The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-23

belliously Into his eyes, and sinking
immediately into the first chair near.
with an air of profound detection.
This young man had large nose of
the solid Roman type, very red eyelids,
and q sonorous voice with q twang in
it. He told me he was in an attorneys
Office, but that the work was very dis
1 tasteful to him, aud he had thoughts of
giving it up and turning author.
He had begun several works of i'm
portance, one of which This .'chef
douver,' he called it) he had brought
up with him.
"Blank verse mostly, SIR" he ex-
planned; 'sin ten books. revealing the
mysteries of human soul to the moon,
who is supposed to be listening-poet;-
cal license. of course-you understand.
! The first three books -"
"Isn't il risk" interrupted ].
shrink ng from the prospect of being
pressed into the same service rs the
moon, and resolved to be as practical as
possible, "isn't it risk to give up
steady work for an uncertainty in litera-
ture?"
swell, sir, mother talks like that,
and she's right, and you're right in one
point of view," said the youth, meekly;
''but when you've soul, and when
your soul mounts beyond the Office
stool, where are you them"
He waved his hand descriptively. as
it were, of an aerial flight; his nails were
inky, and very long.
"Well, l don't know" said /, "but
hadn't you BETTER"
But he had risen, and hurridly COM
menced undoing the brown paper, with
drawing from it about fifty sheets of
foolscap, well written over.
"Li>teun' he cried oracularly, and
slowly recited as follows:
Hail, cold, unfeeing orb. tho thy bright raw
Soon. soon thy last quart er will draw nieh;
But sooner still fer me the funeral lie Is a
toll!
THAT'S the opening lines" said he;
''the next"
"My friend" I said, Il am afraid
you will find the public hard to satisfy;
you must look for disappointment"
That's all I look for," he interrupt
ed. that and an early grave" he
added, with certain air of satisfac-
ton. "And as mother and father
aren't as well off as they were, dare
say there won't evea lie a recordin'
marble to tell the world Cincinnatus
Maudle lies below-but that's of no
conse iuence."
He sighed.
"Aren you iittle out of health?"
i asked at this point.
"Uh. yes, sir" I'm journeying to
the tomb. I've no sort of doubt
about it myself. but the cold world will
pass teedless by and think nothing of
it. The worlds so very sublunary!
Don't you find it so. sir?"
"Well. yes; l suppose it is that" 1
said, never having had cause to doubt
it as fact. Eyes. suppose it is. But
now let me advise you as friend"
He looked up softly.
81 knew you would" he cried
that's just it, you will assist me, and
I'll step up o. evenings and we'll 90
through it together gradual like. Yes,
l felt sure you d be the friend to do it
when mother SAID: Gin, that's orr
first floor going out l felt as if could
open my heart to you like brother
Ulu. lnuceu, sir.
.'LOok here" said, when he paused
and shook back the excited wisp of
whitey-brown hair, with joyful vehem- |
ence "look here. I'll let YOU know
when to bring it up. The fact is, I'm
awiully busy Just now l haven't
minute to spare for study or the de-
lights of the muse"
l smiled grimly as 1 almost pushed
him out of he door, bearing his precious
brown Taper parcel and overwhelming
me with undeserved thanks. Inwardly
l resolved never to have five minutes I
leisure 10 listen to those revelations to |
the MOON which would henceforth |
haunt my waking and sleeping hours,
even should the meek Cincinnatus sink
into his early grave the sooner, for lack |.
of brotherly sympathy.
The next morning when l entered /.
my sitting-room SophoniSba Ann was
there, little belatel, concluded, rs /,
she was finishing the ope alton of dust .
i'm, which never observed to produce ,
much result Something in the street |
had caught the damsel's notice, for she |
did not observe my entrance as sh. |
stood with her handS on her hips, the
buster hanging idly by her side, her
mouth open, and vacantly fixed eyes
the refra tory hair-pips in open re-
bellion, and stray wisps and tails OF /
hair obtruding where they were off |
duty while the hooks and eyes ut var
lance completed the effect of the bulgy >
lines of Sophonisba AIMS figure before
limited at
Now, it happened that was engaged
in making a series of sketches for a
comic journal, and Sophonisba Ann, as
she now stood. was the very model l |
nifty was too good TO be lost. L seized |
paper and pencil.
'.Une moment, my good girl" ] !
cried. stay as you are oblige me by
not moving"
OF course she did not stay '.as she
was" but nearly enough so to enable /
me throw on paper the outline which |
had caught my fancy.
'Thanks-that will do" I said as
blandly as could.
She simpered and actually forgot to
SMILE
ia sir! whatever could You take me |
like this for?" she cried at last. IF .
I'd only been in my afternoon frock at
least. and done my hair up bit tidy
if YOU had told me: but la! now"
"Don't name it, said; "I'd ra' her !
not, in fact. WANTED you just as you
are"
The next evening Mrs. Maudle came
up smiling-yes, actually smiling
with cheerful serenity, if not a Little |
excitement in her demeanor. as she
placed before me Photographic like
ness of Sophonisba Ann.
(which Maudle and me sir couldn't