The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-12-04

OF recall. The original manuscript, with
every one of her telltale changes upon
it, lay carefully locked within her desk.
The days passed slowly by. Miss
Mahala at first was buoyant and talked
much of her first literary achievement
and Of the new chapter Of "Recolleo-
tions, which she soon intended to be-
gin. But by and by she began to grow
nervous, and as day after day passed by
and no answer came, she was despon
dent, indignant and hopeful again by
turns. 1t was all that Margaret could
do, however, to prevent her from writ
ing confidential letter to the editor Of
The Eastern star.
For Margaret herself it was period
of anxiety. AS she walked down to the
postonice every morning and evening
her heart alternately throbbed with
hope and grew faint with dread. Should
the story be accepted Miss Mahala would
be encouraged to go on, and Margaret
was dismayed at the endless labyrinth
into which her first apparently innocent
deception would lead her, for she felt
she could never bring herself to wound
Miss Mahala's pride by revealing what
she had done But, on the other hand
if her judgment had been at fault, and
the story should be returned, what would
Miss Mahala say when she saw how her
work had been tempered with, revised,
corrected, changed, not by the printer, "
but by her presumptuous niece, without
her consent or knowledge, and how coulc
Margaret ever face her then?
At last letter came, whose contents
Margaret could not fail to guess. "Tho
Story Of Lois" had been accepted and
check for its payment was inclosed.
Miss Mahala's withered cheeks flush
ed with pride "Well, now, Margaret,
l declare, you were right" she said
complacently, land it's a real pity l
didn't take to writing earlier in life,
for, as you say, l might have been q
second Mrs. Sigounoy by this time.
But, como to think, It'll queer the editor
didn't say anything about the rest Of
my Recollecrions. 1t would only have
been polite if he had mentioned them.
And, Margaret, do you think be has
paid me as much as my story is worth?
It's really a great deal more than ex-
pected bat still
"Do you know" she continued il
sudden confidence, "latterly 1 began to
think he warn't going to take it, and
worrying about it day and night has al
most made me sick -
1t was proud day for Miss Mahala
when she saw 1.-THE Story of Lois" in
print, with her own name appended in
clear cut capitals
But when, after dilgent comparison
with a neat copy Of her own, she dis
covered the extent Of the alterations in
the text, her wrath arose, and she bit
terly denounced "the printer" for so
changing her story and "leaving out
half the words. " After awhile, how
ever, pride took the sting from such
petty annoyance,
A copy Of the magazine, opened at
the beginning of her story, was kept
upon the center table, side by side with
a volume Of Mrs. Sigourney's poems.
And since she had proved herself "lit-
erary genius" and her neighbors and
friends had begun to look up to her as
such, Miss Mahala held herself even
little higher and straighter than before.
But amt going to write any more
'Recollections, " she said to Margaret
one day. 1.-The truth is, I'm too old to
stand the strain and excitement I'm
glad l wrote that one, and proved my
self literary character, but The Story
of Lois has almost been the death Of
me My 'Recollections must begin and
end with that. I've been long time
coming to that conclusion, but I'm
thankful I've come to it at last. "
And in her inmost heart Margaret
was thankful too. -Springfe Repub
lican.
RRASS CLOCK which Ia allie ned To