The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-12-07

formation as to her social surroundings.
Mr.. Parker was pre-eminen:ly u person
OF taste; he knew inst.nctively what
was good. not only in quality but in
fern. and before he had asked his Wis
itor to be seated he had given her the
benefit of his unqualified approval. The
young lady hesitated moment, as Il
the business in hand were new to her,
but her voice betrayed no nervousness
when she said, noting the overcoat on
| his arm:
q will detain you only 4 moment. ]
learned yesterday that there was va
cancy in your Office. and, although /
have had no experience in such posi-
ton, 1 should like the opportunity OF
trying to 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 well.
1.-The place is not particularly de-
| s;rable one," he said. before answering
her application; 1.-The work is entirely
clerical, and not very interesting, L
| 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 paren-
thesis. as if it were a matter of small
moment. mentioned the compensation
she would receive. He held the door
open as she passed out, and then fol-
lowed her down stairs at becoming
distance. More than once. as he walked
up the avenue to his room. he ques-
tened the wisdom of his speedy de-
cision; but whenever doubt arose it
was instantly confronted by that grace
ful and finely-poiscd figure, and was
dissolved into thin air. More than once,
too. a shade of annoyance rested on his
face at the thought of the missing manu-
script. but the soft spieador OF the Oc-
tober afternoon and the brilliant throny
of carriages and ped astrianS crowding
the avenue diverted his mind from his
work. and made him kecnly receptive
of the movement and charm of his sur
roundings.
The next morning. ut the appointed
time, Miss Ferguson WAS at her desk.
Her training was Immediately evident:
she seemed to know what was to be
done by instinct, and needed no fuller di-
rectionS than hint. in a week she had
not only mastered the details of her
work. but by standardization had so re-
duced it that she asked for more, and
had been assigned more difficult and
eNacting tasks. Mr.. Parker had brief
interviews with her, and treated her
with the Studious courtesy which he ac-
corded to all women. He watched her
work closely, and noted the fact that
she was not only exact, but showed
general intelligence far beyond the re-
quirements of her pos ton. Mean
while the missing manuscript had not
been found. ana the editor was becom-
ing hardened IN the subject, when a
note. in delicate feminine hand.
reached him through the mail one
morning, and reminded him that. al
though the sketch had been in his hands
more than a month. no intimation of its
fate had reached the writer. Instantly
Mr.. ParkerS perpieXity returned. in
creased fourfold; the sketch had i'm
pressed him Is & very original and
striking piece of work. and he was
really anxious Ia print it; he was diSap-
pointed, therefore. rs an editor keenly
alive to the value of good work, and he
was also embarrassed in sending any
communication to the author. Suppose
she had kept no copy. or had destroyed
The original draft He was at his wits
ends when his eve iell upon small case
of manuscripts that for lack of return
postage or IA lure to send addresses had
been filed until called for: il was barely
possible that the missing story had
Strayed into the repository of unsuccess-
full literature. Just before leaving the
office that afternoon he sent for Miss
Ferguson.
IL am in dreadful dilemma, Miss
Ferguson he said, smilingly. Il
have lost a manuscript, or at least mis-
laid it. Ii was a story entitled John
Doll mes Quest. and was written. if nv
recollection serves me, on unruled
letter-paper. The story was so remark
able that | should exceedingly regret to
lose it, to say nothing of my embarrass-
ment in conveying that fact to the
writer 1t is barely possible 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
missing manuscript Miss Ferguson had
flushed slightly and when Mr.. Parker
had ended she said, hesitat .ngly: did
You say it was story"
Yes, or, perhaps, mere accurately,
a character study. of uncommon power.
1t gave an account of a man who. in a
moment of great temptation. committed
4 sin and lost all sense of his personal
identity. and whose whole subsequent
life was a search for himself 1t was
very striking piece of work"
Miss Ferguson had already turned TO
the case, and MIR. 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 find John /
Dolline's Quest living on his desk: he !
was so thoroughly pleased that he failed |
TO note how tired Miss Ferguson looked 1
when he went into her room to thank /
her, or the more singular fact that the |
lacked both date and nrm-
Der.
A month later John DolliIe's
Quest" was in the hands of seventy |
Thousand readers in all parts of the
world. ami, curiously enough, they
agreed with the editor in their iudg-
ment of its literary quality. 1t was
certainly sketch OF a very unusual |
kind; the motive was subtle enough to
arouse the interest of the most intel
lectual. and it was wrought out with