Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-04-01
IN AN EVIL MOMENT.
BY EMMA c. HEWITT.

The editor sat in his sanctum,
heavy frown upon his brow, his blue
pencil in hand, rapidly scoring here
and there with a muttered curse, first
for the stupidity of typos, anon for the
stuff sent in by would-be contributors,
whose position and influence made con-
citation necessary. His annoyance was
increased by the irritating conscious
ness that messenger boy was waiting
at his elbow, and had been so waiting
III stolid silence for some time. Three
short. sharp whistles at the tube di-
Tectly behind him!
"See what's wanted" commanded
the magnate, never lifting his eyes and
giving a specially heavy blue line to
ar obnoxious word. But the command
met with no response. The silent fig
ure at his side never moved. why
don't you answer the tube, you idiot?'
he exclaimed, furiously, as the three
whistles came again, short, sharp, i'm
patient. Then his pencil dropped from
his fingers and rolled unheeded to the
floor. Beside him, mute and motion
less, stood one of RdphaePs cherubs!
No wings had he, to be sure, and
more clothes, but one of Raphael's
cherubs all the same. The same chcrub's
face-the same golden aureole! The
baby-blue eyes looked into his with
mixture of sadness and pleading which
moved the stern heart strangely.
Crain tbn xxhi 10 N,,+
a word he answered it himself, creating
wohderment below, not to say conster-
nation, by the announcement that he
was busy, adding with a vigor of lam
guage we'll known in those realms, that
anyone who disturbed him within the
next Is minutes might draw his salary
to date and get out! Winston "busy"
ant the presses waiting for him! Fiji
teen minutes valuable time lost! The
foreman passed the word along with a
hhrug-the typos swore, but it made
not whit of difference. The autocrat
had sent forth his fiat, and if fire had
been discovered issuing from the sane
tum, it is to be doubted that anyone
would have had the temerity to knock
Ia
expired.
''Now, how did you get up here, and
what do you want?" he demanded more
gently of the little creature beside him.
Don't you know that editors are very
busy men, and not to be disturbed in
this way?"
In accounting to himself afterwards
for his extraordinary attitude upon this
occasion, his only excuse for not pitch
ing the child out suinmarily was the
remembrance of tiny grave upon
New England hillside where slept lit
tie brother of so years before.
Il came up myself. Nobody saw me-"
answered the child, in plaintive voice
that had something unchildlike in it's
ring. please, do you buy poetry ?"
and he brought from behind him baby
like hand in which was closely clasped
. sheet of note paper.
III he had announced himself as a
dealer in diamonds, Winston could not
have been more taken aback.
why? Are you a poet?" he asked.
mixture of establishment and amuse-
ment on his countenance.
mo, but Sister Marie writes poetry.
and she's sick, and there's only two of
us, and she's sick, you KNOW told
you that--and 1 thought maybe-may-
be- could get some money"
Let me see what you have there"
replied Winston, abruptly.
The idea of the sick girl lying at
hcne there, and this scrap of child out
trying to sell her poetry seemed to him
monstrous thing. No doubt it was the
worst kind of rubbish! 1t was folly to
even look at it. But the whole strange
ness of the situation had a sort of fas-
cination for him. The child grew red
and white by turns as he gazed at the
countenance of the man who held hi,
fate in his hands.
boy, your sister is genius!" ex.
claimed the great man, as he rapid,
scanned the lines.
IL don't know just what that is," an
swered the charub, modestly, "but fee
sure it must be something very nice, Oh
you wouldn't look $3.50"
What a funny, old-fashioned Ii It'll,
body il was, to be sure.
"This shall GO in at once" went OF
che magnate, land viii see what cal