Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-03-23
FROSTBJRG, Md. SATURDAY. MARCH %, 1895

items went little above my estimate,
we concluded not to settle definitely
upon anything else for the present, but
threw out hint about Il new piano,
if her opinion as to the worth of my
story should prove correct.
The April and May numbers Of tne
magazine appeared, but my story was
not yet published and was not among
the advanced announcements for June.
By this time 1 was well along toward
the completion of the plot for my serial,
but felt the need of wider reading
i'll English fiction than l had yet done.
What is the use of waiting?" said my
wife ''The payment on the house isn't
due until September. You can take
some of that money for the books and
replace it with the money for the story.
"Sure enough" answered. Il am
glad you thought of it," and before sun
down the wagon came from the book
store with $50 worth of English novels.
went to the parlor to ask her to
come and see them, and there she was
OH her knees trying to darn hole i'll
the old carpet. Just think of it! The
wife of the author of "A Moonlight
Romance" engaged in such menial work
as that, and her husbands study full of
new books! l told her at once that it
would never do. The parlor must be
fixed up at once. By Saturday night the
new paper was on the walls, and the
new brussels was down, the money, of
course, being secured by the transfer of
tn no
replaced from the pay for my story.
Some of our friends began to wonder
how we could afford so much expense
just then, but we kept the secret to our
selves and told them they would see it
in due time.
When the June number of the maga-
zine came, we found the following item
among the announcements for July:
"a short story, entitled "A Moonlight
Romance by new writer of great
promise p"
l had felt just little uneasy about
using the money saved up, to pay the
remainder ON our house, when we had
no certain means of knowing how soon
the money for the story was to come,
but it was all right now, with two
months to spare.
'Why no6 take our trip now," said
my wife, 'while the weather is at its
bestE' Why not, to be sure? 1t was just
the thing and would enable me to get
some local color for story which | had
in mind dealing with pioneer life on
the shores of Lake Michigan. So we
drew $l75 more from the savings bank,
leaving just about $50 on deposit, got
the tailor and dressmaker to do the nee
essary work for us in a great hurry,
closed up our house and started.
1t was a magnificent trip. The fresh
lake breeze, the green islands that we
passed, the hazy blue line of the wooded
shore i'll the distance, the foam spar
king in the sunlight, all contributed
to make it the happiest experience since
the days of our honeymoon.
Two days after our return the July
number of the magazine and letter
bearing its imprint arrived i'll the same
mail. We We're so eager to see the story
in print that we left the letter unopened
until we had cut the leaves of the maga-
zine and teasted our eyes upon every
page. Then | tore open the letter and
drew out check:
The Commercial National Bank of - will
pay to the order of Mr.. - the sum of seven
teen dollars and fifty cents ($175O).
c. O.,
Editor of the - Magazine.
l have given up literature for the
present and have secured $500 from the
Building and Loan association to make
the final payment due on my house. My
wife positively refuses to read any of
the new books which bought and has
asked me not to say anything more
about the trip OH the lakes, but for some