The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-08

pretty wife and more and more of the
Development of Modern Thought He
would pass whole days at the reading room
of the British museum collecting material.
He was the first. to come and the last to
leave; and even his Sundays and evenings
we're spent with books and manuscripts; and
SO six years rolled by and the materials
for the completion of the great work were
nearly ready. George Grahan's handsome
face had become lined and wrinkled; his
lofty brow was marked by the burrows
produced by intense thought; his hair, once
SO black and curly. was rapidly turning
grey; and he who was once handsome Geo.
Graham now wore spectacles, had acquired
a stoop and was absolutely careless about
his appearance.
But Cynthia Graham was plumper and
prettier than ever.
1t is no exaggeration to say that Graham
thought about nothing but the great book;
he had no time for amusements. no time
for society: The Development of Modern
Thought" had become very old man of the
would bring his beautiful fair-haired boy
into the study. Graham would look at his
watch and adjure her, for heavens sake, to
take him away. But the end of his labors
came at last. and he wrote the word .Finls,'
at the bottom of the last sheet of lined
foolscap which finished the eighth volume.
And then he turned to his wife and looked
at her with smile, and said to her:
Cynthia, my love, my. labor is done.
I've said my last word; we've honestly car
ried out our contract. little woman, and
confess to you that l lay down my pen
| since our marriage, Cynthia, and think
we've earned one. Bring me the boy,
Cynthia; shall have time to make his ac-
quaintance now. I'll ga and see Boards
| and Margin this afternoon. I'll deliver the
| manuscript tomorrow"
Messrs Boards and Margin were the pub
fishers, and for six long years they had pa
tiently waited for the last five volumes of
the development of Modern Thought"
and they were glad to see George Graham
Its finished at last, Mr.. Boards said
George; 81 had the greatest difficulty in
keeping it within the original limits; but
I kept closely to the professors lines and
can honestly say that it has been carefully
done.''
Old Mr.. Boards congratulated George
and they arranged to send for the manu-
script at once. And then George Graham
thought he would have breath of air. So
he drove back to Hampstead in hanson.
he lived he was surprised to see crowd
outside his house, and several FIRE
men and a couple of engines
stood in the middle of the little crowd
And as George pushed his way through h,
saw that the windows of the two lowe
4
on duty hurried up to him and congratu
lated him.
"It's all right. sir," said the man: s'youl
!. good lady and the little boy were ont, sir
, when it happened. There's been no live
lost, sir, but the ground-fioor has been reg
! ularly burned out.
. And the study?' cried George-.sth
study2"
r .'rhat's where it began sir, said the man
cit pretty well burned itself out there
y sir"
: George Graham looked in through til
! easement. The very window-sashes ha
Disappeared; what had been the lbrar
l table was now but n heap of blackene
!, steaming ashes. which, with the charre
J contents of the book-shelves, eucumbere
: the reeking floor.
= 81 hope you was insured sir,' said til
J policeman. alphabetically.
), George didn't answer the man; he fe
!, !. senseless into his arms.
~ y
l. The Grahams live at Brighton nov
Pretty Mrs. Graham is quite familiar hs
10 ure in the King 's-road as she walks, hole
ing her pretty boy by the hand, by the sid
8, of the inyalid-carriage in which lies what
l. left of George Graham He may lin9er o
10 for years, the doctors say: his mind is quit
/ gone, poor fellow. To look at his face an
" his snow-white hair you would take him fl
l. n very old man. He never speaks; he LID
N as though dead. save when his wife catche
lie his eve. and then he smiles.
" Cynthia Graham is very good to him, Il
" in her loving eyes he is still hRndson
is George Graham, the man she married {,
is love.