Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-05-11

S-NI A;5s 7 -e-SShSp menu ne WOulu De
&SsSJy5A at the door. Bertha
Wayne pressed her
< forehead against
] !. ]. ! !: /: ! . !: ]" ! !. !
"a: M the pane and stood
gMk$M on tiptoe, to see if
r%XT NVSMN he were going to
kMIM E. EIGMM stop Yes; be dis
ENWWl y, TA&@ appeared at the
Ann MJiN " \ t.MS$ entrance. She
WlNfs " t&% crossed the room,
VhDa ~ ,.IIs$}f and opened her
2TTF%~W door crack. She
could hear his slow, even tread on the
stairs. Perhaps he was only going to
leave Mrs. Werren's mail, on the floor
below. But, no he was coming on
up the second flight The girls heart
beat violently. He must not find her
waiting there, and she sped noiseless-
" to the window.
Rap-tap!
With a sinking heart Bertha saw the
large envelope IA the carriers out
stretched hand; but she smiled as
brightly and said, "Oh, thank you!"
RS heartily as if she had not known
that the brown wrapper covered the
story on which she had buildcd so
many hopes.
The corners of her mouth dropped
with the shutting os the door. SO it
had como back-after these weeks Of
weary suspense! Il did think they
would take it!' she said to herself,
tearing open the envelope. She
glanced at the printed declination
blank, and there was o slight curl of
the pretty lips. With an impatient
gesture she tossel the package from
her. ''There is no use!" she said.
.'H they won't take that, they won't
take anything-from mel" She gazed
stolidly out of the window. For six
weeks this story had been her forlorn
hope. Never had the future looked so
dark as now. Alone in the world,
with fourteen dollars in her parse,
and no visible way of obtaining more
that was he rpresent situation.
Bertha Wayne's first attempts in
writing had been fairly successful.
That was three years ago. Then had
come the financial depression which
had been So reaching, and for the
last twelyemonth the only market she
had found for her literary wares had
been most unsatisfactory. The man
whom she had counted as her best
editorial fricnd had died, aud the new
editor had his own corps Of contribu
tors. Stories and poems which
year ago would have brought! libe ..l
checks were now returned to her with
politely-worded circulars. Publishing
firms that were her debtors collapsed
without warning, ana Tor two months
she had not had single article ac-
cepted. 1t would have required
stouter heart than hers to have met
these days without quailing. For
weeks she had felt physically and
mentally incapable Of continuing the
fight. Now she told herself, ST might
rs we'll give it mp first as last!"
Thinking her bitter thoughts, she
looked down on the hurrying throngs.
"All with something to doH' she said.
"But for Inc there is nothing-noth-
ing! There's that ugly little doctor
again!'
Her eyes rested on young man
alighting from a carriage. He was be-
low tho medium height, slender and
boyish, with face that was unde-
niably plain. Having fastened his
horse, he swung yellow bag from the
vehicle, and passed within a doorway.
''He is success" muttered Bertha
iealously. "Only q little while ago
he was footing it al over town. Now
he drives everywhere. Well, he's
man--and smart, suppose; he isugly
enough to be! 1 am only q girl.
What's the use of living anyhow
At last she went to her writing; but
her mind was distraught, and the
story Jagged. 1t is not easy to build
q happy romance when ones heart is
aching.
Day after day Bertha Wayne wasted
her precious pennies on paper and
postage, hoping against hope. Days
of work and worry were succeeded ny
wakcful, weary nights, until nature
had her revenge. One evening the
girl dragged herself home from the
post Office and crawled up the long
flights of stairs, only to faint at the
door of her room. Miss Winslow, the
littlc dressmaker across the hall,
found her on the floor.
"It is nothing" Bertha said, trying
to reassuro both herself and her
frightened neighhor. 81 am only
tired I shall be better in the morn
ing"
But she was not better in the morn
ing. On attempting to arise, she
barely escaped another faint; end Miss
Winslow insisted OH summoning q
physician.
DR.. Ealberta was of splendid pro-
portions,-tall, erect, broad shoul
dered. As he stood in the doorway, his
strikingly handsome features lighted
by smile, his patient was swept by
thrill of admiration. But at his
words her face whitcned.
"Oh, you have heart disease!'
She looked at him appealingly.
"How-do you-know?" she falter-
ed.
The doctor had abandoned his
smile, and stood considering her
grave]y.
"a very easy matter" he replied
noncha!antly. 81 could tell the mo-
mont saw you. Bat there is no use
in being alarmed; that only heightens
tha danger and retsrds recovery"
l''Du Yon think I con get well, tlen@