Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-07-31

{
~ in piles and others strewn careless
ly about One page but partly finished
and with the pen still wet with ink
! lying by its side showed what she was
doing at the time of the interruption
On the walls hung some etchings, and
there were a few chairs placed about.
IF you will excuse me-" she said
after a moment, Il will go on with
my work and you can sit there until
you are rested. =
She seated herself at the desk, with
her back toward him, and the scratch.
ing of the pen commenced. She fin
ished the page in front of her; tore an
other from a block, numbered it, and
so on, page after page. 1t was evident
~ copy she was making from the
original manuscript in front Of her.
Twenty minutes, half an hour passed,
and still she wrote The wind, blow
ing in through the open window, NOV
ed the curtain back and forth with a
stiff, rafting noise. The rumbling OF
the carts over the pavements and the
shrill voices of the newSboys calling
their first edition rose story after story
until every corner of the little room
seemed filed with unrest. A large
piano-organ just outside the building
started up a popular air. The writer
had appeared unconscious OF the gen.
eral noise; now her brows contracted
and after a moment she threw down
her pen in despair and got up from
her seat. At the sight Of the old man
she started and looked bewildered.
ooh, l had forgotten. l didn't know
you were still here" Something in his
face caused her to add: Perhaps
you came to see me, after all. l did
not understand"
He made no answer, but, thrusting
his hand deep into the pockets of his
loose coat, brought up a magazine
which bore the date OF the previous
year. 1t looked perfectly fresh, as
though having been scarcely handled,
and but few of the leaves were cut.
He turned the pages over very slowly
in a fumbling way, evidently hunting
for something in particular, and yet
with the contents of the
book.
Here it's" he said at last. 81
never looked at it but once, so I'd kind
o. forgotten where twas"
Pointing to the bottom of page, he
handed her the book, and then leaned
pack in his chair with breath OF re-
ief.
The woman took it with a puzzled
lir, but as her eyes caught the page
the looked pleased.
"Ah, you have brought me my story.
And you came long distance to tell
ne that you liked it. How kind
She stopped suddenly. "Or, rather"
he added. noticing his expression, ito
ell me that you did not like it.
WAY or beyont," he pointed out Of the |
vest window. and the motion, with the |
ound of his voice, recalled her to herself
is the village, an the settlement is two |
niles off. They call it two, but 1 low it's |
omethin' more. An that's where 1 live"
"Yes?" She had gone over to the desk |
gain. and sitting sideways in her chair,
aced him while at the same time one
and held a pencil with which she wrote
own a word occasionally. Her visitor
.ad changed his seat and taken large |
hair near the window. Leaning idly back
With an absent look in his eyes which
eemed to see far beyond the high walls
nd chimneys. he continued: AN that's
,here the bay is all smilin' and peaceful
UGH a day as this. an the boats a-layln
D, with their sails fappin' back an forth
cean. st,v,,-.--- '--r--->-- -------- = the |
=. ,, He give a sigh which might have
some slight homesicKness' ,-A'
hats where we live, Marthy an me.
.Veu?" said his listener at last are,
ing pause. And the story? You re@u II
vs. he answered still looking out Oh
bo window. and smiling as though trying
= reoau some pleasant scene. Yes ne
sr,aoted IAN there was Steve Hawkins
,esides. an little Car'line an her Dro'Iei'
-ust we five. The readin," and there was
touch Of pride in his voice, "a lerS TAX
:, Ice in lie settin' room, which |
Iarthy has kind O. fixed up accoluin
,er WAYS O. thinkin. But the Story ne
continued. now looking directly at het,
want never finished, seem as IVA"
wrote down correct.
He uttered the last sentence quite cam
y with the confidence of one VINO sta'eS
/, fact that can admit of no contraoicti0"
..yybv" he went on, speaking almost
and yet with a touch OF STERN
ness in his voice, "she couldn't 90 any
1ar,,, Arers so gentle an sweet her De-
-, . woman grown couldn't ha' made any
5iqre-srca for the same light was shinin
ont n, her pretty eyes, an the same siiile
was on her lips. An So he addeu' lisins
and picking up his hat, which lay Oh INC
an
floor by his side, "seein' as was up III the
CITY lowed I'd stop in.
The pencil had dropped from the W.
mans hand several moments oetore nc
oaosad sneaking. and she was now tearing
- b,ts the paper on which she had been
writing. Placing and replacing them an
so,,tI,, in little piles on the desk before
,,ar shA said. without turning around:
w. know I remember" she inter-
rupted hastily looking around 1t was.
II was very sad. wasn't it?' she continued
in q lighter tone. But 1 forget lou
never read the last number. There IL was
oxnIained But you see by that time II
was TOO late. for-they had all oeieVeu
q of her lust those she cared for most
Tbsra was a faint, pathetic note in her
voice as she emphasized the WORD all
And SO. as the story tells us. she became
somewhat resentfuI and hard" She had
placed the bits of paper in one pile and
now seemed absorbed in the act OF separ-
ating them slowly, piece by piece. But
then" she continued. speaking half TO her-
self There was nothing very unusual IN
n after all. was there? It was just what
Won would call an incident, a daily incl
dent. something that can be borne. That
,s The way I explain 1t to myself. Some
times l wonder that the story TOOK al al
that the editor was willing 10 touch Il
The old man still stood little BEHIND her