Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-07-15


him had affected his own actions and
ne could now move about without max
ing sound
AT the end of week Mr.. Tully of
New York had concluded that ordi.
nary quiet meant one thing and East
Waidoboro-Knight quiet another. He
had discovered what other men have
found-that there is superlatiye de.
gree OF quiet that gets under a mans
skin and makes him yearn for some
sort OF noise.
The people were quiet, the horses
and cows We're quiet, and the chick
ems cackled in b minor, which is Just
above the first zero in sound affairs.
1t was on Sunday that Tully spent his
first wakeful night.
He had leaped into bed with a glad
sigh, expecting the usual hurried ap-
proach of Morpheus, but Mr.. Morph
was visiting In Chicago, and at 2 in
the morning the New Yorker disem-
barked and spent the remainder of the
night reading a novel under a careful
ly shaded oil lamp.
On Tuesday night Tully was on the
fourth reading of the same novel and
had begun to weary. The fifth night
he simply sat still with his chin in his
palms and fought off u strong desire
to weep.
During the daytime he walked far
and wide. listening with extended ears
for sound-any sound. The exercise
tired him out, but sleep refused to
come. He began to paw over the
thought of hurting hitching post
through the meat shop window to see
II anything in the way Of audibility
would result.
"I'm going daffy," he made judy
ment when he found himself kicking
an empty salmon can along a deserted
lane and gloating over the sounds it
made.
Far away each night-millions of
miles In the distance-he could hear
the faint whistle of the night freight
train. 1t passed through East Waldo
boro at in the morning, bound for
Bath. Brunswick, Portland, Boston
and New York.
On sleepless nights his greatest, SUI
premest JOY was to lean out of the
broad window under the oak trees.
waiting for the faroff toot. 1t was at
2 O'Clock Thursday morning that he
sat motionless and considered hasty
thought For five minutes the details
OF the thought rushed about in his
head
Then he began to remove his paja-
mas with great speed, and, disregard
ing all consequences, he turned up the
oil lamp and hastily packed his dress
ing case. a new light shone in his
eyes. and he was smiling gloriously.
His head felt light. as ones head does
after three glasses of champagne on
an empty interior. He felt fine.
Dear Mrs. Knight he wrote on the
sheet of paper, which he pinned on his
pillow. my stay with you and your
niece has done me a universe OF good.
| am the healthiest man in the world.
But / am going away from you, thank
ing you over and over for your kind
Hess anu NOuI tllOuSuilui dItS- L alii
going away because 1t is so quiet here
that II staytwo more hours l will
commit some desperate deed. l haven't
the courage to face you and tell you
this. and, besides. the night freight
3 train is coming, and l win be in the
caboose or death will end it all
Mr.. Tully let himself out of the
knight home on feet of velvet and
aimed at the station. The night freight
stopped there to turn switch, and
when the caboose slowed down a
strange young man, carrying suit
case climbed the steps and shook
hands with the sleepy conductor.
Tully sat up the entire trip to Port
land and enjoyed himself beyond hui
man understanding. The clatter of the
wheels over rail joints, the creaking'
groaning of the brake beams and the
scratching of the metal shoes were
sweet sounds in his long furnished ears.
The yells out of the night from yard
men and station agents assaied him
like pleasant opiate. The roar or
passing trains threw him into an &c
stasy of delight. He decided that he
would spend the remainder Of life rid
ing in n freight caboose with greasy
brakeman.
When he struck Broadway and TWEEN
ty-third street Tully was mass of
goose flesh. and each member of the
said goose flesh was n unit of joy. He
found his apartment and entered it Sc
renely.
He drank large glass of water, I'M
dressed in three minutes, surged into
bed and for the first time in. two weeks
he went TO sleep-such a sleep as dying
victims of Insomnia picture in their fe-
verish rawlings.
He was awakened by large, greasy.
blue oyeralled figure sitting on the end
of steel girder outside his window.
The man was staring down at him,
amazement and envy written over his
grimy countenance.