Show Day ill jj illBY A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE BY S. S B. B ROGERS Continued ed from Saturday flight of ot a quarter of a century brought many changes to Merwin's Four I the marriage of the summer boarder to the Afterthought death of the Squire bought the farm and turned It into a pro prosperous peTOUS Later at having become Squire Merwin by common consent he negotiated il Ly from Milbury l which was followed by the electric trolley company Lt It which which turned the Corners from a thriving village into a town which developed into an enterprising city known 1 as Banks business offices sprang PuS up with mushroom growth about the big bl hotel D r had been merely a a. comfortable old farmhouse Only the un- un I mill cider-mill remained unchanged In the midst ot or the new city It was an anthe anthe toj the majority of the to date inhabitants and especially to the bluff and hale halo at SO jiow represented the city In the State Leg- Leg although only a 0 few tew years the Squires Squire's senior had aged perceptibly and scanty white hair gave him an appearance of extreme old th the years progressed he lIe had risked more and more more and more of his own I the he columns Of ut the Weekly Mercury with the result that he and his and his rn e hopelessly exiled in the very heart of his native town Squire had made strenuous efforts to secure a position for his cousin the prosperous dally daily newspapers ne of Merwinsville l but Amos was re- re eccentric a character to be desirable In a modern business office efforts proved fruitless Meanwhile the small single sheet as the Weekly Mercury of Four Corners made Its modest modesti i ince nc regularly every Thursday noon In the homes of the dozen old farmr farm- farm r subscribed to it because they had known Amos from a boy and still ride and Interest In his career a as one of ot these elderly subscribers who ho becoming alarmed at the failure M Mercury to appear as usual one fine lne Juno Junu afternoon hastily drove over mill cider to learn the cause ca o of the phenomenon He lie found the editor against ills his case as was his custom while beside him on a a. rudely- rudely l 1 table lay the fresh copies of the last edition I r ever knew the Mercury t be late Amos said the farmer in l Surprise and then he uttered an exclamation of horror as something I a about out the silent motionless figure swept over oval him He rushed ed out to toI I Squire who with his wonted energetic celerity cele whisked Amos into d a doctor In an incredibly short space pace of time lime and rushed an ItemIng item ning Ing papers announcing that one of the original settlers of by paralysis with little hope of recovery week fOll following his lila attack Amos was unable to speak and was itly unconscious but on the tha Thursday after his illness he roused from P and began muttering Incoherently The Squire and his wife the theand rand anti and a a. nurse were with hint him but he lie regarded them restlessly without Suddenly he rose In bed with a smile of triumphant Joy upon his features oats oat's st out o 0 t L' ground ho cried excitedly that doesn't beat beat all said the Squire aside to his wire wife Amos never Dever e least for farming Never ever used to notice whether the frost fiott was ut Jut pf the ground Ilbe most time fer ter now noty went vent on the sick man I 1 found round a Q o flown V h. h oM t V niu m v VAo C f M Lb j they sed to grow grow down Sure enough said the Squire compassionately there when I was a boy Its It's a matter of ot some thirty years ago Suddenly a a. sane light crep crept into the piteous wild eyes as they rest rested d upon the Squire fie fell back weakly upon the pillows Torn Tom Tom he said feebly how long bag hey hev I ben here like this The Squire bent over him kindly t tJust Just a week Amos he said gently The sick man started up with a cry of agony which rang out sharply on the summer air all and disturbed the guests of the hotel Then its it's Thursday Thursday he cried in in distress an t V Mercury aint out yet It Its It's s never missed a a. Thursday before not before not fer ter thirty years an more The tears rolled down his cheeks and his t thin in frame was shaken by sobs cobs I IThe The doctor and nurse tried to soothe him but he waved them aside Impatiently The firt first t time in moren moran thirty years he mourned to himself The first time in moren thirty years its it's failed to go t pre press I never disappointed one of em before not ter fer thirty years lie He cant can't last ast through the night said the doctor softly as he felt Amoss Amos's pulse The sick man relapsed into unconsciousness and the doctor after afew a afew afew few directions to the nurse took his departure He promised to lo look lookin kin in later but 1 he Ie e told the Squire that the end was near lIe He ma may last until morning he has more vitality than one might suppose said the doctor but I shall be surprised d if he lives till tomorrow Amos had elected to be taken seriously ill iii at a very busy season The Squire was about to be nominated ted for Governor and on this very afternoon an important political reception was to be held at which both the Squire and his wife were exp expected to be present in fact tact their absence might turn the delicate delicate- ly-balanced ly scales In the opposite direction So the Squire and his wife withdrew with- with drew diew from the sick chamber leaving Amos In charge of the prof professional nurse Gradually the afternoon wore away Once the nurse roused him to give some medicine He caught her wrist weakly Can yon print he whispered fixing his sunken blue eyes eyes eagerly upon her face The nurse shook her head bead smiling She still considered him He released her arm with a gesture of acute despair Then It wont won't come out he moaned Its never ver failed before not before not fer moren thirty years It must come tome out it sh shall ll its it's never never never nev nev- er failed till now non Do you ot o hear me It shall come come out He lifted himself wrathfully ii in bed v allers trusted me an t paper they've subscribed frum t i begin begin- nih an it shall come conic out I sa say cay He jumped j up and struggled violently with the nurse who made a vain ef effort effort et- et fort fOlt to put him back upon the pillows A sudden furious strength took possession possession possession pos pos- session of him and he pe broke broke- aw away ay from her She ran lan to the door to summon assistance and at that Instant Amos rushed to the window and swift as a a. panther leaped down on the short thick turf beneath In an Instant he was running like some wild hunted animal straight and swift down to the old cider He was dead when hen the they round found him although they made every effort poss to bring back the vanished spark of life lite The doctor told the Squire that such superhuman s strength a as Amos had bad displayed while not usual was not unknown In his experience and the Afterthought remarked reflectively Odd sort ort of a fish my cousin was sas doctor Never really understood him myself Seemed very but now I think of it It Amos generally managed managed man man- aged to do the un unexpected He lIe certainly died in an unexpected fashion replied the doctor He lie displayed displayed dis die played remarkable strength for a dying man Did I tell you OU we found he had actually set up the date for or the next Issue of the paper Ills His mind must have been extraordinarily clear to do that When do you think he died asked the Squire Probably about 5 6 o'clock answered the doctor reflectively You see they couldn't couldn t find him for tome some time The The- nurse being a a. stranger knew nothing of or his habits 1 I believe one or-e of ot the servants at the hotel sUggs suggested looking for him at the tile old cider Poor old Amos said the Squire pityingly lie He must 1st have died just at th the tha time they brought bro me mo the telegram announcing my nomination for tor Governor New York Evening Post rest |