The Lambertville record., 1926-12-30

.
"lts More Than Twenty Years Ago"
more'n twenty years ago but re-
member ! thought of killing myself
one night. What just about finished
me was getting letter from Nom
telling me Pop was so sick they didn't
expect him to live, and asking me to
come at once.
"What did you do?"
Claude gazed at Ned. hesitated.
and then said slowly: Got home, In
time, of course. Never went back
though. My father died and | had TO
take on the grocery and run 1t, and
that's ALL"
Take you up on that"
Claude laughed. IT'S true, and
that's what's eating me tonight Here
I've lived my forty-seven years, eau
tious and careful-like. and never once
let go and did anything real brash.
And when you get to forty seven with
out any one really belonging to you,
why Il makes man think hard At
forty seven a mans In position to
take a survey Of life, and-oh well,
what does 1t amount TO after allY"
He sighed II bet you've done
more In ten days than ! have In all
my forty seven years"
Ned shook his head You can't pull
that OFF with me, c. NJ. You forget
I've been watching you conduct your
life and business for awhile" He
leaned back to survey this new phase
OF the versatile G. NJ. Somehow he
had never contemplated Claude Dabbs
as restless and discontenied.
To his astonishment, Claude did not
wait to analyze or he analyzed fur.
ther. He rose. crossed to the door.
and jerking his head toward the office
announced that he had 10 wrestle win
an o account.
Ned wholly unprepared for this
move, had no time TO think OF any
thing TO stop him but he~had no de-
sire to sit there reading and smoking
alone.
Aunt Lyddy met him in tie hall on
her way upstairs Eight o'clock. or
halfpast eight. was her hour for re.
tirement. She looked at Ned with
some surprise.
"Golng out for walk, Aunt Lyd-
dy. Uncle Claudes busy"
Suffering Saints It's bedtime.
Well, don't get into any more mischief
than Is natural and can't be helped"
She yawned goodnight as the door
closed, and took her way TO bed.
Ned went past the lighted window
of the office, little guessing that
Claude Dabbs was struggling through
one of the crucial moments of his life.
The woman whom Claude had seen
at the Iron Hand inn, might have
evolved herself out of the Polly John
'ston he had known. He wished he
had been able to study her unobserved
and for longer time. II II was Polly
what wonderful thing life was. To
make out of that discontented, am
bilious drudge. the woman he had
imaginary interviews and stopped
them, laughing at himself. He kept
saying "if," yet he felt sure that II
was Polly He imagined speaking tc
her, meeting her, What would hei
face look like as II turned toward
him? He remembered how 1t had
looked this afternoon when he sa"
her in the Iron Hand inn as she spoke
to the girl.
The girl Absorbed in the thought
OF Polly, he had forgotten the girl
who was she? Had Polly adopted
her, Or
Dabbs smote his desk with his fist
and rose from his chair lie began
walking up and down, trying to piece
Polly's life together, thinking, thlhK'
ing, stopping, beginning again. with
a new thread each time. but all pulled
him hack to the same question.
He bent over his desk, writing
numerous letters-all to one woman
Finally he leaned back In his chair
tore up the last note and thrust II
deep into the pile already In the
waste basket. The thing would not
solve itself. He was still at sea as
TO his first move.
Ned, thrusting his head into the
doorway TO say goodnight. found a
weary-looking grlm-mouthed man
This was so unlike Claude's usual face
and greeting that he was puzzled.
Claude stopped him.
Don't mind the way look and act
tonight. I've got something on my
mind. Something personal. and II !
find it'll help any telling 1t, you're
the one I'll come to-"
'T'm your man, any hour Of the day
or night, Uncle. II can really help
you out"
When he bad gone Claude closed
the door heavily and went back to the
desk. He gave up letter writing for
the night and sat there, absorbed In
his thoughts.