The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-12-29

side the library. And, taking her smile
as an answer, took the book and car
ried it to the desk.
''Thank you," she whispered, and
was gone.
met her again on my way back from
luncheon. l was SO tired with my
mornings work that ventured upon
little stroll towards one of my favor
ite haunts in the Bowery, book-stall
where l had sometimes found treas
ures. Hope deferred, says the poet or
somebody else, maketh the heart sick;
and my hopes had been aroused and
deferred several thousand times that
morning. Upon every card took up
/ had hoped to see "Londoner Maga-
zine, 1s4s," and 1 had seen nothing of
the kind. The sleuth-hound within me
was tired out. Another day of it, and
should ask to have some one else de-
tailed to find Mr.. James G. Danders. 1t
was in this Respondent frame of mind
that began to turn over the pile of old
books exposed upon sidewalk stall,
and it was only when happened to in
terfere with the delvings Of a neighbor
in the same box that with start of
pleasure recognized the girl whom
had helped in the library an hour be-
fore. She made no pretense of ignoring
me; on the contrary, she smiled in the
pleasantest manner, and in five minutes
we were talking books with all the
friendliness of old acquaintances. She
was as clever and interesting as she was
pretty. And she was almost as fond of
old books as was.
II suppose you wonder why work SO
hard there" she said, as we strolled
back towards the library.
"Not at ALL" said l, wondering all
the more, and waiting with some Curl
osity for the explanation that would
now be forthcoming.
.My father is an invalid" she went
on, with sigh and the first shadow
had seen on her face. HE is almost
blind, owing to an accident, and can
not see well enough to go about the
streets. Nevertheless he writes great
deal. So that wien he needs to consult
book at the library, which is about
every day, have to be his representa-
tive, copying what think will be of
value to him. Often / find that have
wasted my day, as I am not scholar
enough to know exactly what my fa-
ther wants and what he doesn't want.
First / copy the table of contents of the
book and take it to him. He goes over
it and marks the chapters he wants.
The library rule is not to allow book
to go outside of the building; if the
directors knew how many hundreds and
thousands of useless pages / have
copied from their dusty old books in
the last two years, and how many head
aches their rule is responsible for,
really think they would make an excep-
tion in my favor"
What particular field are you inter
ested ina / asked. This was deep upon
my part, for with that information ]
could find out from the cards the name
and address of this interesting young
person. had never laid eyes upon her
before nine o'clock that morning, and
yet, somehow, felt strong disinclina-
tion to lose sight of her. She might dis
appear and leave no more trace behind
her than that wretch of Danders had
done.
Il read chiefly books concerning the
Inquisitiea. Ny father Is writing q
book upon the history of the Spanish
Inquisition."
We were at the library the next mo-
ment, but as we went in she gave me
permission to carry back to her table
the ponderous tome / had already
helped her with. When that was done
went back to my work with redoubled
interest. If the cards told me nothing
about Danders, they would tell me
something else i was equally eager
to know. Before had been at work for
90 minutes something happened that
highly amazed me. Upon one and the
same card was all the information
looked for. This card told me that on
March % of that year Miss Ellen Rob-
ertson, Of 11s West Thirtieth street,
had taken out Limhroch's History of
the Inquisitlon." London, 1881; also
,Cardozo's "History of the Spanish In
QUESTION" Madrid. 1907; and also
could trust my eyes-the Londoner
for 1s4S!