Hutchinson gazette., 1900-10-04

six montns hRO sue nhu oHVlVu
tale to a city newspaper, and all her
troubles dated from thnt day, for II
was promptly accepted, and the check
which came back seemed to open out
q dazzling prospect Of wealth, fame and
career. One or two later ventures were
equally fortunate, and then nothing
would do but go to New York and try
her fortune. OF course her elders re-
monstruted, but Honora's strong will
and abundant relish for adventure orr
red the day. Dick stormed, protested !,
and implored, but what. was n six room
coltage with Dick TO II girl stage'struck
for the trlumphs Of u world theOre ?
or The succeeding months Honora
did not like to think, Their pItiless
lessons were stlll gall to her spirit,
Enough to sny that she had left the
expensive boarding hOusc and, too
proud to confess her strnts or ask
help from home, taken the poorest OF
lodgings, Even so, with Il needle In
Sicad ~ pen IN her hand, the Srug'
gle was too hard; the battle was
ugnAs, hcr,
At this poiN, In her meditatlons
Honora jumped up and sOid TO her self
resolutely
"l1l do tt! It's better than starving,
bettcr than posing and better than de-
slroylng my eyes and running my tenn
per By sewing II hours day, III let
them call me Nora and think It's me
Olrish name" she declared under her
breath, "Und I'll give them some first
rate Yankee ccoh 'ng and go to free
lectures and concerts and the muse
ums, 80 that my time won't he wasted,
III take up my desplscd diary again,
and when ! get home In June I'll
make u clean breast 10 Dick
Nora" said Mrs, TremOine one May
morning, shaking out the aesthetic
folds of her gown, 81 expect Il gentle
man from Philadelphia to dinner. TO.
night, so lay an additional plate and
have something a little extra, will YOU,
aud pretty tiowers?" For Elizabeth S
prOtege" was trusted now even to
choose the boquets, Hes the editor
OF Pettingills," she said, turning tc
Grace, ~ remarkable mani" llcno'
ras heart gave little hutter, but II
died out Immediately,
The gentleman duly appeared, and
between the ice and coffee he observed
to his hostess; Cousin Laura, came
TO town today partly to see one Of our
contributors Last winter manu-
script reached the Office which struck
' US all as something quite eXtraordn'
ury. 1t was in the form OF Il diary
purportng 10 have been found In the
room OF an unknown girl who lost her
reason from sheer starvation in u re'
spectacle, well-to-do quarter Of Goth
am. She Is Il Down East girl, with
literary ambitions, and IN her lnnell'
ness keeps one Of these volumnous
journals that no one really writes
nowadays, giving impressions, expert.
ences and ideas with wonderful fresh
ness and country wit, II might hav'
been written for her mothers eyes OF
a lovers, perhaps. 1t reveals her fol
lies and her virtues both with sucf
perfect spontaneousness,
"When literature fails her she trici
sewing and even posing for art stp,
dents, and she hits off the fine ladies
and sisters OF your craft with mos
delicious mixture Of satire and en-
viousness. But through 1t all rum
the tragic scene Of the rushing powe
of her environment closing upon hel
like the remorseess jaws of a trap
The last four entries describe her sen
sations on four successive days with
out food after grande dame fails t
pay her for the work she has done
and 1t breaks off with the first inco
herent rawlings of coming insanity
never had anything more weird o
powerful in It's way than that last or,
for help
"TelI MS who wrote it, quick eN
claimed Grace, who felt light break
ing in on her
"That'S an odd thing about it. Tn
sketch was unsignedA and The accom-
panying slip giving the AUTHORS nam
, and address was accidentally lost w
had it put in type and decided to pun
lish II, trusting the writer would So
and claim It, | have the advance sheet
, here, hut yesterday, by good luck, tn
, missing paper turned up, and | deter
mined to run in and explain matters t.
the presumably irote lady in person
The address, believe is in tn
neighborhood. The name" Mr. Phi
lips took out n memorandum slip an,
l regarded it through his eyeglasses
"Ah Miss llonora Graves. WhS wha
, is it? DO you know her?'
, Fortunately Nora was in the kitche
6 during the ensuing conversation sCca'
/ She took her laurrls very quictI
. when they were tumu,tously placed o
3. her brow, Sitting among the girl
who welcomed her now rs Il siste
a "nrtist," she told them how the ide
/. of trnnscrbing her diary occurred t
her as u last resort in the midst of
y starving week which came near endin
4 as tragically in reality as on paper
a When no reply was received sh
:. gave up all literary projects and grasl
:. ed the first opportunity that chanc
r threw in her way-no other than Mis-
.. Eli2aheth's offer.
Il But upon being hailed as a promi'
IS ing Lion" with career opening b.
9 fore her, our ITonoru very frankly an
n emphatlcally dsclaimed the idea,
,e might never succeed again" she sal,
n "This wasn't art, but plain trutl
which was forced out Of me by II
y pinch of reality and don't want
n,, D, gppAn1 lin,