The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-06-19

souia-WeG, you'd make your everlasting
fortune-mina too
Not u you paid us the same rate vou
nave offered him Coruelia SAD v,,,b
usheing eyes. McCullom. who had rissn
ana walked the rooms length snrany
PACK a. least foot CRYING.
now do you know? You must knovv
MIN Say, Miss Thornley,. n vnn.u 90,
me an Interview before the rest "a, and
MN out, you shall have a years engage
nent right straight through"
Ihank you for nothing. 7 am .hova
orloes- Now ! have no need Of them >,
'ornelia said merrily. shaking her fnu
purse In his face. McCuilom eyed II crit
ically. - III
II Ihat was my wife's. I'd say. Sam
pies ne retorted. but you-it must
De money unless II is manuscript"
me terms are interchangeable. accord
ing to McCullom," Cornelia said thrust
ing letter In his eyes. They gave me
mat just now at FLYERS" she went on
II Is addressed TO John Desmond. hut
they appeared to think had a right IL"
FOR the first time within recorded knowI-
edge McCullom was speeches. a full half
minute. yet he caught both Cornelia's
hAnds, and wrung them hard and hear
uiy' then as his vo &c came back he shout
ed 70 MS stenographer: Miss Bliss I
say, Miss Bliss! Take this letter to our
SUBSCRIBERS and see that il goes at once:
Tear sir; l an happy 10 announce, on behalf q
the Literary Press. that there will sppear in i,s
regular service al the earliest possible dates six
short stories BY John Desmond, the famous new
novelist
'Oh, thank your Cornelia SAID with her
test courtesy. Excuse the information.
hut You nave only five of my stories In
| hand. However, l can send you another
one that was not good enough for the
Flush of Innocence-if you will take il"
Take IL! I'll take whatever you'll let
me have. So will those Blush idiots
when they lind out who you are" McCuI-
lon said with an elevation of his thin.
flexible nostrils. Cornelia laughed softly.
Maybe you are right" she said. AT
any rate. CUTLER hlmselr'-QIiller was
the Blush's chief editor-"has written 20
John Desmond praising the strength, del
icacy, and originality of his work-its
deep inner and spiritual slgnificance'-and
asking to be favored with contributions.
Of whatever sort and size 1t may please
John Desmond 10 send OF course | can't
Jet him have back the thing he has JUS.
returned, bat how if / exchanged with
you for the story or mine you care least
abCut?'
McCullOr- e her a reprOachful look.
AS IL int know that all your
stories ~ IJcrlative-rNr"' he said.
''No, no, Miss Thornley, . Iu annot get
back a line from US. The 49, !. may wait
until you choose to writ s>aie thing es-
pecially FOR it, but l hons on won't do
il. / want II control your work exclusive
ly"
COrnelis sack her head. Her smile
this time was an obstinate one. McCullom
whistled two notes of popular air, each
decidedly out of key; then burst out; "Of
course we'll pay what these stories are
worth. You don't doubht that, hopper
You will pay the exact rate they were
worth when brought them to you" Cor
nelia said. rising to go; then over her
shoulder as she went through the door:
Il am not 80 young az | might be, still
think | shall live long enough TO get out
of you full value for the bubble reputa-
ton"
McCullom looked after her, whistling
more crankily than ever. He had put on
his hat to go out Suddenly ne lifted ii
and said TO the man at the next desk:
"Confound il. We've been employing
genius Lnawares and now she IL showing
me that those impossible heightened peo-
pie she is so fond of putting in her stories
are not impossible after all. Come 20
think of 1t, that letter had best 90 as a
dispatch, and add that the authors name
is Miss COTnelia Vance Thornley, Be
sure 10 say. too, subscribers must pub
lsh 1t In big type in next Sundays pa
pers. 1t is a piece of news worth printing
"a clear literary scoop on the literary pa
pers themselves"
McCullOm spoke of knowledge without
foresight. He overlooked the presence of
slim. alert young fellow, carefully but
not foppishly dressed. He had come up in |
the elevator with Miss Thornley, and |
might even nave preceded her into McCul- |
lom's presence but that something in her |
face had made him do what he seldom |
aid, put himself aside for q woman neith- |
er young nor beautiful. While she talked |
he stood in vacuous quiet, then az she |
went away he hurried after her. But he |
missed the car that took her down. and |
when he reached the street level she was |
out of sight.
We lost her. but l won't lose my story. |
I'll go and call on Mrs Gilchrist Maybe /
she has heard OF her" he said.
Twenty minutes later he was threading |
his way through the scented intricscies
OF Mrs Gilchrist's morning room A wood |
IRE snapped and sparkled IN the CRATE.
There was great bowl of roses upon the
inlald table al one side, and everywhere
the fire shine flashed back from bronze
ana gliding and polished wood Mrs. Gil
christ was the despair OF gift-makers.
Already she had SO near everything it was
matter Of six months thought 10 find
anything she could accept with a decent
show Of civiiity.
what is 1t you want now, Charlier?"
sAe caIled 10 her visitor. 'Wretched boy,
you hho" you never DO come near me ex-
cept when you want something"
L know IL. | have come 20 balance ac-
counts by telling you something Won are
wild to know" Charlier said bowinp
over her hand. She was tall, very blonde
with a classic face, and a figure full of
richly gracious curves. She SAT In a bigb |
carved chair beside an open desk. The
top Of it was strewn with unseaIed NOES
In dainty envelopes. A Turkish cigarette
half consumed and still smoking Law
among them.
Have one. You are never decentIv en-
tertaining except when you smoke " me
49, NA-ShNs fAN 1
SAID extending full cigarette case 10
her calle-. These are nice" she went on.
but II you want something stronger YOU
VIII md cheroots on the library table-Iny
husbands, OF course. they are. but he
Won miss one if you are careful TO shut
he box right"
Thank you; this does exceIIantIv ~
charlier said. Il am so fun Of my news I
must tell H. John Desmond, author Of A
Rope of Sand is one Miss ThornIey. Do
'ou happen 10 know anything about her?'
What? Oh, you are joking or soms-
BODY has imposed on You dreadfulIyl
.orneia THORNLEY,! Why, know every
hing about her. and it is utterly irnDos-
ible she can have written that book |
Why. ! actually read 1t instead of skim
ming, as l do most things"
But she did write i'll can't he mis-
aken-so tell me all you know. Hone ,
here are al least three columns OF IL ,
,haIlier returned. Mrs. Gilchrist drew a .
ong breath. then shook her head al him, ,
With pretended frown.
% . IL. i