Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-01-25
CHAPTER Ill.

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first morning in his new quarters. Be-
cause he was young and very strong
he Weakened to a certain HghtneSs Of
spirit. But he grew depressed as 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 it, he was an ass for
resenting it. The trouble was, of
course, that he came of 4 fighting
stOck-soIdiers and explorers, even a
gentleman adYenturer or two, had been
his forefathers. He Ioathed peace with
a deadly loathing.
Having given Up everything else, K.
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 4 small
part Of his brain added figures in the
office Of 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 at Mrs IcKee's.
The food was rather good, certainly
plentifuI; and even his squeamish
morning appetite could find no fault
with the self-respecting tidiness of the
place. Some of the "mealers''-the
Streets name for them-yentured on
various small familiarities of speech
with Title. X. LIE Moyne himself was
scrUpulOusIy polite but reserved. He
was determined not to let the Street
encroach on his wretchedness. Because
he had come to live there was no rea-
son Why it should adopt him. But he
was very polite. When the deaf-and-
dumb book agent wrote something on
pencil pad and pushed it toward him,
he replied in kind.
eve are very glad to welcome you to
the Mckee family" was what was
written on the pad.
very happy, indeed, to be with you,"
wrote back LIE NIoyne-and realized
with a sort of shock that he meant it.
The kindly greeting had touched him.
The greeting and the breakfast cheered
him also, he had evidently made some
Roadway with Title.
Don't you want a toOthpick?" she
asked, as he went out.
In KS previous walk of life there
had been no tOOthpicks; or, if there
were any, they were kept, along with
the family scandals, in a closet But
nearly a year of buffeting about had
taught him many 1dngs. He took one,
and placed it 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. Tt was in
Harriet, asserting her right to live;
in Sidney, planning with eager eyes a
life of service which did not include
Joe; in K. LIE lIOyne, who had built
up a wall between himself and the
world, and was seeing it demolished by
Q deaf-and-dumb book agent whose
weapon was a lead pencil pad!
And yet, for a week nothing hap
pened. Joe came in the evenings and
sat on the steps with Sidney, his hon
sulky, accepted with chiIdIike faith
Sidney's statement that they'd get
along; she had a splendid scheme,
and took to helping Harriet in her
preparations for leaving. And <. lie
LOyne, finding his little room hot in
The evenings and not wishing to in
uude on the two on the doorstep, took
TO reading his paper in the park, and
after twilight TO long, rapid walks out
into the country. The walks satisfied
the craving of his active body for ex-
ercise, and tired him so he could sleep.
When K. was sure that the boy had
gone, he would turn back toward the
Street. Some of the heaviness of his
spirit always left him at sight of the
little house. It's kindly atmosphere
seemed to reach out and envelop.
Within was order and quiet, the fresh
ness of his turned-dOwn bed, the tidi-
ness Of his ordered garments.
Life, that had seemed so simple, had
grown very complicated for Sidney
There was her mother to break the
news to, and Joe. Harriet would ap-
prove, she felt; but these others! To
assure Anna that she must manage
alone for three years, il order to be
happy and comfortable afterward-
that was hard enough. But to tell
Joe that she was planning a future
without him, TO destroy the light in his
blue exes-that hurt.
After all, she told K. first. One Fri
day evening, coming home late az
usual, he found her On the doorstep,
and Joe gone. She moved over hospi-
tabIy. The moon had waxed and waned,
and the Street was dark. The cOlored
man who drove Doctor Ed in the old
buggy on his daily rounds had brought
out the hose and sprinkled the street. !
Within this zone of freshness, of wet
asphalt and dripping cutters, Sidney
sat. cold and silent.
'sPIease sit down. It is cool now.
My idea of luxury is to have the Street |
sprinkIed on a hot night"
K. disposed Of his long legs on the
steps. He was trying TO fit his own !
ideas OF luxury TO a garden hose and |
a city street.
I'm afraid you're working too hard"
''I? I do minimum Of labor for /