Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1915-12-30
THE FOSSIL
BY cRlTTENDoN MARRIOTT
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tairport. When he was born RAPPORT
was a village; in the thirty years OF
his life it mad xpanaed-physicall
into a good sized city, though it still
retained most Of the earmarks Of the
village. Everybody took profound
interest in the doings of everybody
else; nobody hesitated to criticize the
actions OF anybody else; the two news
papers "JoshCd" the young men and
the young girls with delightful impair
TALLY; ana when they had no one
else 10 cut at they took fall out OF
Henry ColfaX.
Not that they--Or anybody-disllk
ed Henry. Quite the contrary. Every
body liked him i'll a plying sort OF
way. He was SO gentle, SO kind-and
so incapable-that he had probably
never inspired an active dislike i'll
any one. Man and boy he had gone
his inoffensiVe way, blinking behind
his spectators never too busy to do a
kindness to anyone; always too pre-
occupied to sieZe any of the chances
of life as they fitted past. He had
become an institutlOn-as much part
of Fairport as the homely old village
pump. When some Of the progress
ives had made an effort to remove
this a few years before the town had
risen in rebellion, what it would do it
something threatened to remove Hen
ry COlfaX was not yet of record.
Meanwhile the papers poked fun al
him, and most people took the limp
ing wit as a matter Of course.
Not all people, however. Bessie Nor
ton resented it hotly, all the more hot
ly that Henry did not resent it him
self
Bessie Norton was year or two
younger than Henry, and she had liv
ed next door to him all her life. He,
she, they had been in love with each
other ever since he wore Knockers and
she wore pinafOre9-Or whatever the
things are called. But Bessie had de
clared years before that she would
never marry nOnentity; and Henry
had sadly admitted that he was, if
anything less than a nOnentity. So
they had lived On, door by door, year
after year, each yearning for the 9th
er, but each capable-Henry incap
able of blazing out as a celebrity, and
Bessie incapable of lighting the fire
that would touch him off.
But Bessie did not fail for want OF
trying She did not nag, but she did
keep up a steady pressure. At last on
a certain spring evening she burst
out:
ooh, Henry" she walled. why
haven't you done something with your
life? | don't mean make money. l
don't mean become famous. | mean
mean-Why don't you do something?
You've got more brains than Jack
Roberts or Willie McCrew or Frank
Radcliffe or-Or-any of them. Yet
they are prosperous; they are looked
up to and listened to; and you-you
are fooling away your life over that
collection of yours. Oh! I could love
you so much if you would once-just
once"
Henry shook his head sadly. "Im
afraid I'm no good, Bessie he admit
ted, humbly. Something's been left
out of me and"
81 know! I knoM!" interrupted the
girl, in swift contrition. 81 know-but
surely you can do something to put a
stop to these hateful slurs in the pa
pers. Listen to this With shaking
fingers she tried to smooth out the
evening paper which a few moments
before she had crushed in her hands.
Here it isl" she Quavered. Listen:
Our ancient friend, Henry Colfax,
found new fossil yesterday. Look in
{. mirror, Henry, and you'll find an old
er onei"
Henry smiled anxiously. ooh! that's
nothing" he declared "It's only Jack
Roberts little joke. / don't mind"
"But you ought to mind" insisted
the girl, passionately. "You-you-Oh,
what's the use?"
"T'm sorry" He very evidently was.
However, there won't be much more
of it, I guess, Bessie. Pm going away!"
Going away!" This was a new idea
and a dismaying one. Miss Norton
could not take it in for an instant.
Henry took advantage of her silence.
"Yes!" he hurried on. II never told
you, but II spent all the money
Mother left me long ago. When
went to the archaeological congress
at Paris last year l had to mortgage
the house to get the money, and now
the mortgage is due and the lawyers
have given me notice that they must
have the money or foreclose and-and
that's all. The state museum will buy
my collection and l must go east and
try to get a place somewhere! I'm
sorry, but-but / must"
Anxiously he leaned forward, trying
to read Bessie's features, but with a
half stifled sob the girl jumped up
and fled into the house. leaving him
to make his way slowly home. Till
late that night he watched the light