Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-12-29

chair. looking westward through TIE
vista OF small rooms occupied by the
nrm. was always waiting for him. with
the lntest publications arranged on a
stand neat by.
Lansing 4 Lane were distinctively
English IN their tastes and surround
ings. Their offices consisted OF a suit
OF small. low rooms. up stairs, opening
directly into each other frcm east to
west and furnished "den fashion,"
which. az the reader well knows, i'm
piles rugs. couches. heavy hangings,
bric-a-brac. and the like. bnthrd In q
rich. wluellke glow OF Intercepted sun
light.
As one sat in the big. leather covered
chair OF the den" locking westward
through the several rooms, there was
n window. nj the end OF all, left TN.
curtalned. and on bright afternoons
the sun always poured through this
west window In a flood Of glory. Fuse
bus Smith, lounglng In the big chair.
could net help seeing, day after day, n
certain patch OF brighter gold In the
midst OF the sunlight. II was a wom-
ans shining head. always with the
face turned away from him. bending
over some absorbing work. behind a
sort Of uate that concealed all Of
the fair toiler but her head and neck.
At arst the young author was aware
Of this patch OF gold merely In a sort
of s~ubconsci0us fashlon-pIeaslng. but
not mentally notable. Then one day
he discovered Il az a material for a
passing thought-rccognlzed It as a
girls head. crowned with remarkably
fine, abundant shining hair. colled like
4 c%oronRl.
The next time be dropped IN and say
1t he wondered who this girl might be,
what she might be- doing. always bend.
ing so absorbed!y oyer her hidden task.
Then later on a strange curiosity seized
him to get n glimpse OF her profile to
see II she were beautiful. He would
often lie bnck ana peer over tie iop Of
a book. hoping that the magnetism Of
his fixed gaze might cause the I'M
known divinity to turn her golden
head ever so little and reveal the in.
visible features. But the patient work.
er never yielded to his gaze. II. indeed.
she were aware OF 1t. There was Just
the patch Of gold In the afternoon sun
Hight. beautiful. shining as n dream
What a lovely mystery!
In the meanwhile Euseblus Smith
held back his manuscript and dreamed.
It was a new sensation for him to
actually dream In life and not on pa.
per. 10 have a personal and not Il liter
airy romance taking form In his con.
sciousness day and night
And well could he afford to loiter and
dream In his bachelor apartments on
royalties netting him $1,000 n month.
There was no need Of haste. Life
seemed to hIm beautiful and lcisurely
It was charming to spend ores morn.
ings browsing II the libraries and ones
afternoons lounCiug In the big chair at
Lansing s. Lanes. Idcallsm Is always
delightful. II is go sweet to have n
patch OF gold IN ones lifel
Various are the ways OF falling IN
love. Euacbius Smiths wa was char.
sctertst.c of him; he imagined himself
into It: he fell into It from an easy
chair.
THE suaset is really 6ne through
our west window" said Mr.. Lane one
day, following the rnpt Eyes OF the 1T
erary lion.
II find n kind OF perpetual sun glory
there" replied Eusebius Smith dream
lily.
YES" said SIR. Lane. at certainly
Is a bright corner all the afternoon"
"W'ho does our book designing. MFR.
Lane?' asked the author abruptly and
with so loud a voice that Mr.. Lane
started. was there not n little nprv-
GUS motion OF the patch OF gold also?
Eusebius Smith sat looking straight
westward. 1t was a strange way to
press n question.
at Is done by q very clever young
woman In our employ" replied the
publisher. after a moments hesitation.
VOL. Mr.. Lane" cried the literary
lien in a stsrtlingly loud and roaring
voice, II must say that ] think II Ii des-
perate!y"-
He stopped short and with eager.
fixed gaze awaited the inevitable re-
suit. The patch Of gold swayed. vac
Hated and then turned hashlngly for
an instant In the sun.
"Fine!" finished the author. with n
quality of tonc and intensity Of feeling
that astonished and delighted Mr..
Lane. ~ am going to give you my lat
est manuscript" added Eusebius
Smith. ION condition that your clever
book designer makes 1t the chef
d'oeuvre of her life. UnderstandT'
"Perfectlyv' cried Mr.. Lane. rising
and rubbing his hands ~delightedly.
"Archer, viii you ask Miss Torrey to
step here, plea5eT'
snow" said Mr.. Eusebius Smith IL
being six months later. what design
have you conceived for the volume Of
llfe-our llfe-my little Golden Halrf"
They were standing In the sunlight
OF the west window. and M more the
lover saw only the snowy neck and the
bowed coronal of gold.
"a fireplace and two easy chairs"
came presently the shy answer.
"Admlrable!" cried he.
And there ended bacheIordom and
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