Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-02-19
The Wears Daughter.

Cyril Hulings entered his West
Eud chambers ub mt a. m. iu very
sef-sntisfel frame of mind. Pre-
vious to that evening, Fortune had
treated him in none too generous u
fashion, but nIw the iickle goddess,
sc mingly repeutant, had III tde amends
by placing fame aud fortune we'll within
his grasp. HIS thgee-act up-to date
society pay hal been received by a
London audience. in style never an-
ticipated by the author, aud when, in
response to the repeated calls Of the
enthusiastic thcatre-goers, he stepped
before the curtain aud bowed his ac-
acknowledgements, he felt that the hour
OF triumph had arrived.
All recollec;ions of his previous
failures faded from his memory, an1
his life seemed to date only from that
moment. Being possessed of mod
crate income, he had never felt the
pinch Of being hard up, and Ind met
his numerous reverscs with commend
abe fortitude. But now all the
world WIS at his feet; his name was
made, his future productions would be
eagerly sought after, and. c,nseqaent-
ly, the glow of pride which suffused
his whole frame was pnrdonajle.
After the play, he had received the
congratulations uf number of men
whose names were foremost in the
literary world; men not actuated
by any feelings Of petty JEALOUSY,
but men who resolutely encouraged
any promising aspirant to immor-
tai fame.
Ol entering his room, be turned up
the lights, and not feeling any inciiua-
tion to retire, he casually took down
a large tobacco jar from the mantcl-
piece aud proceeded to load an OLD
briar. Throwing himself into an easy
chair, h. lit his pipe. aud, with ex-
tended limbs, puffsd clouds of pale
blue smoke toward the coiling. Hs
was man of about 80, and not Affect
ing the mannerism of others of his
cult, wore dark beard trimmed in
the style immortalized by the genius
of Van Dixie, fact which mn lie him
look considerably older than he really
was
He sat aud smoked for some time,
an then his eye rested Oh the table
by his side, on which lay au envelope
addressed to him. He took it up in Il
listless fush;ou aud lazily scrntinized it.
He saw that it had been written by n
female hand, md had not been through
tue pos, and ho therefore concluded
that it had been left by caller. He
broke it open and read the following
epistlc;
''DEAR SIR-Please pardon the lib
erty ! take in writing TO you. i have
just witnessed the great success of
your play. You have now made your
name, aud will be much sought otter.
Will you grant me the privilege of in
/ terviewing you? am endeavoring to
set my foot upon the first rung of the
literary ladder, but so far have not met
with success. / am not connected
with any paper, but feel confident that
the report OF an interview with YOU
would be accepted. l shall call to-
morrow to learn your decision.
Yours, very truly,
ANNIE RALEIGH
Hardinge read this communication
with much interest, but never looked
at the signature. He put the letter
on one side, pressed down the tobacco
in his pipe, and between the whiffs
muttered:
"Poor girl, no success-well, surely
in the hour of my Triumph can do
some one a good turn-call tomorrow
-umph, uersevering too-well, we'll
i hate to be bored aud by a woman
too-howcver, think I'll see her--I
wonder who she is" and he took up
the letter again.
''Annie Raleigh" he cried. ''Good
heavens surely tits not-no it caunot
be-she is married long ago, and vege.
tating somewhere in the country long
ere this; but what n curious coiuci-
dence."
The name seemed to have wrought
flood OF "reminiscences, and with
dreamy eyes he conjured up a scene of
many years back when be was .he
happy lover of young girl of Is.
His mind rambled for some time
among those days of long ago, and at
length lie rose and opened a cabinet
standing on the dressing table. He
rooted out u bundle OF old letters, aud
from among them took out a slightly
faded photograph 1t was n photo of
a yonng lady, attired in a pare white
drcsa 1t was dainty little figure,
slim and neat, with pair of laughing
eyes, surmounted by mass OF beau
tiful hair.
He held it in his haad for some
time. and gaz on it as though SPELL
bound At length his lips parted, and
in voice Of agony he groaaed