Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-29

| Vi Tue OU~CuTt.
slept but little that night, thinkins
of it. Something told me it woul,
| almost break the girls heart. Shoul,
| accept it. pay for it myself, and the,
cousign it to the wssteba ket? NJ
that would not do, for she would b,
apxiously watching for its appearance
in print. ana bringing IN re stories
meanwhile for my consideration
What could do? Morning found mt
| undecided.
When took my place at my desk,
was still undecided. And had reached
no decision when, in answer to thai
gentle knock. for which hal waited a.
] believe no editor ever waited for would
be contributors knock before, agaiu
called Come She came in, and
siLking into the visitors chair. raised
her eyes IN mute inquiry to my face
| searched my brain for some harmless.
filschood with which to soften the blow,
but those eyes compelled the tsGth. 4"
have cirefully read your story, | said,
land am sorry TO say 1t wOuii not suit
orr parer." Tue little hands went up
to the face; the veil dropped over them.
| heard stIdad sob, and my heart be-
gau to ache Bat that ii NJ reason,
Miss Silver, confined, with assumed
chez riLlness. that, with few altera-
lions, it should not suit some other.
If you Will leave it with me, will take
1t home Tonight, revise it and you eau
try again"
The veil was tossed asi lie, AID down
came the bands. "Oh, ] am 50 rIdlcu-
lousy afraid Of strangers ana strange
places!" she said, u wan little smile
shining through her tears. 50 should
never have dared to come here had |
not heard you were one of the kindest
of men. Is there nothing you can give
me to do, Mr.. Gray? l can read the
most illegible of writing readily-a
talent inherit from my dear father
and l can copy rapidly and plainly"
Now had nothing on hand which ii
was absolutely necessary that l should
have copied, but vision of the poor
child toiling up dark stairs into cheer
less offices, cold and frightened, with
that, in its present form, unstable
story, rose before me, and L determined
to make work for her until l could find
her some easy, permanent employment
elsewhere. So said, quickly, as
though it were the very assistance of all
others of which stood in need, If
you are willing to accept work Ct that
kind, can employ you two or three
hours q day for month or two, and
you may begin at once"
Her eyes sparkled the thanks she did
not speak. l babe her lay aside her hat
and shawl, seat herself at the chiefs
desk, and prepare to copy the Chinese
like characters of the famous author
over which I had been puzzling the day
before.
She obeyed me with the simplicity of
. child, and soon was bending over her
task, flush of pleasure on her cheeks,
quickly and faithfully.
AS for me, the sight of that tiny hand
over'the paper with wonder
ful grace and ease, and the clear.cut
profile dropping above it, caused some
udicrous mistakes In the article was
writing, about which mistakes I re.
,eiyed no less than seventeen commu
licati ons during the week following its
publication.
The two or three hours passed away.
She showed me what she had accom-
plished with pride, accepted payment for
It with blush ,donned the summer shawl
and hat, and tripped away, promising to
come again on the morrow. The NOR
row found her punctually at her post.
and SO did many morrows, and at last
the MS. was almost copied, and had
been unable to lind any other employ
ment for my faithful little amanuensis.
Meanwhile the child had. told me her
sad story. Her. mother died at her
birth. She had never had any home,
bnt had always lived in boarding houses
with her father, school-teacher, who
dying q year ago, left her to the mercy
of an only relative, a wealthy aunt.
That aunt-heaven forgive her!-re
fused to receive her, saying she had
" children of her own to look after, and
she saw no reason why the girl should
not follow her fathers profession"
'' tried to-" said Winona, bat the
children would not mind. me. Minnie
Minceitt minds me, because she loves
me. / board with Mrs. Minceitt, and
teach Minnie in part payment for my
board. Mrs. Minceitt is not unkind to
me; but she is not as kind as she was
before papa died. And papa used to
say wrote excellent compositions, and
so l thought, perhaps, l could write
stories for the papers. And l was in
duced to come to you first by hearing
gentleman, q writei, praise you very
highly one day. He is one of the
kindest-hearted fellows in America he
said. But, for all that, I came to your
door three days in succession before 1
could get courage enough to knock.
And when did knock on the fourth
day, you called Come in such an aw-
fully cross voice that 1 came near run
ming away again. And on one of these
three days, when l was standing out
side, you were laughing and talking
with handsome young lady. l heard
you, and saw her. She had the lowell
est ostrich feather in her hat"
;, And what has become Of the story,
Winoua? ?" askefT.. She had rebelled
against Miss Silver" or even miss
Winona," at an early period of our &C
Guaintance, on account of my being so
much cider than she. l was eight
and-twenty, and she ten years younger
MY story with musical laugh
-" which You altered until it was al
most your story? I sent it to the
Weekly Romaace PORTFOLIO, and they &C
49,