The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-11-28

! fill it."
Mr.. Parker instantly determined to
place her at the vacant desk she gave
him such an impression of finish and
completeness that he was sure she would
do anything we'll.
"Tbe place is not particularly desira-
BILE one," he said, before answering her
application |; /" the work is entirely clerical,
and not very interesting, | fear"
"The nature of the work will not
trouble me if can only do it," was the
reassuring reply of Miss Ferguson ;
whereupon Mr.. Parker asked her to come
the next morning, and, in perenthesis,
and as il it were matter OF small mo-
ment mentioned the compensation she
would receive. He held the door opened
as she passed out, and then followed her
down stairs at becoming distance.
More than once, as he walked up the
avenue to his room, he questioned the
wisdom of his speedy decision but when
ever doubt arose it was instantly con-
fronted by that graceful and finely poised
figure, and was dissolved into thin air.
More than once, too, shade of annoyance
rested on his face at the thought of the
missing manuscript but the soft splendor
of the October afternoon and the brilliant
throng of carriages and pedestrians crowd
ing the avenue diverted his mind from
his work, and made him keenly receptive
of the movement and charm of his sur
roundings.
The next morning, at the appointed
time, Miss Ferguson was at her desk.
II sr training was Immediately evident !;
she seemed to know what was to be done
by instinct, and needed no fuller direction
than hint. In week she had not only
mastered the details of her work, but by
systematization had 30 reduced it that she
asked for more, and had been assigned
more difficult and exacting tasks. Mr..
Parker had brief interviews with her, and
treated her with the studious courtesy
which he accorded to all women. He
watched her work closely, aud noted the
fact that she was not only exact, but
showed general intelligence far beyond
the requirements of her position. Mean
while the missing manuscript had not
been found, and the editor was becoming
hardened on the subject when note, in a
delicate feminine hand, reached him
through the mail one morning, and re-
minded him that though the sketch had
been in his hands more than a month, no
intimation or its fate had reached the
writer. Instantly Mr.. Psrker's perplexity
returned, increased fourfold; the sketch
had impressed him as a very original and
striking piece of work, and he was really
anxious to print it; he was disappointed,
therefore, as an editor keenly alive to the
value of good work, and he was also en-
barrassed in sending any communication
10 the author. Suppose she had kept no
copy, or had destroyed the original draft
He was at his wits ends, when his eye
fell upon small case of manuscripts that
for lack of return postage or failure to
send addresses, had been filed until called
for; it was barely possible that the miss
ing story had strayed into this repository
of unsuccessful literature. Just before
leaving the Office that afternoon, he sent
for Miss Ferguson.
am in dreadful dilemma, Miss
Ferguson" he said, smilipgly. "l have
lost manuscript, or at least mislaid it.
1t was story entitled John Dolline's
Quest aud was written, if my recollec-
ton serves me, on unruled letter paper.
The story was 80 remarkable that | should
exceedingly regret to lose it, to say moth
ing of my embarrassment in conveying
that fact to the writer. 1t is barely pos
sible that the manuscript has been put
into this case, and | am going to ask you
to make the search"
At the mention of the name of the miss
ing manuscript Miss Ferguson had flushed
slightly, aud when Mr.. Parker had ended
she said hesitatingly: "Did you say it
was story ?"
Yes, or, perhaps, more accurately, a
character study, of uncommon power. 1t
gave an account of man who, in mo.
ment of great temptation, committed a
sin and lost all sense of his personal
identity, and whose whole subsequent
life was search for himself. 1t was
very striking piece of work."
Miss Ferguson had already turned to
the case, and Mr.. Parker did not see the
deepened color on her face. He had no
sooner gone than she abruptly closed the
little glass doors and returned to her
desk. The next morning Mr.. Parker was
delighted to fiud "John Dolline's Quest /"
lying on his desk; he was so thoroughly
pleased that he failed to note how tired
Miss Ferguson looked when he went into
her room to thank her, or the more singu.
lar fact that the manuscript lacked both
date and number.
A month later "John Dolline's Quest -
was in the hands of seventy thousand
readers in all parts of the world, and, Gu.
riously enough, they agreed with the ed
itor in their judgment Of its literary quail
ity. 1t was certainly sketch of a very
unusual kind; the motive was subtle
enough to arouse the interest of the most
intellectual, and it was wrought out with
the most delicate literary skill, and with
boldness and vigor of construction
which gave it instant popularity. Every
body who read it talked about it the
lesser newspapers copied it; two or three
leading dailies and the foremost literary
journal published editorials on the moral
aspects of the problem presented by the
unknown writer; for the story had been
published anonymously. Mr.. Parker was
overwhelmed with inquiries and letters !;
there were people in all parts of the coun-
try who had been wonderfully touched by
"John Dolline's Quest" and could not
content themselves with anything short
of long letter to the editor. The mails
were visibly increased in bulk by the cor.
respondence on this particular subject,
and Mr.. Parker's delight at having
brought out new writer was little
cooled by the additional labor which his
!