The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-10-25

every moment DelonES 10 tne pubic
and that your leisure hours should be
sacred -
OH groaned the author, pulling n
long face, but Ainulka calmly went on:
-" but | also know that your heart,
rs great as your genius, embraces all
humanity and beats in sympathy with
every suffering. | am the chairman of
the committee for the relief of poor
young ladies who are too proud to
work. Our means are small, our needs
enormous. The situation indeed Is so
desperate that the very existence of
our society, one of the most useful in
the city, Is in jeopardy. But If you,
honorcd master will bestow upon us
out OF the fullness of your portfolios
the manuscript of novel or even
short story we can offer 1t at auc.
| tom
Enough Markiewicz interrupted in
n rage. "The devil take them! Fort
folos? What portfolios? Do they
think I've got MSS. to burn? Here I
am with three or four editors scream
ing for copy. and they talk about port
folos! How's the thing sgned?"
"Eulalia Kuku."
"Mny hawk fly away with her,
"PlcaSc don't be so cross, Ferdi-
nand." the little woman mildly remon-
strated.
ut isn't my fault, you know" He
caught her hand and kissed It, "For-
give me, my treasure. But look Mt 1t.
I'm worked to death already, and along
comes this Eulalia Kuku and wants me
to write a novel for her! Well, let's
have the next one" His wife rummag-
ed among the correspondence and pull
ed out bulky package, the sight of
which nearly made the author fall Off
his chair. Great heavens!' he cried.
"a manuscript! But there is a letter
attached to it, | see." Aniulka opened
the letter and began:
"'Master the words which thou
readest are n confession. Thou hast
'dwelt in my heart and slept in my
bosom, as the poet saith, and thou art
the father o. my child Ferdinand"
Aniulka dropped the letter and glar-
ed at her husband with distended eyes.
He moved uneasly in his chair and
said: THAT must be n figure of speech.
Give me the letter. l will read it my
self"
But Aniulka had retrieved the pre-
cous epistle and clasped it to her bos.
ON as if she would defend it with her
life.
mot for the worldv' she replied. 81
will know til" whole truth"
She read on:
81 have sat at thy feet like a little
violet at the foot of mighty oak, for
have not the lowly at least the right to
hide themselves in the shadow Of the
great? SO l, even l, fly to your protec.
ton. l am a young" -
| i"Fool.' Markiewicz interposed.
81 am young girl, but l love litera-
ture and woLld serve it-oh, so gladly
If l could hear word of encourage
ment from thy lips.
ITO be sure, mamma and Aunt And
zia and Cousin JoziO are unstinted in
their praises, but l am afraid they may
be prejudiced, so await thy judgment
l know that thy time is the property of
the whole nation, but l trust to thy
goodness and send thee these six poor
volumes Of my romance, "On Broken
Pinions." Read 1t. Thou art the cause
of its existence, therefore pronounce
not sentence of death on this infant
that have brought into the world I'M
der thy influence.
MarkiewicZ drew a long breath.
Didn't | tell you it was figure of
speech. Throw the infant into the
waste basket What. Read six vol
umes of illegible manuscript? Never!
And you wouldn't believe 1t was a fig
ure of speech!'
'Please forgive me, Ferdinand" Ami
ulka pleaded very meekly.
"Oh, with pleasure" replied Markie-
wicz, whom the happy negotiation Of
this piece of thin Ice had put into grea t
good humor. Read the next one, my
love. Aniulka read:
"'Honored Sir-I am by choice and
profession philosopher, devoted to
psychical studies. At present am en-
gagged In OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES re-
search, the object Of which is to deter
mine the influence Of different varieties
Of flesh food upon intellectual and es-
pecially upon creative power. Do you,
for example, work most easily on q
beef diet or upon lamb chops or veal
outlets? Which meat do you find best
for the delineation of character and
which for the description Of natural
scenes? | inclose printed form of
questions, such as l am sending to all
the great thinkers Of Europe, and beg
you to have the goodness to fill out the
blanks, adding such additional remarks
as your experience may suggest, and
return at your earliest convenience. AS
the holidays are approaching you will.
l trust, find time to write the few hun
!: dred lines necessary, especially in view
of the fact that the subject Is Of world
wide Importance
Markiewicz bounded from his seat
and snatched the letter from his wife's
hands, exclaiming. "Oh, that / mi yh,
kick him down stairsp'
"My dear Ferdinandw
. "Oh, l apologize! What comes next
la@.