El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-24
PAGES 9 TO ~.

their offices every few hours, IN spite
of himself. to see what new delight for
the eye and the touch was on the point
Of coming out. This tendency on his
| part was, of course, warmly encour-
| aged by both Mr.. Lansing and Mr..
Lane. and the leather upholstered easy
chair, looking westward through the
vista of small rooms occupied by the
firm, was always waiting for him, with
the latest publications arranged on 4
stand near by.
Lansing & 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 from east to
west and furnished "'den fashion,"
which,, as the reader well knows, i'm
plies rugs, cOuches, heavy hangings,
bric-a-brac, and the like, bathed in a
rich, winelike glow of intercepted sun
light.
AS one sat in the big. leather covered
chair Of the "den," looking westward
through the several rOom there was
one window, at the end of all, left I'M
c%urtained, and on bright afternoons
the sun always poured through this
WEI iioON IL " ioOd VI SIoIs INuSt-
bus Smith, lOunging in the big chair,
could not help seeing, day after day, q
certain patch of brighter gold in the
midst Of the sunlight. 1t was a wOm-
ans shining head, always with the
face turned away from him. bending
over some absorbing work, behind q
sort of counter that concealed all of
h fair toiler but her head and neck.
A irSf tho mn onfha. r-o, 80,
Of this patch of gold merely in a sort
of s~ubconscious fashion-pleasing, but
not mentally notable Then one day
he discovered 1t as a material for a
passing thought-recognized it as a
girls head, crowned with remarkably
fine, abundant, shining hair, coiled like
a corOnal.
The next time he dropped in and saw
it he wondered who this girl might be,
what she might be doing, always bend
ing so absorbedly over her hidden task.
Then later on a strange curiosity seized
him to get a glimpse of her profile to
see if she were beautiful. He would
often lie back and peer over the top of
a book, hoping that the magnetism of
his fixed gaze might cause the I'M
known divinity to turn her golden
iStAu SNSi 81 lilliC III tNtdl lIt IL
visible features. But the patient work
er never yielded to his gaze, if, indeed,
she were aware of it. There was just
h patch of gold in the afternoon sun
light. beautiful, shining as a dream.
What a lovely mystery. :
In the meanwhile EuSebius Smith
held back his manuscript and dreamed.
1t was n new sensation for him TO
nrt11a11C 1Taa N in, Iifa onI not
per, to have 4 personal and not a liter
airy romance taking form in his con-
seriousness day n night.
And well could he afford to loiter and
dream in his bachelor APARTMENTS on
royalties netting him 1000 a month.
There was no need Of haste. Life
seemed to him beautiful and leisurely.
1t was charming to spend ones morn
ings browsing in the libraries and ones
afternoons lOunging In the big chair at
Lansing & Lane's. Idealism is always
delightful. 1t is so sweet to have a
patch of gold in ones life!
Various are the ways of falling in
love. Eusebius Smiths way was char
acteristic of him; he imagined himself
into it; he fell into it from an easy
chair.
THE sunset is really fine through
our west window" said Mr.. Lane one
day, following the rapt yes of the lit
erary lion.
81 find a kind of perpetual sun glory
there" replied Eusebius Smith dream
lily.
YES" said Mr.. Lane. at certainly
is a bright corner all the afternoon
WHO does your book designing, Mr..
Lane?" asked the author abruptly and
with so loud a voice that Mr.. Lane
Was there not a little nerv-
motion of the patch of gold also?
Smith sat looking straight
westward. 1t was a strange way to
press a question.
1T is done by n very clever young
woman in our employ" replied the
after n moments hesitation.
well, Mr.. Lane" cried the literary
lion in a S~tartlingly loud and roaring
voice, 81 must say that 1 think it is des-
perately"-
He stopped short and with eager,
gaze awaited the inevitable re-
suit. The patch of gold swayed, vac
n then turned fashingly for
an instant in the sun.
"Fine!" finished the author, with a
of one and intensity of feeling
astonished and delighted Mr..
Lane. 81 am going to give you my lat
est manuscript" added Euseblus
Smith, con condition that your cleve
book designer makes it the chef
d'oeuvre of her life. Underestimate"
"Perfectlyv!' cried Mr.. Lane, rising
and rubbing his hands deliGhtedly.
Archer, will you ask Miss Torrey to
step here, please?"