The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-01

The combination Of Circumstances that
ku.ht Mis- Damon 10 lt-Ss, but
lternline,i. was known 10 n0issly AL that
" one knew OF lsr was impaired ly brief
,el1leut made ty the elitor Of The Dispatch
the ,tfe-t that On c-rtain bltrst,rins aft
foaa in January She had walked INTO the
p anl asked for employment He hal
lined her services with thanks, bug she
me again AMI again. until one day she
und vacant desk, sat doHn at IT, AMI had
vn there ever since
She wrote two or three caustt' articles,
rack al one OF two loral atrocities, and in q
tle while made an unenviable reputation
" bitterness and cyniei>m Her name got
I, and after that everything mali ious AMI
urgent that appeared in the paper was I'M
.sitatingly set down 10 her credit.
She was not known outside Of the Office,
II the impressions that prevailed concerning
n were not iiattering. 1t was generally
greed that she knew too much 10 be Young,
as too cynical to bs agreeable, ami there
as a theory current among the papers read
rs that she had been crossed in love and dis
Qpcinted III her literary aspirations She
bi her work in the daytime, AMI WAS little
pore than myth to the men who spent their
ghts in Journalistic harness. They were
pquently questionc,l about her, and they
ut meaning statement that she did not run
|ith the gang
Soon after she began her mark in her new
here book of verses appearei, written by
gentleman Of l., George Lawrence
opies were sent to all the papers, and one
these fell into the hands Of Miss Damon
b. prefaced her criticism with the remark
bat the yeses were not uniformly bad. but
hnged from bad 10 very had, AMI then mer-
ssly impaled the author Ia the extent Of
re,- quarters Of a column.
Lawrence hal never forgiven her He re
trred to herever afterwards as The Dragon
hd The Imperial Dragon" The name
med appropriate, and it was generally
lloptel. The criticised versiiler experienced
pine satisfaction at having thus baptizei her
nth Indignation but he by no means consid
,i himself avenged, and ut the mere men
on Of her name his muscles grew rigid and
Very artery throlbed with wild desire FOR
fragrance. Being clever with pencil he
ii,le sketch Of her which embuliJ4l the
Opular impression TINT she was shrcnish
,son of uncertain age, ami it was source
endless anus nlent to himself AMI friends
must In confessed that Miss Damon's was
Ut the only adverse criticism, and Lawrence
us good deal depressed but not wholly sui.
ned He did not intend b be snuffel out in
his summary fashion, however, and though
Or tnt' H. attempted nothing in a literary
Jay, he s.s casting about for fresh motive,
h~olved IL no distant date 10 make another
fort "'ihe Dragon" hal recommended
PROSE; he would try prose.
In the meantime summer had come and
Lawrence was to spend several months with
ane friends in California. When hc returned
" would 20 to work in earnest
II was glorious day, bright AMI cool,
lough il was the middle Of Jul, the sun
Pas just rising over the eastern rim Of the
PUP shaped valley; luminous mist, shading
rom pink to purple, was rolling away from
Pixies peak. and the bits VI sky showing be
secn the scrrated ridges opposite were deeply
lue.
Lawrence, on his way To California, had
foplel to slslh day at Manitou He had
cached the springs the evening before, and
|ils finishing bis breakfast this bright morn
hg in the great Sahara Of u dining room,
hen the waiter came in 10 announce the car.
iago he hal ordered for tho day. For the
nst half hour the gallery in front Of the hotel
ad been throngrd with tourists ready to le-
in the days sightseeing, and the double lin.
4 vehicles drawn up outside were being
Da,ied with all possible dispatch As Law
''nce emerged from the dining room the last
wagon drove up to the door AMI lady was
il the point of getting in when tho driver
md:
Beg your pardon, nam, but this carriage
for the gentleman
But | ordered a carriage for this morn
bg"
Your order was too late. They were all en-
$agel. This was the last one in the stables !
ban give you one 10 morrow
Il shall not bc here tomorrow
Maybe the gentleman's going to stay over
J day or two and would just as soon drive to
borrow" suggested the driver.
By this time Lawrence had come up
IF you can give me a horse and saddle
Y will answer my purpose just as well, he
|id
Il haven't got horse
AS leave tomorrow on the early train"
klid Lawrence u can not conveniently post
)t'nc my drive. But We are probably going
IN the same direction, and ! should he de
/ lighted 10 accommodate you with a seat in
HIS vehicle
There was nothing else to be done She &C.
lrptei with thanks Lawrence handed her
into the carriage and thought, as their eye
Pnet that she was not an unpronising com
)anion. He was a gregarious animal. Ii
hated Icing alone. especially in crowd, and
4 chance acquaintance was not to w. despised.
| Ie handed her his card. She looked at the
anne, raised her brows slightly, dropped the
ard into her handbag and then, looking
fquulely at him, said:
My name Is Vincent"
He called her Mis- Vincent at a venture
She did not correct him. AMI they fell to dis
! II sing the points of interest on the way.
1t was delightful drive and neither re-
Ef'tted the Circumstance that brought them
together. They dinei at the same table, fin.
iahei up the sights in the afternoon, and get
Ting in rather latc, took supper tete-a tete in
a corner of the deserted dining room That