Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-11-29

margaret was not Laughing now
She was playing with the ornament on
the mantelpiece again and wishing
rather that somebody would come into
the room.
"And I mean more than that" Eden
went on, encouraged by her silence.
II mean that for days and weeks and
months-ever since-since I read your
last book'-he noticed Slight flush
creeping round her neck-"I have
longed to know you as friend, and
to be able to tell you how much I ad-
mire your work. T."
Miss King turned toward him, and
her face was very grave.
"Pardon my interrupting you," she
said, "but understood that you wished
to see me on business. Had we
not better get on with the inter-
view? Or. if you have changed your
mind about that, perhaps you will al
low me to attend to my work"
He understood the rebuke, but stood
his ground firmly.
"Give me two minutes he said. II
suppose I shall never have chance of
speaking to you like this again"
She pondered for moment, irreso-
lutte, and then dropped into chair.
'In life like mine," said Max, there
are few refinements. A young journal
list cannot, as a rule, afford to marry.
He lives by himself, or with another
man, in chambers; he feeds at restaur-
arts; he spends his evenings-if not
at his office-in theaters or music halls.
The feminine influences that fellow
living at home or married man has
the benefit of do not fall to the lot of
the unattached man in chambers. He
talks to his laundress in the morning
and barmaid at night, but otherwise
his social circle is mainly composed of
gross males"
"And so he consoles himself by in
terviewing ladies?" said Margaret,
reading, for the tenth time, soap adj
vertisement on the back of magazine.
"Such an occupation is not always
one of pure JOY" Eden replied, feeling
more at home when she rallied him like
that. "But suppose that he finds,
quite by accident, woman whose ma
ture is entirely in accordance with his
own; whose thoughts seem to turn in
the same direction; whose soul"
"And what if she happens to be old
and plain?" Miss King interrupted,
looking up at him from her chair.
"Would that make any difference?"
ut would be-impossible," said Max,
hesitatingly.
"That is, if I may say so, silly" Mar
garet quietly remarked.
Eden was rather nettled.
II beg to differ from you," he assert
ed. Beauty of body is nothing as
compared to beauty of soul and purity
of intellect. 1t is your mind worship;
your"
Margaret rose again, hastily. Such
a situation as this could not be faced
from the depths of a low wicker chair.
II think this has gone far enough"
she said. 81 must ask you to leave me-"
He gazed at her blankly for mo-
ment, as though hardly realizing he
was to be dismissed thus CURLY. Then,
in feeble kind of way, he picked up
his hat and moved toward the door.
AS he was going, something in his
manner appealed to the girl more than
his words had done. They had seemed
to her to smack more of the hack
writer than the passionate lover. But
as she noted a certain stoop of his
shoulders and caught glimpse of his
face, it occurred to her that he might,
after all, be sincere in his protestations.
She would not have been woman if
she had let him leave like that.
"Oh," she said, and stopped abruptly.
It was not very much, but it made
him turn round with suggestion of
hope in his expression.
She did not look at him, but spoke
hurriedly.
1T is just possible, she began, shat
there may be something of truth
in what you have said. If so am sorry
for treating it-lightly."
He was silent, but his very silence
went to convince her of his sincerity.
IF you knew anything about me-"
she continued, perhaps you would not
have come at all. There is secret, but
it is not my secret only. I suppose,
however, l can trust you?"
''You can," he said. quietly, and the
tone of his voice told her so much that
the blood surged up into her cheeks.
II think can," she said; "and in tell
ing you this 1 am doing it for your own
sake. You would have me believe that
you-like me-for my work?"
He nodded, wondering much what
was to come next.
''Then you may be interested to
know she went on a little bitterly,
''that the books you refer to were not
written by me at all"
"But you are Margaret King" ex-
claimed Eden, amazed at the confes-
sion.
Il am Margaret King" she replied,
''and am received in society as cele.
brated authoress. I go to dinners, ba'
Ears, and meetings in the same char
acter, and receive interviewers. There
my business ends. Come here" she
added. 81 will introduce you to your
kindred SOUL
Max WINGED at the stab, bit followed
her to an alcove before which heavy
curtain was draped. Margaret drew
aside a curtain and revealed a table
On the table stood photograph.