Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-01-02

HIS LIFE WAS DULL
BY ClARISSA MACkIE.

rippled across the quiet street and
Professor Tringle, smoking his pipe In
the shadow of his vine-wreathed porch,
frowned impatiently.
1t was annoying indeed to have his
summer evenings disturbed by silly
chatter and senseless laughter; he had
come to Littleport to spend few
weeks with his sister Hannah, and ne
had expected to find the sleepy village
life an antidote for the nine months of
excitement he endured at the hands OF
prankish students in a university
town.
Now he went indoors, his tall. lean
form making a gfotesque shadow on
the gravel path as the front door
opened and closed.
Hannah" he said to his sister who
was embroidering bureau scarf for
the coming church fair. ''it must be
very disagreeable to have those young
people across the way-why, thought
the Browns owned the place" He sat
) down in 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 cheerfully. Amos
Tringle, believe you grow more abb
sent-minded every day" she said,
placidly. 81 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 like to have
young folks around-it makes it real
cheerful for me. l told you all this In
my letter, but I do believe that you
skip everything like that-you think
I'm gossiping.
guiltily. "Only there isn't much
peace"
who wants peace?" interrupted
Hannah quickly; 'for my part may
be fifty-fve 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 rich chorus pulsed across
the street.
"I'll love you. nah honey-if you've
got money!"
"Ragtime music!" shifted Amos con-
temptuously.
II like it." cried Hannah excitedly,
! beating time with her embroidery
hoop, humming the refrain, entirely
| off the key.
| Amoswatched' her in growing amaze
ment. Hannah had always been the
impersonation of old-maiden dignity,
recollection of other summer vacations
assailed him.
He reused himself to hear Hannah
| speaking
| TITS 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 q
like to have motor car and get out
and have some fun. ! would if | was
a mani"
"a motor carr" repeated Amos
Are you crazy Hannah Tringle?''
| Hannah laughed heartily.
"Of course, I'm not crazy-but you
| ,,p offord ~ h,,v, oro-mbv dap,f nor,
| I'll learn to drive it if you don't. I'd
like to have it tomorrow-Pm going
over to Petawick for the day and San
| Pinney's going to drive me over in his
surrey-seem's if horses were slow
beside motors!"
Hannah" gasped Amos. realizing
| that all his plans for drowsy old age
with Hannah as sole companion. were
tottering to earth.
I'm not going to be 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 has-been%
"A-what?" gasped Amos
"a has-been," repeated Hannah, glo
| ry1ng IN her newly acquired slang ex
preston 81 heard Cleopatra DESMOND
say that--it's very expressive, ism
/ it?"
st is-very expressive" assentet
Amos dazedly, as he kissed his siste
good night, going out on the porch 70
a final pipe.
Across the street there was tn
sound of laughing goodbyes in whicl
the bass of mems voices mingled witt
the sweet treble of the Desmond girls
Then motor horn honked loudly. an
with rasping "swo-o-o-osh" larg
car swept out of the Desmond gate
and disappeared down the street
1t was very quiet-it was deadl
still, save for the crickets chirrupin
in the dewy grass and the distant cal
of whippoorwill.
Suddenly Amos Tringle felt yer
lonely He realized that his life wa
dull-that he was in fair way to di
a lonesome death; for Hannah, il
spirel by the juvenile spirit of tn
age. would slip oft the years while