The morning call., 1891-09-24
ROMANCE OF A DESK.

RUMANUh VI A DhSk,
Mrs. Merton's head was bent over her
desk, and the pen in her hand raced over
the snowy paper as though for dear life.
The pile of manuscript at her side steadily
increased, and the weary look upon the
authors face grew deeper. Slowly the
hands of the clock went around. and at last
it struck the hour of 10. Edna Merton laid
her pen down with Little sigh of relief and
arose to her feet.
4 plain little room away up in the third
story of a tenement house of the shabby
geateel pattern. In one corner bed.
upon which an elderly woman was lying,
pale and wan-a hopeless invalid. In
cradel near by a child was sleeping-a
boy Of years
Edna Merton herself was pale, sad-look-
ing woman of 30-a refined, sensitive look
ing woman, with deep, dark eyes, brown
hair and a mobile mouth. She had been
left a widow, with one child some eighteen
months before, and now struggling along,
depending almost solely upon her pen, not
only for her own and child's support, but
also her Invalid mothers, who was slowly
wasting away with that fearful disease, con-
sumption. The sick UOman's eyes followed
her dau-hter's black-roLed figure as SIZE
rose from the desk, pale and weary.
Edna, you have been sitting at the
desk ever since o'clock this morning" She
exclaimed except for the half hour that
you paused to get your. dinner, Child,
YOU are killing yourself! And Dr. Lane
saws that if you remain seated at your
work for so many hours every day 1t will
soon kill you. He saws that you must
learn to stand While yCu are writing. a
standing desk is a real necessity to you"
Edna sighed.
II know it, mother But how in the
world can [ afford such an expensive piece
Of furniture Just now? The one al which
l SIT WAS poor HaTry'S, and l have priced
it for bis sake. When get the money for
NY story we shall have to pay the rent
and lay IN q supply Of coal and provisions,
and you really must have something nice
ana nourishing to eat and some good wine
and"
And you must have new winter cloak,
Edna Ii is a shame for you to be seen in
that old aStrakhan of yours. Never mind
planning S. exclusively Tor other people, my
child. BY the way, Edna, when was
sleeping Just now l dreamed a very strange
dream. l dreamed of Stephen Burriil. You
remember Stephen, don't you, Edua? Look
out, dear, you viii It'd the lnkstand over,
Well, ! dreamed that l saw him. He was
as handsome as ever, and in my dream he
was not married.
- Dreams are unreliable mother mine"
she quoted lightly. For Stephen was mar
red long ago. Harry told me so. Strange
how he las vanished out of our lives. |
have net met him since Harry and l we've
married.
Her face had grown quito pale aud thought
full. Size was thinking OF handsome
Stephen Burrill, who had once been almost
a lover, and who rad married some one else.
How well Edna remembered the day when
she first heard 1t! And tlel-then she had
become the wife Of Harry Merton, whose
widow she now was. And, sitting before
the FIRE, Edna fell into bItteT-sTeet
reveTie-bi ter, for it was full OF sad mem
cries Of Stephen Burrill and Uf his strange
conduct toward her; sweet because, even
after the lapse OF all these years, there was
a sad sweetness in thinking OF tina man to
whom she had uncOnScIOuSly given more OF
her heart than she had ever realized. She
had married Harry Merton, not compre-
hendug that he was not the sort of a man
to make her happy, but she did not regret
it now as she looked back upon the past
81 Gid my duty, at least" she said softly.
And just then. to interrupt her Teverie-
weary. oyerW crked Edna had little time to
indulge in such-lhere came rap on the
door or the rUOm. Only child from one Of
The neiEhbOling rooms who had brought
Mrs. Merton the evening paper. Edna tUak
it, and when the door closed behind the little
the evening news to her mother In the
columns of miscellaneous advertisements
she read this:
For sale-A standing desk; price s..
Apply 20 Charities street"
Edna uttered an exclamation:
Just what l have wanted so long" she
exclaimed; and, mother, 1t is cheap.
Surely l can afford to purchase it?"
Indeed. you must secure 1t, Edna, her
mother cried, eagerly, FER that stopping
position al your desk will induce consump-
ton. Dr. Lane says, and you suffer so much
from weak lungs"
Edna arose and began to prepare for the
street.
Il will deliver my story at the Office" she
observed, get the check and 20 and secure
the desk before l am too late"
Two hours later Edna Merton returned
to her tenement room. The desk which
she had purchased had been duly delivered
and stood beside the window in the best
light.
Edna lighted the lamp and examined
her new acquisition with the satisfaction OF
a child.
See, mother, how convenient and
She touched portion of the ornamental
woodwork as she spoke, and to her surprise
II moved slightly, and she saw before her a
secret compdrtment-a tiny drawer-and in
that drawer a folded piece of paper-a let
ter. Edna drew 1t forth in wondering sur
prise.
She sank into a seat with cry of pain
as her eyes fell upon her dead husbands
Handwriting upon the envelope
4" Mr.. Stephen BurrilL"
There it was as pltia as day. Quite in
voluntarily Edna drew the letter from its
envelope and glanced over it hastily. Yes,
It was from Harry Merton to Stephen Bur
NIL, and 1t was written few months be-
fore Edna had become Harry's wife. And
In that letter Merton had told Stephen Bur
I'LL that he was engaged to Edna and ex-
pecied to make her his wife in a short time.
You have confessed to me that you love
her, Stephen"-so ran the letter" and to
save you from certain sorrow l write to you.
Iwould spare you the pain OF refusal"
Had Stephen Burrill asked Edna to be-
come his wife would he have been subject
to - the pain OF refusal?" The hot blood
crlmsOned Edua's cheeks at the thought
AS she sat there with the letter in her hand
a rap at the door aroused her, and a mo
ment later tall, dark, handsome man was
standing before her holding her hands in
his while he told her how glad he was to
see her, tor he had sought for her every
where.
The address which she had left when she
purchased tie desk had set him on the right
track. For the desk, together with other
contents Of his office, had been sent to an
auction-rOom that the Office might be re-
fitted in modern style. Stephen BurIill was
not married. That had been fabrication
OF Harry Merton's, who had won his wife
by the false pretense But all was explained
now, and Edna and Stephen were made
happy before it was too late.-Fireside Com
panion.
MURDER AND ARSON.