The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-01-06

truth, TOO. mat Will De some COM
fort, for I've never told q soul; no, not
one"
Whatever the truth may have been.
certain it is that there was much tc
tell, for two weeks elapsed before the
task was satisfactorily accomplished,
and another MS was sent out on its
mission into the world.
CHAPTER II
''Terry, can you spare me few min
utes directly?" and Mr.. Blake. a mem.
Der of the well-known firm OF B..
c. g. Co., half turned from his desk
as he spoke.
''At once, sir; coming" and the next
instant Terry had joined the older man,
and was listening attentively.
81 don't know when Eve been SO per.
picked as at present." continued Mr..
Blake. ''It's about these prize stories.
AS you know, they have been coming in
for the past four weeks; but, of course,
the time for their receipt was limited,
and now they are all here. It is two
days before Christmas, and had hoped
to get this business settled at once.
We have 'sorted and sorted again, and
finally have reduced them to these two:
but, pom my soul, cannot make q
good choice 1t bothers mo; now be q
good fellow and give me your advice
This one" taking up large envelope,
lis well written; the plot is fair; the
style is what is usually termed fin.
ished;' altogether it is a good story,
we'll told, and yet must confess to a
preference to this" his hand touched a
second package. This tale is do.
scribed SO naturally, she-the writer is
a woman. forget now her name-cre.
ates a real interest in her heroine.
You seem to live with her. and feel for
her. The authoress is thoroughly sym.
pathetic in her writing. unusually sc
for ESQ young one, think But !
must not influence you; you just take
them both, pass judgment on them.
and give me your opinion in the morn.
ing"
This conversation had taken place In
a downtown Office one December day,
and its result was that John Terry,
bachelor, having dined with friends at
his club, had finally excused himself
and gone off to his own quarters.
They were handsome apartments, In
every way luxurious. very suitable for
the fascinating fellow that those who
knew John Terry declared him to be.
Yes, fascinating he certainly was, and
a favorite, too, if the little stand testi.
fed correctly. heaped up with the sea.
sons cards and invitations-the great.
er share of them addressed in dainty
feminine handwriting. Yet did he en-.
Joy society? No one could answer this,
for no one of his so.called friends had
succeeded in finding his heart, in reach.
ing the real man. Some there were
who voted him cynic; some who hint
ed at an unfortunate love affair in his
youth; and, as is often the case. no one
really knew anything whatever of that
about which they claimed to know Q
great deal
At any rate, FOR one night he was to
be quite alone; and, therefore, after
answering few important letters, he
drew on his smoking jacket, lit his
pipe. pulled his chair towards the open
fire, and settled himself for the even.
ing work.
He took the first MS, reading il
through at his leisure. HIM! on the
whole good" was his comment; quite
good enough. I wonder why Blake did
not accept it on the spot" Then glanc-
ing at the second envelope: Fancy,
however, ought to look this over also.
Must obey orders"
Carelessly he held it. What was ii
that caused his sudden start of sur
prise? Surely the hand writing was ia
niliar: yet, of course, it was simply a
coincidence.
The story opened with Vermont
scene, one which he happened to know
well; SO, with awakening interest, he
began the tale. Then came the various
characters, each well drawn, and. what |
was most strange, each seeming also |
most familiar.
Like one in trance he read on. his |
eyes fairly riveted to the paper. What |
mattered it that the heroine's name |
was Miriam Hopkins instead of Edith |
Dane, or that the hero was Maurice !
Hill instead Of himself. Jack Terry? |
Who but Edith could have described SO /
perfectly the old Pine hill, the spot |
where they two had gone 50 often to- |
gether? Who but she could bring up /;
before his eyes Aunt Betsey's quaint /
cottage, where they used to meet be |
fore they were publicly engaged? o, |
who could recall 10 his mind with such /
vividness the delicious pound-cAke and |
homemade wine tba. this good soul a. /
ways offered with old-time courtesy? |
VINO was this Mrs Lewis in the story, |
the mischief-naker OF the affair. bu, /
Violet Young herself? Could it be tha. |
he, Jack Terry. who had so eternaliy |
prided himself on his knowledge of hn-
mainly, had been 50. dnped. SO totally |
deceived. by this woman?
Yes, il was even SO; and i; the story
was true, and such must be the case. /
why-he had his own inpa isiveRess,
his own stubornness, curse i. he INIT |
tered. TO thank for this creates. -als- /
take ne ever made
And here was an almost exact repro
duction OF The note be had sent Edith
the very nigh, he had left her. Could