Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-08-29


the heroine permits herself to he tenderlv
gathered 10 the hero's manly heart, and
Reginald whispers. ooh, speak ever
thus. Dolly drew herself emphatically
awav. and burst into tears. Fred was
distracted. He did his best, his most ar
tistic best, to comfort her. but she so evil
IDENTITY meant what she said in begging
him not to say word that he was forced
to wait silently until she managed TO
compose herself sufficietly to sob out
Oh-if-you only sob knew all
about me [sobl you wouldn't Isobl ask
me " (so5, sob, sob.
g But do know, Dolly. | know
"Oh no, you don't-you don't know
the worst.
"There can't be any worst Try me,
and see.'
q can't cannot" quite composed
ly this time. ''But I'll give you some
thing tonight which will explain it all.
Now don't say another word, please.
Indeed, | can't stand it." and Dolly,
wiping her eyes, marched off toward the
house
Fred didn't feel very badly, for he knew
her secret, but he saw she was too much
unnerved for an explanation just then.
After they reached the house she disap-
>Aeared for a few minutes, and Fred,
meeting her at the foot of the stairs,
welked out under the porch and re-
ceived from her a little box, some three
inches square, carefully tied with blue
ribbon.
tPromise me- she said, with treinb.
ling voice, that you won't look a. it
until you get home" And putting out
her hand, "Good-by; I'm going to-mor-
row, you know"
He took the little hand, pressed it
warmly, and replied, with much feeling,
mo, not good by. l mean to see you in
the morning"
Dolly turned away without a word.
1t seemed at least a week before he
said good night to his hostess and found
himself at home, where he could examine
the overwhelming proofs of Dolly's I'M
fitness to be his wife The harmless
little box contained several newspaper cut
tings, all verses, and all purporting to be
written by one Daisy Fern. There was
GA Spring Twilight, y 1.-THE Return of
the Robins, I" 'tThe Orioles Nest" and
various other not very original headings,
introducing not very original verses. 1t
took Fred something more than minute
to comprehend that Daisy Fern and Dolly
Ferris must be one and the same person,
and that all his well-meant animadver
sions against literary wives had had a far
different meaning for Dolly from the one
intended. He groaned just once, per-
haps twice, to think that even inability
to read or write couldn't save woman
from being the victim of literary aspira-
tions. But one thought of poor little
grief stricken Dolly banished his only
half-recognized misgiving. Beside, he
wickedly reflected that he would under
take to make it impossible for her to find
an amanuensis.
At half past nine ON the next morning
Mr.. Fred Rylance's gray Roderick was
paving the gravel in front of Mrs. Ferris
house, and Mr.. Fred Rylance in the draw
ing-room was holdings little white-robed
maiden to his heart, and telling her be-
tween times that he didn't care if she
wrote Thecphrastus Such When more
lengthy interval of lucidity came to both,
Mr.. Rylance asked with amusement:
''But, Dolly, my dear, who wrote them
for you?"
'tWhO wrote them ~ Indignantly
''Why, they're mine, even if you don't
like them"
''Oh, yes, know; but who was your
amanuensis2 You know you told me
yourself that you couldn't write"
What" said Dolly, in amazement
1sWhat do you mean2"
why, at the station, the day you
came, when [ wrote your telegram"
Dolly looked at him moment In utter
wonder, then burst into peals-of laughter,
until rapidly gathering cloud ON Fred's
face sobered her.
e'Oh, Fred, forgive me" (more laugh
ter II didn't mean didn't know how
to write. but you see 1 had written and
written somuch over these things, almost
day and night, indeed was so much
alone that gave my whole time TO it
and finally got that horrid thing the
matter with my wrist-w writer's Cramp,
isn't it2-and the doctor made me prom
Use before | came away that wouldn't
take pen in my hand while was gone,
not Oncet Oh, dear I cannot help
laughing. 1t is so ridiculous that YOU
should have thought couldn't write"
Fred joined in the laugh now himself,
and. this trife settled, they returned to
the real business of life
Suddenly Fred jumped up, and cried,
In great anxiety, And can you really
read, too?"
''Why, certainly"
stBut / saw you reading HarDey's
Magazine upside down"
Eyes. 1 remember that. I was look