Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-07

opened upon long array of housetops.
Hour after hour passed, and still Polly
sat reading. She finished ut last with
Il sigh of relief.
'lf only the woman had not been
such stick" she said: "if she had not
said such stiff, silly things, one could
feel that the story was perfect"
She sat Il moment in deep thought.
al will do it, she said, at last. al be-
licvc / can do it; ut all events I shall
try; but not now" She got up, ar
ranged the papers and chair just ms she
had found them, and crcpt down through
the little door into her own room.
The next day Miss Paschall surprised
the fashionable stationcr on the corner by
ordering whole rcam of "foolscap."
Richard Blount opened the door of his
bare little study" put down the arm
iul OF wood he was carrying, and knelt
down upon the hearth TO kindlc fire.
lie was what casual observer would have
called an ugly man, but he had good,
well-knit figure, fine head and strong
though irregular features.
There was Il tired, troubled look OH his
face us he sat down at his writing table
and bent his head upon his folded hands.
lie was weary in mind and body. His
days had always been days of toll, his
life had been one long steiggle. With
the heritage of good name that had
come to him from his forcfathcrs, there
had come from his father Il legacy Of debt
which he had been striving for years to
pay.
"My task is almost DONE" he said to
himself. "If 7 could only get my story
accepted! If l only knew how to make
it go. l feel sure there are good things
in it, but if j only knew what to make
the girl say. When fellows acquaint-
ance with women doesn't extend beyond
Il knowledge of his own grandmother he
cant have n very clear idea of what
young girls conversation would be like.
Well, I'll try once more and see what /
can do with it,"
He picked up the MS, which was
folded carefully and still in the place
where he had left it.
Slowly he turned over the first few
pages, listlcssly reading them.
Suddenly he held the paper up close to
the lamp. The handwriting had changed.
There was no break in the story, but MS
he read on he found whole pages which he
had not written, and gradually it dawncd
upon him that their addition were giving
his story Il life, Il sparkle that it had no,
had before
"Who can have done it?' lie said.
when he had finished mo one knows
OF this den but myself not even grand
mother"
"Perhaps it is Il ghost come back from
out our past grandeur" he said with a
smile, ''and Il very witty ghost she is,
too" looking at the beautiful womanly
writing that WIS mingled with his own,
land | feel deeply indebted to her for
her Interference" - -
Welt, shall send the story off again,
and, if it is published, that will make
my assistant show up if she he not
ghost in very TRUTH" he said, by-and-by.
al have brought you the magazine
containing the new story that is creating
such Juror now said Polly's father 10
her one day.
Nobody knows the author, but am
told he has made the hit of the season."
said Mr.. I;ischall
"Oh," said Polly, Significantly, when
she had cut the leaves. That was all.
She went up to her room, taking the
magazine.
al believe shall pay another visit to
my ghosts apartment, She said, when
she had finished reading the story.
SO saying she scrambled up on the
book case, opened the door and went
into the room hey ond. Her dress caught
on the door rs She passed through and
pulled it to with click Before she
had time to try to cXtricatc herself she
heard Il key inserted into the lock on the
other side of the room, the door opened
and Il man walked in. Polly leaned
back against the wall startled, fright
cnod.
The young man stood holding the
door in his hand and startled ex-
preston i'll his big gray eyes.
'IIow-how did you get herc!" he
asked abruptly.
Through the little door here" said
Polly, breathlcssly. at has shut to be-
hind me. oh, dear, thought you were
ghost"
"No, think it is you who are the
ghost" said the young man, with q
smile.
''Won't you open the door for mc?"
said Polly. recovering herself.
The young man came up to her.
"You are Miss Paschall," Ire said. az
have heard my grandmother speak of you.
My name is Richard Blount."
Polly turned her beautiful eyes mo-
ment up to his good, ugly face and held
out her hand to him. He blushed rs he
took it, aud for moment neither spoke.
81 fear / cannot open this little trap
door for You from this side" he said ut
last. "There is long hall which leads
over your house to the one grandmother
and l occupy now. Come, will take
you out that way. come all the way
over here so that my light may not dis
turb grandmother at night. If your own
apartments are near this fear have dis
lao 1.1 l.. II