Show Story orLo of tb me meI Day ill illI A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE I BY s S. S B. B ROGERS stage lumbered creakily up the hill bill and drew up beneath the Sun front of the postoffice at Merwin's Four Corners Abner MerwIn or Squire Merwin as he was generally known In recognition of 01 the thet t he had established the tiny settlement at the roads cross brought out gre leather mall bag solemnly and received in return the few letters lithe e decorum the Importance of 01 the occasion demanded This civil having been discharged faithfully he descended from his official paid sald in tones of 01 affable commonplace l o 0 goin down t Milbury ury with y I bleeve Hell He'll be right righta In a 0 minnit I guess Hes He's sayin a good-bye good to his mother driver age startled out of his ordinary ry Indifference started the Squire mos os a gain t quit farmin he asked in surprise Howll y ever git out t him season Squire Squire rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully Bess ness ss Ill I'll git along bout s 's swell well alone he said at last Amos hes he's got leer t. t notions in his head Seems t hev hey farmin clean out err QT his ic OIt t tell t f truth he never was no great hand t farm Hes He's Amos ll s Dont Don't take after the thc much The rue allers alieni I every everyone one on em Guess Amoss Amos's more like lIko his mothers mother's folks sons s. s I t Amos t do down t Milbury l asked the driver with s 's goin t f learn answered the Squire shamefacedly None o 0 ii I-ii ns ever printers ez cx lv iv Ive I've heard beard tell of ot but Amos hes he's considerable tj He's Hes goin a t learn t trade and wants I start a 0 up here driver age looked across the wide fat meadows compassionately t a pity you got no other child Squire he remarked ip 1 I guess Ill I'll git long along somehow said the Squire My brother Johns John's sj hes he's boy he's hes a a. leetie Amos Amos Is Is com comin In t help on the farm farms lIes lIe's ii gest st o 0 thirteen children come torne into t family some unexpected allers alters h him the Afterthought though I 1 bleeve hes he's ben christened Thomas hI his be glad t git him Into a a. good home like this his point a a. tall thin lad appeared at the front door of the tho farmhouse Fre hurried up ip the path to assist t him to bring down the small shabby I S I skin hair-skin trunk which held all of Amoss Amosa worldly possessions He had a little money which pad had ad been left him by a maiden aunt and thus fortified he felt prepared to to begin his hs app apprenticeship I reckon t f Afterthought 11 be along this afternoon he remarked In a of matter-of-fact way Hope he will W need him him bad bad back two days already weve we've all ben so with Amoss Amos's gem goin away and I low its it's fixin t rain Mrs Merwin assented mildly She was a gaunt working hard-working woman who loved her family passionately She took her opinions unquestioningly from the Squire She loved Amos with all an her heart but if 11 the Squire decreed that he was v without practical value she acquiesced in itt the verdict and simply loved the lad more if that were possible As the Squire had predicted the Afterthought turned up that very day and proved himself directly a 0 valuable acquisition on the farm He lie was a rosy- rosy cheeked eyed bright-eyed boy sturdily built and he performed his work vork with a zealous discretion that warmed his uncles uncle's heart Toms a true 1 Merwin a born farmer declared the Squire proudly I Ionly Ionly I Ionly only wish Amos ben a-ben like hike him Hes He's mowed the south m medder alone this mornin and hes he's a his scythe In the river lot now I tell ye hes he's a worker every Inch uv him MerwIn all over a born farmer And Mrs Mis Merwin had assented as usual and wondered how Amos was getting getting getting get get- ting on in the printing office at l At the end of two years Amos returned to the Corners and found that Important Important important Im Im- im- im changes had occurred during his absence The old mill cider-mill had been abandoned and a a. new one built further down the stream The postoffice had hac been moved Into a drug store and a 0 fine village grocery had been built at the exact exact intersection of the cross A wide veranda eranda had been run across th tha front of the old farmhouse and a bevy of summer boarders sat upon it brIngIng bringing bring brIng- ing a 0 flutter Hutter of city life and a steady stream of dollars dollar to MerWin's Four Cor Cor- ners pers Amos mos scarcely recognized the place as he walked slowly up the graveled path leading loading to the house The dooryard was as trimly kept as the fine line lawns at al Milbury beds of flaming darning geranium blazed here and there in the green grass Beneath Deneath the gayly striped awnings of the new verandas a bevy of young oung girls sat laughing and chatting together It was all so changed ano and different that an uncontrollable wave of homesickness rushed over him and and then In the midst of It all aU he saw a 3 tall gaunt haired gray-haired woman yoman exactly as he remembered her pass swiftly through the open door and coming coning tow toward ard him bin throw her dear arms about his neck as she kissed him before them all The Afterthought having decided that his cousin would interfere lees ices with the work worl of oX the farm if he heere were ere established In the old mill cider moved Amoss Amos's printing effects down there with characteristic celerity The Afterthought could not bring himself to take Amos seriously lie disliked the vague stare of Amoss Amos's pale-blue pale eyes There decisive about was nothing ut him He never knew what hat he wanted except to be allowed to remain undisturbed in some quiet place so BO the old mill cider-mill was a as good a a. spot as any other Concluded tomorrow 0 I |