The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-06-28

cndnceh 10 huu hlllo 70 our IN
come. And yet" he added with 4
sigh, that pension wasn't a very big
one for two people to live on"
Il should say 1t wasntl" agreed
Mrs. Rood Yehemently. Il call II pret
ty doin'sl" she went on fiercely
Here's you all broken down, and al
those years your salary was so smal
that though I've been as saving as
knew how, we've just managed tC
pay for this place and put few hun
dred dollars in the bank"
"We'd never have done that much
II 1t hadn't been for you, Lucy" heI
husband said gratefully, You're
master hand at contriving. But II
amt the company's fault that | go'
AL crippled up with rheumatism, sol
l couldn't do my work"
'Pd like to know If it aln't, Amos
Rood" she flashed. "Td like to know
If you want kept all those years In
a damp, underground office and not al
lowed half the help you'd ought to
have had?'
well, well, Lucy" the man said
pacifcally. "The company was gooo
to me that time / had typhoid, ten
years ago. Didn't | get three months
leave Of absence with full pay and
passes for us both 30 We could take a
nice trip?"
Three months leave in twenty-five
yearsl" moaned Mrs Rood. And now
that new managers going to take
away your pension. oh, know you
think I'm awful, Amos, but just hate
that grasping, greedy old company
that works its men to death just the
way it does its poor horses, SOS to
save a little more money!"
1T hurts me to hear you talk like
that, Lucy" Amos Rood protested 10y.
ally. The company does the best 1t
can't has troubles of its own"
We'll, l won't say another word II
you don't want l should, Amos" the
little woman promised.
I'D calculated to finish up that job
of Browns this afternoon, but when
1 got that letter sent 'em word not
to expect mel didn't feel equal to
tacklin' figures today. But I'll paint
them storm-doors you wanted done,
Lucy. It'll be quiet out there In the
barn, and IL want to think things
over"
Mrs. Rood looked after him wist'
fully. Il guess maybe he would be bet
ter by himself" she thought humbly.
But although Amos Rood had found
the solitude he craved, there was
something terrifying to him In the
emptiness of the great barn, and as
he resolutely set himself to the task
of painting the storm doors he had
mentioned, he began to wish vaguely
that old Dolly were still alive to stamp
her iron shod feet and to nicker to
him socially from her stall.
Then, with a sudden pang, he real
lied that he was glad that the old
horse who had been his and Lucy's
frfiend and companion for so many
years, had died last month, for how
could he have brought himself to sell
her when their little home was broken
up?
Lucy said that they would man
age some way, but Lucy, with all her
CHEEKY common sense and thrift, had
a womans ignorance Of the grim fact
that two and two always make four,
and never by any chance five or
six.
Perhaps, by selling their little place
and living on the proceeds they might
manage to keep together for a few
years more, but the end was inev-
table. Sooner or later Lucy would
be obliged to go to the well-to-do sis
ter who had never attempted to con-
ceal her conviction that the pretty.
energetic girl might have done better
than to marry Amos Rood.
AS for him, there would be nothing
left but the shelter Of the county poor
house.
Something seemed to snap in the
mans brain. Why shouldn't he quiet
ly get out Of It all, while there was
still something to keep Lucy from en-
tire dependence on woman like pros
porous, self-satisfed Jane Thorn? She
would mourn for him he knew, but
death is easier to bear than some 9TH
er things.
Suddenly he paused, arrested in his
grim preparations for the deed on
which he was resolved.
Amos! Amos!" his wife was call
ing.
Ten, yes, five moments more and he
would have been forever deaf to that
tender voice, and Lucy would have
come and found him-he shuddered
with a sick repulsion. He had been
cowardly-mad-! But Lucy's
light feet were running along the gar
den paths and she was calling again:
amos! oh, Amos, do please
hurry!"
The man stumbled blindly to the
door. The next instant he was stand.
ing in the warm sunlight he had never
thought to feel again, with Lucy's
arms about his neck; her happy tears
upon his cheek.
"Oh, Amos" she was bubbling joy
0usly, "the general superintendent
himself is in the house! It's perfectly
ovely to hear him swear. He says
he new manager has exceeded his au-
.hority altogether an4 that the com
Dany does know how to appreciate
'aithful service such as yours has
been! And only think, instead of TAX
ng away your pension. he intends to
Increase it! Why. Amos, wen be
'ichi"