Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-07-27
GUTTER
BY HENRY D. moREHouoE.


about il. The shape the work is in
now, don't suppose you would mind
IL left tonight, would you?"
"Why, no. Joe; if YOU wish to quit
tonight. it's all right You can mr.
range to go any time you like. But,
I'm sorry. I'm sorry to lose you and
I'm sorry cant pay you more money,
but I've told you how things stand"
The men shook hands and Joe left
the office
He bought an evening paper and
climbed the stairs of the elevated.
Seated in the train, he listlessly be-
gan to read a short story. Il was the
story of man of gorty-fve, tired of
the city and broke, who had left town
one day, and after travelling many
miles had hired out as farmland, and
in short time rented a farm, mar
ried, made money and learned to de-
spise the city and all its works in the
happiness and contentment Of the
life he was living.
The bell rang, and Marion ran to
the door, fastening a cuff button in a
fresh waist as she went. Marion was
a stenographer downtown, working for
boss who suited his convenience
about debating his letters; so quite
often, as happened tonight, she was
late reaching home and had barely
time to finish a cold dinner after the
rest OF the family and hastily changed
her dress.
Joe had telephoned her a few days
before that he wanted to see her
that evening.
Although he never had said so,
Marion thought she had a pretty clear
idea of what his feelings we're toward
her.
Instead of Joe at the door, as she
expected, she met a messenger boy,
who handed her a note. Opening it
in the hall she read:
Dear Marion: decided a few mo-
ments ago not to come to see you, but
thought / would rather write. l am
going to chuck it-leaving town to-
night at eleven. l haven't any clear
notion of where l am going or what l
am going to do. only know for GER
tain that l must get away. have had
hopes for many rlonths-hopes of
which l dare not tell-but it isn't
any use. I've worked three years on
this job and I'm not getting anywhere.
/ hardly make enough to support my
self, and when l asked the boss for a
raise he wanted to know why he
should pay me more when he could get
! any number Of men to work for what
/ l get. Besides, he said, the business
/ wouldn't warrant it. l resigned my
/ position yesterday. and am taking a
train for some place in the woods up
north. l wanted to say good-by to
you, but l will let this be my good-by.
{ JOE"
] Marion sat long time with the let
ter in her lap beneath her folded hands.
/ She had not known until now how
much she cared or what hopes and
dreams had been hers for many
months. Joe evidently considered him
self failure-a quitter-and was
, willing to acknowledge it to her. His
good-by he seemed to mean should be
! final-expressing no wish to see or
hear from her again. y .ssT'o"
Joe pushed up the shade in his
berth in the early morning light and
looked out on a world of white. Deep
forests lined the track and the trees
speeding by were covered with a wet
snow that gave them the appearance
of great white umbrellas. AS he lay
in his berth watching the moving
landscape, he heard the porter say
through the curtain: Your stations
next, sah." ,s,s,4 1sf-ls
When Joe had purchased his ticket
the night before he had told the agent
he wished TO go to some small place
up in the woods, he did not care
where.
After a breakfast in Che one hotel
in the place, he learned from the land
lord of a cabin in the woods about
seven miles from the town that could
be bought or rented. The owner lived
in the town and Joe rented the place
without bothering to look at it and
hired man to drive him out to 1t.
The next morning he started out to
look over the place and found 1t as