Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-09-04
CHAPTER TX.
MR. NOZZLE sINlNIs.

The newcomer was young man with
an impassive face and weary eyes, who,
as he Slouched in, described parabola
i'm the air with one of his feet, which
was his way of keeping burned slipper
on. Rorrison introduced him to Rob as
Mr.. Noble SimmS, after which Simms
took himself into corner OF the room,
like man who has paid for his seat In
a railway compartment and refuses to
be drawn into conversation. He would
have been q handsome man had he had
q little more interest in himself.
81 thought you told me you were 60
ing ont tonight" said Rorrison.
81 meant 20 CO." Simms answered,
"but when l rang for my boots the
houSekeeper thought l asked for water,
and brought il, so, rather than explain
matters TO her, l drank the water and
remained indoors.
81 read your book lately. Mr.. Slmms."
Rob said, after he had helped himself
to tobacco from Simms's pouch-"Try
my tobacco" being the press form OF sa-
lutation.
"You did not buy the second volume,
did you?" asked Simms, with show of
interest, and Rob had TO admit that he
got the novel from library.
Excuse my asking YOU" Simms con-
tinued, in his painfully low voice; II
had a special reason. You see happen
to know that besides what went TO the
lirbaries, there were in all six copies OF
nv book sold My admirer bought
two, and myself bought three and two
thirds, so that only one volume remains
TO be accounted for. / like to think
that the purchaser was lady"
But how did it come about" In
ouired Rob, while RorriSon smoked on
imperturbably, "that the volumes were
on sale singly?"
THAT was to tempt the public" said
Simms, graveiy, "who would not take
kindly to the three volumes together.
1t is a long story, though"
Here he paused, as if anxious to es-
cape out Of the conversation.
mo barney, Simms," expostulated
Rorrison. 81 forget to tell you, Angus,
that this man always means when he
happens to have a meaning) the reverse
of what he says
"Don't mind Rorrison," said Simms
to Rob. sit was In this way: My great
work OF fiction did fairly well at the Ii
braries, owing 70 mistake Nude made
about the name. He ordered anumber
of COPIES under the impression that the
book was by a popular novelist, Sim
mons. and when the mistake was found
ont he was too honorable to draw back.
The surplus, however, would not sell at
all. My publisher offered them as Sat
urday evening presents to his young
men. but they always missed them on
their desks; so next be tried the second
hand book-shOps, in the hope that peo-
ME from the country would buy the
tbree volumes because they looked so
cheap AZ two shillings. However, even
the label Published at 31s sd; offered
for Is, was barren OF results. l used
70 stand in an alley near one OF these
hook shops and watch the people hand
ling my novel.
"But no one made an offer for it?"
ssNot at two shillings. bat when 1t
eame down to one-and-sixpence an ell
derlv man with spectacles very nearly
honGbt IL He was undecided betweenwo-
man il and a trigonometry. Then young
in grav and pink seemed interested IN
II watched her reading the bit about
Lord John entering the drawing-room
Suddenly and finding Henry on his
knees aud once 1 distinctly saw her
smile" =.
rShe might have bought the novel II
only TO see how it ended"
IAN. I hSve always been OF opin-
inn that she would have done so
had she not most unfortu-
nately. in her eagerness 10 learn wnat
Henry said when he and Eleanor went
into the conservatory, knocked row OF
hooks over with her elbow. That
f~igbtened her and she took to hight.
ssMost unfortunate, said ROB SOL
EMMY. though he was already oegin-
ming 70 understand Simms-as Slmms
was on the surface.
II had still greater disappointment
confirmed the author, "a few Gays
sfterwsrds. By this time the DOCK
was marked Very Amusing, Is. worth
Is. Cd; and when ] saw paie-iookins