The Glenwood post., 1916-11-25
THE END OF NOWHERE
BY SUSAN E. cLAGETT.

thing but his desire to get as far
away from everybody as he could.
He had not been treated fairly. His
father had told him he could keep the
dog-the one thing in all Toms uni
verse he wanted with his whole little
heart-then had changed his mind.
He gave no reason. Just said he
wouldn't have such looking cur,
about. That he must 60, and Tom
decided he would go also.
He had walked miles and miles.
Tom had left the main thoroughfare
and wandered down little-used
road that carried him farther and
farther away from the usual haunts
of men. Now he was very tired and
very hungry. With his arms about
the yellow cur, tears just glistening on
eyelashes that rested lightly against
berry-tainted cheeks, he slept the
sleep of exhaustion, half hidden in the
grass by the roadside close to the end
of nowhere. -.. ..ra...,. g#- a-l.
A few yards farther on the road
ended in front Of house, log house
with deep, screened porch and a
gay flower border at one side. rr
The place was lonely. Somebody's
summer camp and that somebody was
leaning moodily against tree whit
tling. There was whine. Before
him was mongrel cur, paws hang
Ing, one ear cooked, the other limp.
He stopped, but the dog whisked
away from the kindly hand and sat
down farther away.
.'Oh! that's it," the man said. You
want me to go with you? All right
Lead and l will follow" And follow
he did until the dog stopped close by
something lying beside the road.
The man gave low whistle as he
looked down at the boy. Then he
gathered him into his arms and hur-
ried back to the house. AS he laid
him on couch, Tom opened his eyes.
You told me you lived at the end
IF nowhere, Uncle Jack, and l came
1ear not finding you," he murmured.
"Rut l just had to find you, for I'm
In lots of trouble"
The voice trailed off as the tele-
2hone rang 1t had been ringing for
some time, but Jack Crowthers had
not heard it. When he took down the
receiver the voice ut the other end
made him knit his brOws.
When he put up the receiver he
.urned to the sleeping child.
swell, youngster, whatever your
trouble, whatever has been mine,
neither is anything to what is before
ne during the next hour. What pos
sesses the soul of women. and your
Aunt Mary's in particular, is beyond
my limited knowledge"
He threw himself into chair and
did not move until he heard the pur-
ring of a car as it came slowly up the
lane
The woman who entered a moment
later did not look at him as she
crossed the room and knelt beside the
.hild. She lifted the two dirty little
hands and laid them against her
cheeks, then she raised a white
beside the fireplace.
"We have looked for him alf day. l
did not think of his trying to find you
until 1 phoned. You were so far
away"
"Why didn't you call me at once"
She hesitated, the slow color mount
Ing into her face. 'How could II"
she said at last.
yet you are here" His tone was
ugly. "And l am here in the home I
built for you. This is the month you
chose, the very day you chose to be-
come its mistress. Then you changed
your mind" He had forgotten the
child. "Why did you come?'
II was so frightened" she repeated
slowly. II had but one thought-to
get to you and Tom."
ITO get to me7" he repeated in
credulously.
"Yes"
Il do not understand"
She came and stood beside him.
"Neither do I, Jack. All l know is
that something bigger and greater
than anything else In all the world
made me come"
"And that is?" He would not,
could not help her.
Her answer was not direct ITO
day was to have been our wedding
day. That thought has been with me
I'll through the awful hours we spent
looking for Tom. When called you,
when I heard your voice, knew l
must come, and nothing on earth could
have kept me away" She slipped her
hand within his. "My dear, my dear"
the said, little catch in her throat,
Explanations can wait, all but this.
~
He was not listening to her. He
had taken down the receiver and was
calling for a number. 3, .oo,i,,;,,. ..,,.
"You need not, Jack" she said
soberly. II brought him with me, our
old nastor. who always understands