Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-06-07

understanding. while her mouth,
with Pris noticed for the first time
was 80 fine and true, lost its smiling
curves But in the gravity that had
stolen over the face, the girl was
vaguely aware that = rare depth of
feeling was revealed.
"Oh, It is awful TO think Of the wAy
We have treated You I" Pris concluded.
breathlessly.
The smile came back for moment
to Miss Benton's face.
"This is the first / have known of
my i'll treatment" she said, calmly.
IL should have gone home tomorrow
under the impression that this was a
remarkably agreeable household. |
have been 50 unutterably thankful
that you let me alone, did not force
me to talk shop ask for my auto
graph, inquire If il we're not necessary
for me To keep my mind calm, "A
query with which one poor unfortun-
ate agonizel me at Scranton, and
above all, did not allude to me as an
'authoress -"
San authoress!" repeated Pris, in a
daZed tone. ''You are not-you can
not be Kate Eleanor Benton? Why,
yes, you are the Miss Bentonl"
Oh, the difference conveyed in a
girls tone between "the Miss Benton"
and THAT Miss Benton -
please The owner of the name
made IA funny little gesture of abhor-
renee. That NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
conveys to my mind an impression of
a being with long curls, who writes
verses for the Poets Corner of the
local newspaper. You see, she went
on, in communicative tone, for
Pris was too much overwhelmed for
the discovery that the occupant of the
corner room was Il woman whose name
was household word wherever there
were girls to read and love her stories,
81 had work that must finish, and at
Scranton | WAS not left in peace for
moment, SO 1 stuffed my manuscript
into my bag and fed | could devote
myself to my work here without one
ear pricked up for fear of Interrupt
ton. 1t was SO delightfully."- quiet in
my room -
Quiet" interrupted Pris, in
tmazement.
Wasn't it?' queried Miss Benton,
inr ocently. "But acknowledge that
| am deaf, dumb and blind when | am
at work on the last pages of story.
| did hear your good times together,
though, after you came upstairs for
the night, and sometimes longed to
join you. Your extempore orchestra
of whistling and blowing on combs
was my evening reireshment
ave wouldn't have done it for the
world if We had known murmured
Pris, abjectly.
81 am disappointment, of course"
returned Miss Benton, laughing.
Confess that you thought an
suthoress must be seven feet tall, with
a dictionary under one arm, an
encyclopedia under the other, goggles
on her nose and pen in her hand
I'm sorry you're ILL., l will have your
door and mine open, SO you shall not.
feel lonesome, aud perhaps you can
sleep. Oh, no, don't thank me Just
for being neighborly.'
A crowd was gathered around Miss
Benton the next morning, and
chorus of lamentation arose that she
was going by the morning train.
"This is what | have escaped !" she
exclaimed, in mock despair, as auto
graph fans and albums were produced
by the adoring circle of girls
In one album there was written
line that, as Pris Armstrong. who felt
quite we'll the next day, looked upon
it, choked back her "thank YOU
81 was stranger, and We took me
not in l'-Youth's Companion.