Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-01-01

HIS LIFE WAS DULL
Nv MAcx,E.

BY cLARissA MAckiE.
A sound Of fresh girlish laughter
rippled across the quiet street and
Professor Tringle, smoking his pipe In
the shadow Of his v~ine-wreathed porch.
frowned impatiently.
II was annoying indeed to have his
summer evenings disturbed BY silly
chatter and senseless laughter; he a
come to Littleport to spend q few
weeks With his sister Hannah, and ne
had expected to find the sleepy village
life an antidote for the nine OF
excitement he endured at the hands OF
prankish students in q university
town.
Now he went Indoors. his tall. lean
form making q grotesQue shadow on
the gravel path as the front door
opened and closed.
Hannah" he said to his sister who
was embroidering q bureau scarf for
the coming church fair, 1T must be
very disagreeable to have those YOUNG
people across the way-why. l thought
the Browns owned the place" He sat
down n a rocking chair and swayed
slowly to and fro. the lamplight falling
on his fine gray eyes and revealing the
few silver threads that frosted his
thick hair.
Hannah smiled ch~eerfully. Amos
Tringle, ! believe you grow more alb
sent-minded every day" she said
placidly. Il told you In my letter that
the Browns had sold the place to city
folks for a summer home. This Is the
first time the Desmonds have been
here. and l must say l like to have
young folks around-it makes 1t real
cheerful for me. told you all this In
my letter. but | do believe that you
skip everything like that-you think
I'm g%ossiping.
81 dare say" murmured Amos
guiltily. only there isn't much
peace"
Who wants peace?" interrupted
Hannah quickly: for my part / may
be ffty-five years old. but I'm not so
old that | can't remember how blissful
it was to feel young and foolish-and
to laugh and talk and have a good
time, Why. ! Just laugh right out
sometimes at their NONSENSE! It's
company for me. They're real good
neighbors, too; Mrs. Desmond has TAX
en- me out in her motor car once or
twice and the girls are sweet and
pretty-especially Desdemona."
"Desdemona! Listen to that-and
her name is Desdemona!" groaned
Amos as a rich chorus pulsed across
the street.
I'll love you. nah honey-if you've
got money!"
"Ragtime music!" shifted Amos con-
temptuously.
Il like IT," cried Hannah excitedly,
beating time with her embroidery
hoop. humming the refrain. entirely
of the key.
Amoswatched her in growing amaze,
ment Hannah had always been thc
imp~ersonation Of old-maiden dignity;
recollection Of other summer vacations
assailed him.
He reused himself to hear Hannah
speaking.
ITS bad enough for me to be fifty.
FIVE and getting on in years, Amos. but
you're Is years younger and you act
like an old man. ] should think you'd
like to have a motor car and get out
and have some fun. l would II l was
a mani"
"A motor carr" repeated Amos
Are you crazy. Hannah Tringle?"
Hannah laughed heartily.
OF course, I'm not crazy-but you
can afford to buy one-why don't you!
I'll learn to drive 1t II you don't! I'D
like to have 1t tomorrow-Im going
over to Petawick for the day and Sam
Pinney's going to drive me yer in hia
surrey-seem's IL horses were slow
beside motors!"
Hannah" gasped Amos, realizing
that all his plans for a drowsy old age
with Hannah as sole companion. were
lettering to earth.
I'm not going to be a back mum
ber!" protested Hannah as she folded
up her work and took the clock key
down from the shelf; I'm not going
to be a has-been!"
"A-what?" gasped Amos.
"A has-been," repeated Hannah, glo
rying in Ter newly acquired slang ex
preston. Il heard Cleopatra Desmond
say that-it's very expressive, ISM
it,"
1T is-very expressive" assented
Amos dazedly. as he kissed his sister
good night, going out on the porch fol
a final pipe.
Across the street there was the
sound of laughing goodbyes in which
the bass of mems voices mingled with
the sweet treble Of the Desmond girls
Then a motor horn honked loudly, ant
with a rasping "swo-o-o-osh" a large
car swept out Of the Desmond gatei
and disappeared down the street.
1t was very quiet-it was deadly
still, save for the crickets chirrupinG
in the dewy grass and the distant cal
of a whippoor-will.
Suddenly Amos Tringle felt verJ
lonely. He realized that his life wa,
dull-that he was in a fair way to di'
a lonesome death; for Hannah. In
spired by the Juvenile spirit OF thu
age, would slip on the years while hi