and con:
tent of the passing summer day.
Daylight thought that he had never
seen so contented looking being.
"How old are you, daddy?" he quer-
led.
'Eighty.four," was the reply. ayes,
Stree, elghty.four, and spryer than
most"
"You must a. taken good care OF
yourself" Daylight. suggested 49,
81 don't know about that. i amt
Ioafed none. walked across the
plains with an OK team and At 1njuns
in 81, and was a family man with
seven youngsters. reckon ] was as
old then as you are now, or pretty
nigh on to It"
Don't you find 1t lonely here?"
The old man shifted the pail Of milk
and reflected @
"T6at all depends" he said oracul-
arly. ~ amt never been lonely ak
lscept $1en the old wife. died: Some
'fellers are lonely II a crowd, and I'm
One bE them, That's the only time
I'm Idaely. is when j go to Frisco.
But TI4don't so no more, thank you
most to Death This is good enough
for me. I've been right here Up this,
valley; since '54--one Of the first set.
tiers after the spaniards.'
Thebold man chqckted, and Day.
light rode on, singuiafly at peace With
himself and all the world II Seemed
that the old contentment Of trail and
camp he had known on the. Yukon.
had come back To- him. re, could not
shakesfrom his eyes the, picture Of
the oil pioneer coming UP the trail
through the sunset light. He was GER
tainiy going some for eightyfour, The
though of following his example en-
tered aDaylight'sa mind, but the big
game of San francisco vetoed the
idea.