The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-06-13

| leave III again, she thought. dow do
you do?"
The lust words were spoken aloud,
in sudden irenzied desire to hear a
human voice, and to ascertain whether
she had not lost the power of speech.
"Not at all well, thank you," she
answered herself, still aloud. "I am
in position to realize, as never did
before, the figures given in the arith-
metic beneath the Table OF Time
Measure, of the appalling number Of
seconds there are in day !"
Presently there was gentle tap at
the door.
"Come in" called Pris. ready to
welcome even Mrs. Tuttle. But it
was Miss Benton who stood upon the
threshold
81 thought 1 heard you speak," said
Miss Benton, "Can do anything
for you?"
1t was more in the tone than even
the kindly words, but the last vestige
OF Pris's self-control vanished, and an
inco coherent outburst was the only an
swer. Miss Benton listened at first in
astonishment, and finally with look of
understanding, while her mouth.
with Pris noticed for the first time
was so fine and true, lost its smiling
curves. But in the gravity that had
stolen over the face, the girl was
vaguely aware that raro depth of
feeling was revealed.
"Oh, il is awful to think OF the way
we have treated you !" Pris concluded,
breathlessly.
The smile came back for q moment
to Miss Benton's face.
"This is the first / have known of
my i'll treatment" she said, calmly.
al should have gone home tomorrow
under the impression that this was
remarkably agreeable household. I
have been SO unutterably thankful
that you let me alone, did not force
me to talk shop ask for my auto
graph, inquire if it were not necessary
for me to keep my mind calm, "a
query with which one poor unfortun-
ate agonized me at Scranton, and
above all, did not allude to me as an
'authoress +
"An authoress !" repeated Pris, in
dazed tone. "You are not--you can
not be Kate Eleanor Benton? Why,
yes, you are the Miss Benton !"
Oh, the difference conveyed in
girl'stone between "the Miss Benton"
and "that Miss Benton !"
"Please !" The owner of the name
made funny little gesture of abhor-
renee. That word-authoress-
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 a communicative tone, for
Pris was too much overwhelmed for
the discovery that the occupant of the
corner room was woman whose name
was a 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 / stuffed my manuscript
into my bag and fed. l 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, il
imaZement
wasn't it?" queried Miss Benton,
inr ocently. "But | acknowledge that
l 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.
eve wouldn't have done it for the
world if We had known" murmured
Pris, abjectly.
"I am disappointment, of course"
returned Miss Benton, laughing.
"Confess that you thought an
authoress must be seven feet tall, with
dictionary under one arm, an
encyclopedia under the other, goggles
on her nose and pen in her hand
I'm sorry you're i'll. will have your
door and mine open, so you shall not
feel lonesome, and 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 a
chorus of lamentation arose that she
was going by the morning train.
"rhis 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 a
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 mo
not in l"-Youth's Companion.