The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-05-10

uGdU yet.
The friends made their appearance
in the warm, cosy office unusually
early the next night, and there was o
storm of questions for Bruce.
"Well, did you go?"
"What did she sayP"
''Hope you have settled it."
''Out with it, old fellowm
To all of which Bruce misquoted
gravely, as he stood with his back to
the fire:
"1 went, [ saw, l conquered"
$50 far, SO good, then," commented
the doctor, as he rubbed his hands in
high good humor before the cheerful
blaze. feel as though load had been
taken off my mind. That girl and her
mother have worried me more than o
little
'And yet I should think you would
meet with many infinitely sadder and
more wretched cases than theirs, in the
course of your practice" said Harry
Swift, thoughtfully,
more wretched, yes," answered the
doctor, in the same tone. "Sadder, no..
These women are evidently as gentle,
refined ladies as our own mothers and
sisters, and they are struggling desper-
ately with a poverty which is harder
and more cruel to them than greater
depth would be to coarser and les
sensitive natures. You see there is IN
innate pride against acknowledging it
as poverty, and, throwing aside all
innocent DISCUSSES, allowing it to stalk
forth and assert itself. The bitterest
part of penury with men and women
who have been gently born and bred is
the perpetual and agonizing strain OF
trying to keep up an appearance OF
comfort"
ut is all piece of foolishness," in.
teriected Bruce, irritably.
"Yes," assented the doctor, shut
the foolishness is there all the same
not to be got rid of; and it is this fool
ishness that makes the sadness of it all. ,
"But you haven't told us anything
about your visit Don," said De Whit
barking back to the original topic wher
he found the present one getting uncom
fortably grave. ''What did you sayf
What did she sayP What did you do?'
"Do?" answering the last question
first, "Why, 1 acted as paternally as
knew how. | believe that is what is
generally expected of father, even il
q girl is blessed-or cursed--with five
of them"
The idea of Bruce acting in pater
nal manner toward any one, particu
larly woman of twenty-four, seemed
to strike his four auditors in comica
light, for they all laughed.
"Well, but what did you tell her?'
"Why, l told her what you told me
to tell her, of course" q trifle Grossly
eff | had supposed | should be called
upon to give an exhaustive account Of
the interview, l should have taken
notes of the conversation, and let yor
read them for yourselves.
"And she really believed all that
trash!' calculated Mclean, wonder
ingly.
"Didn't tell you an authors vanity
was equal to anything?'
elbow did you arrange about the
money matterP" asked Swift.
'She is to be paid ten dollars weekly
while the novel is in progress; iRad.fi
ton to which she is to receive one
fourth of the profit from the sale Of the
book
a nod, expressive of satisfaction with
this arrangement, ran round the circle
until Harry Swift inquired with sudden
energy:
''Of course she thinks you, as pub
Usher, are to have the other three
fourths; but what is to become of it il
reality?"
Il don't imagine" answered Bruce
slowly and satirically, that all thu
profit will amount to a sum that sh,
will not accept in perfect good faith a
the one-fourth | promised her."
"And she expressed no surprise no
suspicion at your unheard-of interes
and propositions" asked Mclean, ejac
ulatory and dazed.
"She was decidedly surprised" an
swered Bruce, gravely; 'but very quie
and dignilied through it all, with
great and underlying gladness yer,
plainly to be seen. She asked me if i
was customary for publishers to max
such an offer, and | told her it was tn
way l did, when | thought it woult
pay"
''Bravon' applauded Dunscombe.
'Well, don't see but that we got i
all out of you after all, old fellow, il
spite of your prickliness at the outset
and De Whit began to get himself il
shape for his cold walk.
Bruce's lips stretched themselve
| quietly under his heavy mustache, bu
he made no comment.
81 suppose you are to call every wee
to make settlements and inquiries abou
the progress of the book;n suggests
Mclean, rather mischievously, bu
Bruce replied in the affirmative s
gravely and absently that the Joke,
joke it was intended to be, was lost
The winter had stormed, and showed
and frozen itself out, and blusterin
March, and fearful April and capric
Gus May had subsidized gently and con
fortably into sweet, blossomy, sunshin
June, when Donald Bruce announced t
the fathers one evening that the much
talked of, much-anticpated book wa
finished and awaiting their critics
hearing.
You may be sure that during thi
long interval neither the book nor il
author had been treated by them wit
the silent neglect which I have bee
obliged to adopt toward them. Ever
week Bruce haG been called upon for
distinct statement of the progress made
and for answers to such variety
1 - L I.