Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1916-11-14
CHAPTER III.

| X. lie Moyne had Weakened early that
first morning In his new quarters. Be-
cause he was young and very strong,
he Weakened to certain lightness OF
spirit. But he grew depressed us he
prepared for the Office. He told him
self savagely, as he put on his shabby
clothing, that having sought for peace
and now found 1t, he was an ass for
resenting 1t. The trouble was, OF
course, that he came Of a fighting
stockholders and explorers, even a
gentleman adventurer or two, had been
his forefathers. He loathed peace with
u deadly loathing.
Having given up everything else, X.
lie Moyne had also given up the love
of woman. That, Of course. Is figura-
tive. He had been too busy for wom-
en-, and now he was too idle. A small
part of his brain added figures In the
Office OF u gas company daily, for the
sum of two dollars and fifty cents per
eight-hour working day. But the real
X. lie Moyne, that had dreamed dreams,
had nothing to do with the figures, but
sat somewhere In his head and Knocked
him as he worked at his task.
He breakfasted ut Mrs. McKee's.
The food was rather good, certainly
plentiful; and even his squeamlsh
morning appetite could find no fault
with the self-respecting tidiness Of the
place. Some of the "mealers"-the
Streets name for them-ventured on
various small familiarities of speech
with Title. X. lie Moyne himself was
scrupulously polite but reserved. He
was determined not TO let the Street
encroach on his Indebtedness. Because
he had come TO live there was no rea-
son why IL should adopt him. But he
was very polite. When the deaf-and-
Gn;nb book agent wrote something ON
pencil pad and pushed II toward him.
he replied in kind.
1--WE are very glad TO welcome you 10
the Mckee family" was what was
wrIttea on the pad.
Every happy, indeed, to be with you"
wrote back lie Moyne-and realized
with sort OF shock that he meant IT,.
The kindly greeting had touched him.
The greeting and the breakfast checrcd
him also. he had evidently made some
Roadway with Title.
Don't you want a toothpickf she
asked, as he went out.
In KS previous walk OF life there
had been no toothplcks: or, II there
were any. they were kept, along with
the family scandals. In u closet. But
nearly year OF bufretlng about had
taught him many things. He took one,
and placed IL nonchalantly In his waist
coat pocket. as he had seen the Others
do.
|. Change was In the very air Of the
Street that June morning. II was In
Harriet. asserting her right TO live
IN Sidney. planning with eager eyes n
life OF service which did not include
Joe; In X. lie Moync. who had built
up wall between himself and the
world. and was seeing IL demolished by
dcaf.and.dumb book agent whose
weapon was n lead pencil pad
And yet. for week nothing hap
pencd. Joe came In the evenings aud
sat on the steps with Sidney, his hon
est heart In his eyes. Anna. no longer
sulky, accepted with childllkc faith
SIdney's statement that "thcy'd get
nloug; she had splendid scheme
and took TO helping Harriet In hc'
preparations for leaving. And X. l.,
Moync. finding his little room hot In
the evenings and not wishing TO In
trudc on the two on the doorstep. took
. to reading his paper In the park. ant
after twilight 10 long. rapid walks ou
into the country. The walks satisfied
the craving Of his active body for cx
erclsc. and tired him NJ he could sleep
When X. was sure that the hoy hat
gone. he would turn back toward th'
, Street. Some cf the hcavlncss Of hli
spirit always left him ut sight Of thu
little house. Its kindly ntmcsrher'
seemed TO reach out and cnvclop
within was order and quiet, the fresh
ness " his turuCd.down he'd. the udl
ness of his ordered garments.
Life. that had seemed 50 simple. In,
grown very complicated for Sidney
There was her mother 10 break III
/, news To-. and joe Harriet would ~
prove, she felt; hut these others Il
assure Atnn that she must manng
- alone FOR three years, In order to b
a. happy and comfortable aftCrward-
that was hard enough. hut To tcl
c. Joe that she wns planning n fuiur
TX without him, tn destroy the light In hi
II blue cyvs-ihat hurt.
Of After all. she told X. FIRST. one fr
daY evening. coming home lair a