The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-07-30
she bad quito forgotten lny Ietter; she

bno uau QuiIc lOTSObJou my lobtoES bho
ssas 80 sorry. And thcn she laughed
And III, unhappy oae, sneak away
out OF the house, feeling in my pockets
for two-pence to take the bus to West
minister bridge. Life was not worth
living, OF course. / groaned as passed
out OF the Terrace for had decided
upon taking the corner house, that shs
might be near her mother. II seemed
as though the staring "To Let over the
door had been left there on purpose to
remind me OF 1t. know better than to
draw any inference from girls omis-
sion to answer letter now, but for the
life OF me I can't help doing 1t some
times.
Another time l built whole town in
the air on the strength Of o letter from
thepublisher who has helped and guided
me on my literary career, and has paid
for my maiden efforts with the gener-
osity Of rich uncle. ''Can you spare
time to run up and see me tomorrow"
he wrote; ~ should liketo speak to you"
replied by return OF post that ] would
be with him at noon next day, and went
TO bed speculating. Was he going to
commission me to do three-volume
novel2 Hardly probable; even to my
capacity OF belief, that didn't seem
likely. Then, as ! pondered over the
riddle, ! suddenly solved 1t to my own
complete satisfaction. Jones, that pub
lisher's sub-editor, had been looking
seedy lately; he'd got nasty cough,
and had complained of his eyes. 1t was
as plain as pike-staff; Jones had been
pensioned, and / was to succeed him.
Now, what salary should askP Jones
got six hundred pounds, ! knew. l
couldn't expect 80 much as that, but 1
would ask four hundred, and take three
II were offered It, could manage
very nicely on three hundred pounds .
year. Lodgings in Charlotte Square,
and-and-then perhaps might ven
ture TO speak to the then "her." To 90
ceptance and marriage was brief step,
and having settled it all fell asleep.
Next morning went up to my publish
er's Office, and as wiped my boots on
the door-mat resolved to take the sub
editorship at two-hfty.
When got In, the publisher said: ~
thought I'd ask you to come and see me
about that last little thing OF yours
There are some excellent points In 1t,
some excellent points; but I'm afraid
I'm afraid
forgot how got outside again.
The habit is chronic, and incurable as
consumption. Twenty years ago, an
aunt Of mino said something to meabout
her will-something very commonplace
and casual; any sensible fellow would
have forgotten 1t ten minutes afterward.
didn't; weighed the remark, and
tnrned 1t about; and having, as sup.
posed, accurately outlined the train Of
thought that gave 1t words, drew the In
ference that was TO be her heir. Ipui
that inference away In a corner OF my
mind, and whenever was hard up or in
the blues, I pulled 1t out and furbished
1t up, and got consolation and Comfort
from It. That aunt died the other day;
but my name wasn't even mentioned in
her will And yet week ago, because
another aunt said something Of the same
kind, am at IL againl drawing inferen-
ces and deductions which range from .
6fty-pound legacy to the dear old lady's
entire fortunes...I know ] oughtn't to do
It. But ] was born With this hopeful
nature. and suppose shall die with it.
| trust, however. that | may outgrow the
habit for II has done me little good un-
Ill now.
And yet / don't know. When the
Present treats you hardly, and the Past
has not been kind, is 1t not well TO Dozen
tho Future into promising better things,
II 1t gives you courage TO press forward?
have been wrong all my life, and that
Is poor reason for thinking shall be
right at last. But leave me Hope as
long as she will stay. Let me bury "the
might-have-beens out OF Memory's
sight and borrow what can from "may
be-" This habit Of inferring is one OF
Hopes children; thriftless child at
best; but Its mother will die one day, 60
let me nurse the child. 1t will bring
forth only disappointments; but they,
when they are many, are short-lived,
with little power to pain.-Chamber's
Journal.