Macon beacon., 1871-08-19
MRS. DANA'S SECRET.

The LaWrenCes arc going abroad,
said Robert Dana TO his young viii
one evening. 81 met Tom tO-da,
and he said he and Carrie would sa.
on the 10Th, and the furniture sold a
auction"
ooh, how VIC shalt miss them
and what pity to haye that hand
some old furniture scattered anon
strangers! We have had many hap
Ipy times there, Robert"
Yes, Annie; it was there frs
saw you, do you remember? Yor
were playing chess on that oil
| Chinese chcss-tablc, SO absorbed tina
| you did not sec me come in, and
stood wondering who that little malt
in blue could be. | don't like I,
| have that table sold at auction, dear
| wish it would occur to Carrie t
send it to us as a farewell present.
"That would be very nice but a
she is not at all romantic, she has 1T
idea how or why VIC value it,"
81 suppose if | offered to buy it
Tom would not accept any pay; thcl
VIC will feel as if we had begged {
present"
eyes; and besides, we cannot af
ford it, Robert"
GLOW much is it worth :"
"Itmust have cost a hundred dol
lars when twas new; but l presume
it will 90 for fifty, as it is somewhat
defaCcd. We must not think of it
though, dear. You know the last Of
our luxury fund went for Dickens
reading, and we agreed to have nc
more treats till fall. | dare say VIC
should not play very often if VIC had
threading aloud is so much nicer
Did you bring home llarpcrs Week
.ly"
Thus the brave, conscientious little
woman turned away from the tempt
ing theme, and it was not resumed
between them. Annie Dana, howCv-
CT, had a great fund of that tough
quality which is now blamed as cob
stinacy," then praised as "iirmnCss."
The more she told herself the chess
table was unattainablc, the more did
a persistent inner voice reply, 81
must have itw But how? Dozens
of schemes occurred to her, but none
that seemed practicable. When she
awokc in the night, the weary ques-
ton flashed back, and with it, like an
inspiration, its answer, She would
write story for the - Magazine
and so earn thCneCdful money. Had
she not at school, several years be-
fore, sent two or three anonymous
stories TO a country weekly, just for
the frolic Oft, and had they not been
printed? To be sure they were not
paid for. She would almost have
scorncd money then, so deliciously
suilicing was it to see her own words
in print; but there must be the sordid
reality of payment now and how
to surprise Robert with
the table, show him her article and
enjoy his apprcciating praise! But
before this dizzy climax could be
reached much must be done. What
should she write about? When find
time? How bid for the table? And
all without Roberts knowledge? ?
Absorbed in these questions, she ap-
pCarcd sadly absent during breakfast,
greatly to her husbands surprise and
modification. After she had put too
spoons in his saucer, asked for butter
when already supplied, and poured
maple sirup over his steak, he began
to be alarmed, insisted on feeling her
pulse, and inquired if she had slept
well. Annie disclaimed sickness,
but admitted that her night had been
restless; and finally, to please him,
promised to take 4 nap during the
day, Never having concealed any
thing from him before, the weight of
a secret was far from pleasant; but
she consOlCd herself by thinking how
well it would all end. For the first
time since she knew him she was glad
to have Robert 90, so eager was she
to be free to plan, perhaps to write,
her story. Her usual duties about
the house were faithfully performed Il
but outline of q romance was fitting
her head all the time, and
she was glad when free at last to sit
down tO hcr desk.
For an hour her pencil flew busily; 4
ideas throngcd at her bidding ; words
came freely to express them. The
first sentence only troubled her.
Five or six beginnings were made
only TO be scored out; this seemed
too formal, that too abrupt, another
too sentimental. She feared she
must resort to the charming formula,
"once upon u time But the right
words came at last, and then all went
OH bravcly, till a ncighbor came in,
and the already beloved heroine had
to be exchanged for Roberts afghan
and everyday chat. Then came 9TH
CT Interruptions and duties; no more
writing that day. The promised at
tempt at a nap occurred about half an
hour before Roberts return, having
been entirely forgotten till then; and
though Annie lay on the sofa with
her eyes consciously closed for full
fifteen minutes, her thoughts were
on her heroine all the time, and once
she sat up and made pencil mend
randa on the back Of letter, hastily
Docketed as her husbands step was
heard. by the second night her plot
was fully skctchcd in her mind, and
II only remained to be put it upon
paper. Sometimes whole day
would pass, and not moment could |
she find for writing, though exactly |
in the mood for it, Again, she would |
have leisure, but an almost unaccoun-
able aversion to her pen; and if she
.ried to rally her powers by reading
what was already written, it sounded |
ike arrant nonsense; certainly no
sane editor would accept it. The ma
I've persistcncy of her character,
however, enabled her TO finish her
ask, in defiance Of many Interrupt
ions and discouragemcnts, and the
rough draft of her story was compile
ed in two weeks. 1t was a funny |
looking affair, on no less than twcn-
.hrcc pieces of papcr--halfshcCts and
whole sheets, backs of envelopes and
concert programmes; white, brown,
md tinted paper; some in pencil,
some in ink-a most disrCputable |
but she was u happy little
woman as she scrawlcd tic last line,