The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-01
Brandon" she advised, .'.sena it to

Brandon" she advised, "send tito
Irvine 81 Irvine. They will publish
it in their Nom de Plume series.
You will have an eccentric, idiotio
poster all to yourself in the new art
style, and the puzzle of the hour
will be: What is the writer name?
Is it a he or a she?" Then, when
the papers have criticised your book,
praised it, slashed it and discussed
it for all it is worth, your real name
will be discovered. Interviewers
will regard you as q special prize.
Your photo will be attempted in the
evening news sheets, and you will
be famous. I"
Her throat burned while she
spoke. Her voice was very dry and
her bontomme artificial.
"Goodby, goodby!''
tsKiss me, Brandon-a last kiss. !"
He bent and pressed his lips to
hers, then turned quickly away as
she hurried down stairs and home
and sat in his chair far into the even
ing the most miserable man on earth.
It was about a week later, and
Brandon was still in his lodgings.
His land1ady had informed him
after Minnie's visit that some one
had settled a long standing debt, so
he need not worry over his little ac-
count. He blessed her. She passed
the blessing on to Minnie Horton.
He sat at the table endeavoring to
think out his novel, but he could rot
compose a single sentence, for on
the news sheet spread out before
him there danced in the blackest Of
type paragraph which had par
alyzed all the energy in him. Min
ME was to be married. She had TAX
en- him at his word and would we'd
young Percy Oloottin three months
time.
Well, that ended it. The one ray
of hope that had made his existence
bearable had been flashed from his
life, and death was the only panaoea.
Poison, hanging, drowning or bull
let-anything to get out of the world
quickly. And he had loved her so
muoh! OF course it was his own
choice. If he could only have con-
ventionally murdered his pride and
>laughed in the worlds face, he
might have been happy with the
woman he loved, but he could not,
and now he could not live.
Thus ran his reflections, when the
landlady brought him q letter, writ
ten on perfumed yellow paper. He
recognized the handwriting at once.
It was from Minnie and confirmed
the newspaper item. She retained
his ring as a keepsake.
"Do not give way to ridiculous
passion, y she advised him, and his
face hardened as he read the words
again. Not hel Why should he?
Must his life be suddenly extinguish-
ed, his hopes dispelled. because he
had lost the love Of one woman?
There were scores Of others-all
beautiful, all loving, all good-no,
some good-and when he was fa-
nous! He had struck the right
chord, and his whole being sprang
INTO q furious blaze Of bition-a
desire to- cheat the Yoman that he
thoughthad Tilted him and laughat
her In mookery and triumph.
He walked his room feverishly,
his hands clinohed and his lips set
tight, while the fire Of ambition
forged his determination and with
cred his love. By heavens, he would
be famous! Day after night he
would toll at the book until it was
finished and then then his triumph.
Yes that was it. Work, work ard
forget her, and he pitched the dainty
note into the fire and commenced.
He unfroze. All his energies return
ed, all his thoughts rushed back
upon him and fell over each other
as his pen raced across the paper.
In q few days his book was ready
for the publishers.
Brandon received a reply from
Irvine g Irvine within two days.
This was a arevelation that astound-
ed him. But what surprised him
still more was the fact that the pub
fishers wished to see him.
1twas a pity Minnie had been so
hasty, Brandon thought, as he con-
snmed Irvine's note time after time.
Fortune and fame were written all
over him, and if he only had her!
At least he ought to write and
congratulate her on her engagement.
He wondered with amean exultation
what she would feel like--if she
would turn white when she read Of
his success. So he sat down to write;
but, remembering that all eggs did
not turn out chicks, he deferred it
until he had seen the publishers.
After the interview he was mad
with himself because he had not
written, for Irvine & Irvine paid
him 81, 300 down for all the rights
of his book. How he walked home
from the Office he never knew, and
he wondered why he had not cabbed
it. He remembered changing his
check at the bank, buying quarter
cigar, which ne enjoyed with great
gusto, and visiting his tailor's,
where he purchased a ready made
suit and was measured for various
others. Of course he would have to
change his lodgings now. He could
not entertain interviewers in his
present garrett.
Arrived home, he desired to wipe
off his debts with the landlady at
once, showering carelessly upon the
table in her best parlor a handful Of
gold, which took all the breath from
the old lady's body. She was in no