Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-06-09

For months amer avoided all VINO
knew me. Such contempt-such ridi-
Guile as he poured upon me in that re-
siewl If there is any man hate-yes,
hate, Clarencel-it Is he"
sand yet he may be quite harm
less, inoffensive sort of ass, II we only
knew him."
81 withdrew the book Instantly and
burnt the entire edition."
"If all authors accepted their crit
les version in the same spirit, thae man
who wrote about the hundred best au-
thors would have had to fix his total at
E0."
81 felt as If all the world was laugh
ing at me-"
"You little silly. ! don't suppose
even milliohth part of the world knew
any thing about it. Nobody reads re-
views of books--except the men who
write them"
II could not regard It 50 stoically,"
she sighed. II cannot even now. You
do not altogether realize my utter
degradation: These babblings Of in
cipier. imbeciliE.' Tx. wee enc -
his phrases"
She shuddered at the recollection Of
Il.
"By Jovei OF course, the best of crit
les are not angels, but yours must have
been "a"
"A heartless, heartless mani"
IF 1t had been a mans book"
ale may not have known / was
woman"
"You are too severe. No reviewer
criticises a book till he has read the
title page"
"But / did not use my own name.
wanted to see If they would mistake my
work for that of man. ! called IT
Heart Longings, by Harold Ransom;
but all my friends knew, SO that really
made no difference"
mot a bit"
He had grown suddenly thoughtful,
and spoke absently.
"You will forgive me, darling-won't
you?-for deceiving your"
"Deceiving me?' he asked.
"Well, for seeming not to confide in
you unreservedly?"
Taking the childish, pretty face be-
tween his hands he gazed down into
her dreamy blue eyes, and laughed
softly TO himself.
"I-don't-know," he said.
Butt was nothing actually wrong,
Clarence" she cried. Indignantly; then,
melting again. know, dear, ! used to
say all along that had concealed moth
ing from you. had told you every
thing"
81 used to say the same to you. didn't
n"
"Yes."
"well. coming to think of II, re-
member / have a secret which have
never disclosed to you. So, after all, we
are each as bad as the other"
She started, and scanned his features
eagerly.
"You? A secret, Clarence?"
"Only little one-like yours"
But mine was no secret. had for
gotten It," she protested. Besides,
mine was nothing for which you could
blame mel"
II wish could say that of mine"
"Clarencei" she sobbed, you have
been deceiving mel"
mo; had forgotten about it,"
"You always said" she faltered, her
lips quivering. you never loved any girl
until you met me-"
''Now, want you to make me prom
Use: If forgive you, you will forgive
me?'
She hesitated.
"Tell me. first, all about IT,"
do you promise?" he insisted.
''Oh. Clarence. you can never be the
same to me again! do hope it is moth
ing dreadful. What can it be? Il"
do you"
'Yes, yes, dear. promised" she said.
desperately. Whatever it is, I love you,
and / must forgive you"
You won't hate me?"
Il could not"
She pressed her handkerchief to her |
eyes.
II won't keep you in suspense" said |
he. 1--WE have both been sinners, and |
was the worst of the two. / must tell |
you. then. Before 1 was successful
barrister, l was good-for-nothing
young scoundrel, with a very good
opinion of myself and a very bad one
of everybody else. was a wicked
young dog, and did several scandalous
things that am ashamed of now"
She caugh. her breath and waited in
an agony of expectation. He seemed
very serious, and yet battling smile
was Pickering round the corners of his
mouth.
"They were all of the same descrip-
ton, but l am sorry on account of one
in particular"
And that?"
well. being hard up. used to earn
odd guineas in all manner of odd ways.
| was a fippant, self-satisfied brute,
and" he paused, and putting an arm
about her, drew her closer to him. Il