Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-05-02
4 PERFECT PLOT

you were going to finish that china paint
ing this morning, though | really don't
know why you should work so hard We
are not in absolute penury."
No; but it is pleasant making money
in way one likes Besides, there will be
some TO give away when we find we have
too much ourselves. And how is your
trade going on 2"
"To tell the truth, not brilliantly. In
fact, | am rather hung up for want of a
plot"
"a plot :"
Eyes it is ridiculous I have a short
story to write this week, and, though
have rather neat set of characters and
small incidents ready, if you understand, a
main idea is wanting"
Dear me, that is unfortunate Why
don't you go out for walk, or for half an
hour in the underground, or to the city on
a bus, and find one r.
My dear Millicent, what nonsense you
talk. As if | were the least likely to find
my ideal plot that way No; | must try
and worry it out myself somehow"
well, | must be off. Good by Stephen
take my advice-go and look for your ideal
in the real Of life. am sure you can find
it there
After his wife had gone Stephen Mostyn
ate his breakfast and then sat musng a lit
tie, after which, springng out of his chair,
he said
81 never felt less inclined to write in my
life Really have good mind to follow
Millicents advice and go out
In few minutes he was standing on the
doorstep, deciding upon his next move
What a beastly fog | certainly shan't
lose much under ground 50 here goes for
the Metropolitan railway
Where for = said the clerk, sharply, as
/ Stephen stood vaguely in front Of the ticket
office.
"Oh, Whitechapel. should think that
leaves room for discovery he thought to
himself
what class -
"Third-better do it thoroughly Now,
then for trial trip between Kensington
and the Mile End road to test Millcent's
| theory
A small boy with large, heavy parcel
| got into the carriage with him. and spent
some moments in vainly trying to secure
his burden more firmly by means of knot
| ty bit Of string that crossed it here and
there in purposeless festoons Mr.. Mostyn
| lending his help, between them they made
rather neat thing of it,
Adventure the first ended, fear, ="
said Stephen to himself. 81 really can't
ask him how old he is and where he lives,
and if he thinks it healthy"
Temple ~
Out tumbled the parcel and the boy, aud
i'll walked an elderly young woman with a
fringe and an American cloth handbag
She sat down opposite to Mr.. Mostyn, put
both her hands to her head as if to make
certain it was still in its place, opened her
] 10. ~. =. l.
ticket, looked at the window and sighed
Not exactly ideal, but scarcely real,
thought Stephen. do you feel the draught
from that window - he asked
"No, don't, thank you" with a well ar
ranged look of spiteful timidity, and chang
ing her seat to one at the other end of the
carriage.
is this beginningt' thought Stephen
Now, | should like TO ask her if she thinks
| my life for thirty five years has been work
ing up to the climax of meeting her yelled
in golden fog, in a third class Metropolitan
railway carriage. | wonder if it's any
good going ON with this incident Mad
| ann
Sir, think this is Blackfriars station =
she said, whisking her head round as she
spoke. the end of her nose depriving the
glass of very fine smut at the same time.
1T is not my business to tell her that
she is now still more attractive than when
she got in thought Stephen she would
probably give me into custody if | did
Blackfriars Yes, it is. Do you get out
here =
Yes plunging at the door as she spoke.
"Ah. he said, turning the handle for
her, II DON'T
There entered, before he shut the door,
n in him
bundle of a baby, and pushing before her a
little boy, She sat down, the baby keep
ing its position in the sling formed by its
mothers arm, the boy holding close to her,
pulling at her shawl, and continually ask
ing her in an unintelligible mutter for
something that she either had not got or
didn't want to part with Her bonnet was
slipping off her dull, untidy hair her face
was white, with tired lusteress eyes,
pink, pinched little nose aad disconnected
mouth The poor little apology for a baby
might have hung round her neck by rib
bon, and the other child was small and
sickly. A shrunken depressing little group.
Just as Stephen Mostyn was beginning to
weave round in his mind pathetic, tender
fancy, the small boy becoming more than
usually importunate, his mother said, with
no flicker of change in the expression of
her face, but with a voice whose rough
grating easily overpowered the noise of
the train
Jest you stop a-worritin', Tommy, else
I'll tell yer bloOmin' dad when we git 'ome
see if don't
Stephen shut his eyes, and only opened
them as the little family bundled out two
stations further on.
THE Monument :" MARK lane - No
further passengers invaded his carriage
Il can't stand this any longer, and the
condensed fog chokes one. | shall get out
at the next station and go back"
"Aldgate ~
Out he jumped and crossed to the return
platform, literally feeling his way. The
underground station at Aldgate is often
quite dark in the middle of summer and
on this day the fog was dense. He found
his wav to a seat and, so thick was the
darkness, did not discover, till he had taken
his place at the end of it, that there were
two other people near him. One of them,
man, was speaking in II disagreeable,
querulous voice.
I'm sure it's not my fault if get moth
ing to do, | am always trying to find
something"
Eyes in other peoples pockets" an
swered a womans voice. You want the
wage, not the work"
Good heavens that is Millicent's voice
exactly" thought Stephen; what an ex-
traordinary resemblance ~
"What becomes of money ia your hands
can't conceive" she went on.
1T is Millicents voice What in Gods
name is she doing p aud Stephen tried IL
catch a glimpse of the figure that was
screened from him by the man between
them and still more so by the darkness.
"What have you done with the money
sent you last I"
Done with it Spent it, of course. A
family cannot live on nothing. 1t was not
much for you TO give-you, who live in
luxury you, whose husband is rich
you"
"My husband is very far from rich, and
if he we're so it would benefit you in nc
way. Every farthing | have given you for
your wife was my own, made by my own
work |, a woman, worked TO help won
an, as | would man but not such as you.
Whatever you may have given you
owed 10 my wife
81 owed her ~
eyes for takiag from her what was
hers by right"
shall / let this brute go ON speaking Il
her (" said Stephen 10 himself, holding the
edge of the seat tightly in each hand
"And now that she is Il and in want, you
in your prosperity, grudge little help Il
her and her hungry children"
81 have lowered myself by listening Il
you thus far, said Millicent, lin order u
see il you would not in time say what ex
pected of you-what waited for. Now
that you have done so, will answer you
fully this once and never speak with yor
again feel that you cannot have LIVED
your life without some ones having called
you liar and coward, or without your
knowing that many had a right TO do so
therefore | will not pause 10 add my test
mony to theirs When your first letter