The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-18

result was a NOVELETTE, story OF a day
called "Eu Route" which he assured his
| friend was suggested by an incident Of his
western trip. The book had been published
and the reviewers, TO use his own phrase,
! had "let him down easy" and he was lnucL
surpTissd to md himself gently and anaply
treated by the Dispatch. The writer was
mi surprTsed to find so indifferent a poet
capable of producing a tale so pleasing ana
graceful, SO full Of felicitOus description SO
| fresh and uuhackneyed. i was undeIsIOou
that the Young man was uu0er soleIln
promise never again 10 attempt verse, auu,
| in consideration Of this assurance anu .ne
promise of success held out by the latUeI
work, it was but Just that the pl SUI LI
extinpuish its resentment and take the
| author to a forgiving and lnduigeht p0soH'
There followed a criticism IN when the
claims Of the book were seriously treated,
! and by the time Lawrence hau nnisneu the
MIGHT have been a little too fierce In MS re-
! sentiment upon a previous occasion. mere
arose within him desire to make amends
in some way for his own derlslon OF THIS
person. who. however hard upon MIN at
first. was clearly without malice In the mat
ter. and had no doubt in each instance eX-
pressed an honest conviction. de wrote
note in which he Acknowledged tne
courtesy and asked leave to call and thanK
the writer in peTsOn. BE had few copies
that had been handsomely bound, INTENDED
as souvenirs for his friends. De wouid ,i oe
most happy to present one as token oI MS
appreciation.
The reply to this friendly overture was
written upon a card, across the leIl-hand
upper corner of which was the DAY Oh Tue
week in gilt lettering. On the opposite
upper corner was a pen and INK Ske'ch OF
ST George IN the act Of vanqulshlng the
dragon. Below was written:
not, will - AZ home r. La
renee this evening at o'clock. NUMBER
705 West Broadway" >.
The sketch, despite the limited space 1t
occupied, was spirited and Indicated
knowledge of her untiaiteTlng sobTlqueI
AS he looked up at his own sketch upon the
wall he was conscious Of a strong Impulse 10
destroy IT,
At O'Clock that evening Lawrence. bear
ing his remembering cOquetushly bound Ia
gilt and morocco, rang Miss Damon DELL
He was usheTed into the paTlor, ana IN
few moments lie heard rusillng OF dTapefy
behind him. AS lie rose he encountered
slender figure I'D toilet Of black lace.
Miss Ylncentw he said eXultantly,
have been looking for you everywhere.
have written you inuumerable letters, ana
l have been four times to that horrd hole
of a town where you said you lived hhH
did you deceive me so cruelty :?
"Why did / deceive you? Meli, uId not
think it would add anything to your pleas
ure lust then to know the truth.
A horrible pTesenument seized MIN.
Then - then your name-is not VIM
cent?"
''Yes: Alice Vincent-Damon."
''You knew me, Of cOurse?' he taltered.
eyes"
Don't you think you have taken rather
q mean advantage Of me-?
mo. ! think the truth would have
spoiled very pleasant day"
In the conversation that followed the pUr
pose Of the visit was well nigh forgotten,
and the souvenir played a very incOnsplcu-
Gus part in the diversion Of the evening.
a week or TWO later, as Lawrence was
sitting in his room, his friend Harrison
came in, took a seat on the opposite side of
the table, and after gazing at his host for
some time with a most gubrtousaexpres-
sion, said:
"0.d man, is this all true that hear about
you?"
What do you hear?"
That you have actually caught the
dragonw
Laurence laughed.
What does il mean?" persisted HarTison.
1T means that a. last ! am about to take
my revenge. intend to marry her"
Lawrence made this announcement with
dramatic intensity and Harrison, who had
arisen, dropped Imply into O chair. After
pause he pointed to the sketch on the wall
and asked pathetcally:
81 say. Lawrence, does she look Ike
that?"
Lawrence reversed a photograph that
was standing on the mantelpiece with its
face To the wall, and. holding it before HRT-
TisOn, said:
"She looks Ike thatand she is the heroine
Of my story