The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-02
KITTY'S INTERVIEW


zion the fact that his visitor might be
close at hand, in compliment to her
sex his anathemas were uttered in Ger
man.
Madam" said Jeremy Grigson,
with a severe bow, 81 have an excel
lent memory, but I cannot recollect
having made your acquaintance on
any previous occasion"
you have an excellent memory?
Thanks" She made another note.
t'May sit down? l am rather tired"
Certainly, madam" Jeremy plac-
cd chair for her.
II am from the Weekly Chatterer,"
she said. "Can you let me have a
photograph to go in with the inter-
vtew?"
"Never had one taken in my life,'
said Jeremy. He was not handsome
man, yet there was something in his
face better than good looks.
Not even when you were baby?
Almost anything would do"
Not even then"
ALLOW me one question: What
have l done that should be inter-
viewed?"
Don't you know that the whole
town is talking Of your book?"
81 don't know anything about it,"
he said, savagely, except that I sold
the copywright for twenty pounds,
and that the twenty pounds is spent"
: She had got hold of an immense fact
but she dropped her pencil, and her
nippant, aggressive air with it.
What a shame!" she said; what a
wicked shame. Your publishers will
make hundreds and thousands out of
that book. 1t is creating furore.
Such case should not be possible,
and especially when a man really
needs the money"
He looked attentively at her for the
first time. He had seen already that
she was young and pretty; but he no.
ticed now that there was worn,
pinched look about her small very
pretty face He had seen the same
Hook growing on other faces in Bohe-
mia; it had grown upon his own; and
he knew the meaning of 1t.
"You understand about needing
money!" he asked her.
81 should think l do" she answer
ed, sharply. "Do you suppose l should
be here now if didn't?"
Sometimes people work at trade
because they like it."
IF it were a trade / liked, every
thing would be different. l aspired to
literature once, but l could not even
make dry bread by 1t. Ever since
have been hanging on to the skirts of
Journalism, and sometimes there is a
great deal of mud on them. If you
only knew how people treat me now
and again when I go to interview
them! You may thank your stars and
your genius for having placed you
above all that, at any rate"
Are they often as brutal as was?"
he asked, gently. 81 am awfully
sorry; won't you forgive me?"
Don't mind about It," she said
huskily. Il know very we'll what l
must have seemed to you-an impu-
dent, brazen, bold wretch. l am hor-
ribly nervous by nature, and put all
that side on just to cover up the
fright, and impress people with the
idea that l intend to get any informa-
tion l want. no matter how reticent
they try to be. Often they tell me
more than they intend-as you did just
now-merely to get rid of me, because
they think l am writing down a whole
lot that they don't want said about
them. should stand bad chance if
they only knew that am quite as
anxious to get away from them as
they are to get away from me.
"If this interview Is any object to
you," he said, in an awkward, shame
faced way, 81 will tell you all you
want to know. am not quite such a
churl as l pretended to be. Only
well, l am proud as we'll as poor, and
suppose there is no need to make the
details of my poverty public?" He
of the room, and then at his thread
bare clothes.
Obi" 1t was actually a little cry
of pain. do you think so badly of
me as that still? l will go now. I
wish l had not come" :,
She turned very white as she rose,
and caught at her chair to steady her
self.
For heavens sake, don't faint!"
cried Jeremy, desperately. He made
a stride toward her, and, without a
word of apology, he caught her by the
arm and pushed her back into the
chair. What did you do it for?" he
asked, with great show of indigna-
don. What is the matter with your"
Il couldn't help it," she said. IF
I had gone on walking I should have
been all right, but the short rest fin
ished me. | am very tired, and"
She gave little gasp, and her eyelids
futtered.
: Iaremy dived into a wall cupboard,
and came forth with a brandy bottle.
There was very little in it, but enough
for the purpose. He stood over her