Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-09-04

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to you," she cried appealingly. I'VE
can't talk driving through the streets
on such a night as this"
Merry stared at her for a minute
with logged obstinacy in his gaze.
Wont you Gomez" urged the girl
im%petuously. Her color d~eepened and
an eager light shone In her eyes.
There is so much l want to say. We
shall be quite alone. You can trust
Jason. Afterwards you may go away
--if o wish-and / will promise
never to attempt to find you. | will
try to forget you
Merry stretched out mis- hand and
touched her arm, leaning forward I'M
I'll his face was close to hers. Miss
Dorcas, don't say that. Since 1 left
you that night on Juniper Point / have
lived a lifetime Of happiness and hor-
ror and remorse. One thing alone has
saved me from going over the brink
Of the precipice, simply one thing"
He lifted his eyes to hers. The one
thing" he repeated, that / could not
fling away was the memory that you
trusted me, that you believed in me.
and were waiting for me to make
good"
4 trust you now" cried the girl. her
voice breaking into a sob. Il am still
waiting for you to make good. Won't
you come home with me?"
The cab stopped in front of the
Waverly Place home. Merry followed
her reluctantly up the steps. She
paused for a moment while she adj
justed the key in the lock.
Would you mind seeing Jason?"
she asked hesitatingly. He can help
you with dry clothes. He win be as
glad to see you as / am"
Ring for him." answered Merry
quietly. Jason and l are old pals"
Half and hour later Merry walked
into the library where Dorcas was
waiting for him. It seemed as If the
mere resumption of clean, comfortable
clothing, ever though hunger still
marked him, had given the man fresh
valor. new dignity.
He laughed n~ervously. 1T is a re-
juvenation, isn't it?" he asked as he
| glanced at himself in the mirror. ia
son unearthed some buds / once left
here
Jason was an excellent valet, and a
hot bath, a shave, and fresh raiment
had made a man of Merry. The lock
of fair hair which habitually fell over
his forehead made him look almost
boyish, although his face was pallid
and careworn.
II have eaten nothing since morn
ing" Dorcas said Il told Jason to
serve supper here, on a little table be-
side the fire, where it is cozy and
cheerful"
Merry dropped into a chair. He
wondered If the intense enjoyment OF
the good things of life was pure sensu'
BUSINESS. The odor of hot coffee, the
sight of a daintily set table, the ra'
dance of a coal fire, the glow Of red
shaded lights, and the storm shut out
doors brought a tingling pleasure
which seemed like mere animal graft
fication. He shivered for a moment as
be listened to the storm. He won
dered what had made it possible fol
him to brave homelessness and hun
ger and squalor. Looking back on II
he realized he had borne it as a ma
lives through pain under the power o.
an anesthetic. The misery of his mint
had dulled the sordid wretchedness Of
: mere existence.
| To Merry that supper was a festival
| not wholly because it was the salts
flying of appetite. but becaus,
it was the crisis if his life. Dorcal
, sensed that If her own hunger wal
real, Merry would not feel that sh'
was feeding a famished outcast. Jasol
beamed upon them in sheer enjoymen
when he brought in full dishes AM
carried away empty ones. Dorcas wa
light-hearted and gay, as happy a
: they had been during their first az
e quaintance at the shore. For a mc
meht, while Merry drank his coffee
the memory of a few horrible week
e intruded on the present.
r Miss Dorcas," he began abruptly
why did you"
She stretched out her hand appea
ingly.