The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-06-27
The White Year
By oTILLlA FRANCES PFEIFFE
1919. by Western Newspaper u.,as.

der an impetuous impulse he could not
restrain, Walter Merrill wrote q let
ter to the girl he loved. confessing
his affection and asking that she award
him happiness or heartbreak accord
Ing as she reciprocated his fervent de-
votion or did not, as the case might
be. There came no reply. AS II ut
terly disdainful of his plea, he learned
that Myrtle Farr had started away on
visit to a relative at some distance.
Merrill was being of deep sensitive
ness. He vanished completely from
Bayville and his motive and where
abouts became mystery to his for
mer friends.
His gloomy face made no new
friends, his half-hearted interest In
seeking employment discouraged at
tentiOn. Very soon his surplus money
was gone. Idleness led to dissipation.
He sank lower and lower, and at the
end Of few months was street wan
derer and his companions men Of reck-
less mold.
His eyes were bleared, his clothing
in tatters, his gait unsteady, as one
day crossing street the sharp toot
Of an automobile horn caused him to
look up. Two ladies in the machine
were agonizedly screaming to their
chauffeur. Directly in the path OF
the auto little child was rolling her
doll carriage. Merrill made leap.
Not a second too soon he snatched the
imperiled child from her position,
swung her spinning to one side, and
himself stumbled and fell.
There was a contact, dull and dead
ly, and Merrill disappeared under the
body Of the vehicle. Then as it backed
he lay in a pool Of blood, his face
bruised and cut, his eyes closed and
his body rigid.
1t was like a transition into a new
sphere to the injured man to recover
sensibility amid comfort and cleanli-
ness. He was alone in bed in half
darkened room, but the door commu-
nicating with the adjoining apartment
was ajar and he could discern that
several persons were there. A feminine
voice spoke, gentle and quite anxious.
"He will live, doctor?" 1t intoned.
"Oh, yes, there is nothing wrong of
part of both limbs"
"He can bear removal to a hos
pital"-began the doctor.
NO." spoke Miss Althea barrow,
and the negative was enforced strong
ly by her sister, Marcia. 1--WE owe
to this man not only money repara-
ton, but sympathy and care. He Is
poor, perhaps homeless. Sister and 1
will give him home until he has en-
tirely recovered"
Some new emotions came to Walter
Merrill as he heard himself thus COM
mended. He learned that the two
spinsters were ladies with means, given
to deeds of charity. They lived well.
and as he got about in an invalid's
chair. a room on the ground floor Wa
fitted up for him. Daily he was wheel
ed out into the garden. Every
body seemed glad to be of help to him.
Kindness toned down his ruggedness
and reckless indifference.
At first, until his injured limbs re-
covered their original strength Merrill
acted as chauffeur for his thought
full patronesses. Then his quick In
telligence recommended him to them
for q trustworthy position Of looking
after their property. He attended to
rents and repairs, and nothing was
pleasanter than the frequent trips
from place to place, and very often
the little child whose life he had saved
was his welcome companion.
One day-Walter Merrill never after
ward forgot that eventful occasion
on a business mission he came within
few miles of Bayville. The tempta-
ton to see the old town was irresist-
ible. He was driving the machine
slowly down tree-shaded street,
when a lad of about sixteen abruptly
darted from the sidewalk shouting his
name.
ooh, Mr.. Merrill I" he hailed. "Please
please, just moment" Then he
added breathlessly: "Oh! you must
come to our house right away.
Alice wants to see you, and at once"
Merrill well remembered Alice
Wayne. She had always evinced a
prediction for his company, but love
he had never thought Of. Merrill Won
dered at the earnestness of the ex-
cited lad He drove the machine to
the Wayne home. His guide led him
into the house. Merrill was shocked
as he saw upon q couch the girl who
had been blooming beauty when last
he had seen her. Disease and suffer-
ing had wasted her away, and death
was In her face.
An infinite relief was expressed In
that wan face as Alice Wayne clasped
the hand Of Merrill fervidly. She sent
her brother from the room. Then
came confession that amazed her
visitor. Alice confessed that she had
destroyed a letter Myrtle had given
her to mail, the non-arrlval Of which
had started him upon the downward
path. When fatal disease had over
0orne her che had suffered from in