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Show Felix 'Si Hefircs l .... By Richard Hill Wilkinson WHEN FELIX BRENDLINGER retired to private life he ceased to be a "figure" in May-field. May-field. If you took time to analyze the reason, the answer was simple. For 30 years Felix had left his home on Pleasant street at exactly 7:35 In the morning, walked a quarter quar-ter mile to the railroad station. .boarded the 7:48 3,,. , train for Long-r, Long-r, i n u T e Vjew an(j sper.t Fiction the day in that distant city at a desk in the insurance insur-ance offices of Booth, Gill and Dyer. Every evening he disembarked disem-barked from the 5:52 train and re-traveled re-traveled the quarter-mile to his Pleasant street home. Mayfield citizens were used to the sight of Felix walking briskly to and from the railroad station. Sometimes some one would ask him to do an errand in Longview, and he'd always oblige. Frequently he would deliver choice bits of news to friends and acquaintances. Booth, Gill and Dyer had for their clients two large steamship lines, and Felix could tell when the boats arrived in port, or when they were delayed by storms and when important im-portant personages were arriving from abroad. There were a hundred and one things that Felix could and did do that achieved for him a certain recognition. After he retired, Felix ceased to be a figure. He wasn't an especially imaginative person, nor were his neighbors. The neighbors knew unconsciously unconscious-ly that Felix was no longer different differ-ent from any of them. Felix knew it too. It troubled him. It hurt. It made him lonesome. It made him wonder. It threatened to develop In him an inferiority complex. Felix tried hard to find pleasure in his retirement. He planted a garden and bought some chickens and occupied his time as much as he could. But it was a physical occupation, oc-cupation, and this gave him plenty of opportunity to think. Eventually his thinking changed to brooding, and the brooding, nourished the growing inferiority complex. Felix's wife noticed the change. She tried to talk to him, to learn the source of his moodiness. But Felix couldn't explain it. He felt a little ashamed, and didn't want to talk. Another month passed and Felix's wife began to think he was a case for the family doctor. doc-tor. Then one day a letter arrived ar-rived from Booth, Gill and Dyer. They wanted to know if Felix would consider coming in for a few days to assist in straightening ont some matters mat-ters about which they considered consid-ered him an expert. "The idea," Felix's wife exclaimed. ex-claimed. "Don't they know but of course they don't I'll write immediately im-mediately and tell them how poorly poor-ly you are!" "You'll do no such thing!" Felix exclaimed, eyes gleaming. "I'm catching the 7:48 in the morning!" rjiHE JOB lasted three weeks. During that time Felix became a figure once more. People became used to him going back and forth '.'M-.f- iii'- "You'll do no such thing!" Felix exclaimed, h i s eyes gleaming. "I'm catching the 7:48 in the morning." to the train. Unconsciously they fell into the old routine of asking him to do errands and demanding choice bits of news. Felix was happy hap-py again. He beamed. He put on weight. He felt important. He was important. On the day that Felix finished up the special work, Mr. Gill approached ap-proached him. "Felix, how about staying on with us awhile? You're not old enough to retire. We need you here." "Need me?" "As long as yon'U stay. Oh, I realize that sooner or later we'll have to get along without your help but none of us realized real-ized how Important you were." Felix's face glowed. "Thanks, Mr. Gill. You couldn't have said anything that would make me happier. hap-pier. But as far as staying with you is concerned I'm afraid I'll have to turn down the offer. You see, I've got some chickens and a garden out home that need my attention. at-tention. And well now I'll be able to retire with a clear cob-icience." |