Part 18 (1/2)
”No; he never married.”
Drusilla was quiet for a moment, her eyes seeing beyond the men to the lover who had remained true to her throughout the years.
”Does he live alone?”
”He has two rooms in the home of some people with whom he has lived for a great many years.”
”Is he in business?”
”No; he was in business until the panic of 1893, when he lost his business.”
”What does he live on? Is he poor?”
”He saved a little out of the wreck of his business and lives on that.”
”How much has he?”
”I think he has about five hundred dollars a year; just enough to keep him modestly in that little town.”
”Does he seem happy? Did you talk with him?”
”Yes; I visited with him all of one afternoon. He does not seem unhappy, but he is a lonely old man. All of his friends are gone and he leads a lonely life.”
”What does he do?”
”He has his books.”
”Yes; John always loved books. They used to say that if he'd attend to business more and books less, he'd git along better.”
The clerk laughed.
”I'm afraid that's what they say out there, too. He is not a practical man, and he seems to have paid very little attention to the making of money, or--what is more--to the keeping of it after he had made it.”
Drusilla smiled.
”That's just like John,” she said softly. ”Set him down somewhere with a book and he'd forgit that there was other things he ought to be doin' instead of readin'. He worked in Silas Graham's grocery store when he was a boy, and Silas had to keep pryin' him out from behind the barrels to wait on customers. Silas said when he let him go that John's business was clerkin' in a book store and not a grocery store. Well, well! John's just the same, I guess. He'd ought to had some one with common sense to keep him goin'.”
”Is there anything else you would like to know?”
”No--” said Drusilla hesitatingly. ”I guess that's all I need to know.”
She was quiet for a few moments. Then:
”Does he seem strong?”
”Yes; strong and well.”
”D'ye suppose he could travel by himself?”
”Certainly; he seems perfectly able to travel by himself.”
”Then I guess I'll write him a letter. That's all, and I thank you very much, young man. I suppose you have a lot more on them papers, but I know all I want to. Good day.”