Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-05

porters room and looked anNlously aU tne
three men who sat at their desks. Copy
WAS needed and upon this night OF all 9th
ers.
The sporting editor was at Jacksonville,
and his "stuff' would come to the night
editor The religious editor was attending
a sensational debate given for charity be-
tween well known minister and prom
inent and exceedingly clever society wom-
an. The subject matter under discussion
was "The Rights of Woman Relative To
Free Speech" The police reporter, upon
whom the city editor usually depended for
early copy, had gone out with the detect
ives for "A raid on a gambling den In ward
.. The young gentleman who was sup
posed To edit a column OF gossip daily
hadn't come in as yet. lie was probably
attending some social fuuction-a favorite
pastime Of his Added 10 all this Il was o
o'clock, not a line of local had been sent
In, while the machines were devouring re
print as fast as it could be clipped, and
only two of the three reporters in the room
were writing. The third was leaning for
ward on desk, cigar In one hand and a
pencil in the other. He was looking
straight ahead, trying to keep from think
ing about something that had a great deal
TO do with himself. lie was young man,
o space writer on The Chronicle, who did
bits of fiction 10 monetary advantage up
on occasions.
To describe him aptly and In few
words, he was "a years old in age, 80 in
experience and 05 in disappointment. lie
was good looking, bright and had just
enough of egotism favored into his sturdy
character TO make him thoroughly self
confident.
This was Robert Sumner as he sat on
this especial night, his mind perturbed
and fairly teeming with forced, illogical
reasoning when the city editor was abso-
lutely nervous for copy.
He walked to window and stood look
ing at the night. The arc lamps winked
their white electric light ont into the wet
air, and the vivid, pulsating rays seemed
to struggle with the damp wind and the
dripping rain, shaking and wavering like
white flags. As he gazed at this without
seeing, Sumner laughed, not because 1t was
appropriate in any sense of the word, but
merely because il didn't require any effort
of mind or thought But it was "A cynical
laugh. He was thinking about woman
all naturally enough, he mentally argued.
After more of this depressing mental dis
cussing pro and con he arrived invariably
at the same spot, in the parlor where he
had been rejected by Mildred Nelson. He
remem bered how he had stood directly in
front of her as she sat In big armchair
and told her of his love. Never before had
he wanted TO smoke half SO bad, and after
he had finished she looked half frightened
and then had taken him by the hand and
said, "You're joking surely" and then,
very pale, had given her refusal, simple
"No." The look on her face ho could not
forget, and somehow there rested in his
breast the honest conviction that she loved
him, after all, although he could find no
reason for such a thought. He was too
worried at the time to ask her the why of
her refusal, and now il was too late. May
be IL was because her father was president
of the Mechanic Banking association. His
thoughts took "A ludicrous turn, and he
wondered IL he could get note discount
ed there.
He gave the window pane a sharp rap
as If to relieve himself of some of the bit
terness he felt, threw his cigar aside, sat
down and began to work furiously AZ the
city editor looked into the room for the
fifth time
In handsome home sat two women
showing traces of tears. Between her sobs
the mother repeated and moaned:
"What shall we dor What shall we doy"
The younger woman firmly arose and
left the room. When she returned, she was
dressed for going out. She went TO win
dow and saw the rain beating down and
then turned to her mother, who had not
noticed her entrance.
"What are you going to dor" asked the
elder woman.
"The best can" replied the daughter
and left the room the second time. The
front door opened and closed
"Not by YOURSELF" screamed the moth
er. But the young woman had disappear
ed into the darkness. With no protection
save the gossamer, she bent her head low
and hurried forward IL was only a short
walk, and she has reached the center Of
the city. She heard the city clock strik-
ing, but did not stop to count the time.
1t was II o'clock At n corner she hesitat-
ed and looked up at n row Of large build
ings. In one the lights were burning
brightly, and there were signs Of life and
industry. All the Others looked dead and
dark.
To the lighted building she went aud
entered and found herself in front Of the
elevator. She wanted 30 go to the report
ers' rooms, she told the elevator man, and
while the hydraulic vehicle was ascending
to the sixth floor I'm its own peculiar and
tantalizng gait the woman looked at her
self In the mirror that adorned T.. She
laughed an almost hystericRl laugh ~ she
saw her own countenance, pale and fright
sned looking staring back at her. She
stepped out Of the elevator and walked
down short passageway. She could lnnr
the buzz and whirl and rattle and ciaJter
of machinery and turned into the first door
way. She was met by stalwart young
man In considerable neglgec, who wu-
carrying proof. She started back, sayin.,
81 only wanted TO see Mr.. Robert Sum
ner." In the meantime two other meI.
costumed in the same manner, had con.
up and were watching her
"Mr. Sumner" repeated the young man.
with strange look on his face. "Oh, tiI-
Is the way" The other men laughed IIm
opened the door for her. She stepped n-
side In front of desk where a man was
leaning over, a shade above his eyes, writ
ing.
"Is this Mr. sumner she asked, not
being able to make out his features.
IL was the city editor. He looked mp at
her, taking in her pale face and wet gar
ments at single glance. He was about
TO ask what her errand was, but instead
pointed with his pencil toward the door Of
she started in and noticed an air Of lCi-