The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-03-22
"It's so annoying" he ventured.
ut is" she said, but quite softly.

ing at the same time.
"Oh. l don't mind"
"And, you see, it's-it's my fathers
room," she added, in an explanatory
manner, so that he could not but feel
J that something had been explained.
He would have been glad to have been
told what.
II suppose we can talk?" she said,
nervously.
"Yes."
There was long silence. He heard
that she sat down and he moved close
to her silently.
81 suppose" he began, desperately.
"Oh!" she cried.
! "Yes?"
81 didn't think you were so near!"
did l frighten you?" How he for
bore to call her dearest" he did not
know.
"Oh, no."
Them"
at startled me. But I think like to
have you near. It's so dark"
; 1T is-very dark" He came nearer.
1t was delicious to think she could be
afraid of the dark. He had feared she
was too clever.
What were you going to say?" she
asked.
81 suppose" he said, despair coming
on again. 81 suppose there wasn't any
body here tonight who hadn't written
a book?"
Most of them, several He fancied
she sighed again. 1t must be boredom
this time to think of the brilliant peo-
pie at supper while she was shut up
with him. He fancied that it was with
an effort she turned to him and said:
And when's your book coming out ?"
She did speak wearily.
II don't know" he stammered.
"You are slow writer then?"
81 can't even spell!" he blurted out.
"Oh, l don't know that that makes
any difference"
There was another silence. Then she
appeared to make another effort.
"And you really can't tell me when
it would be of any use putting it on my
list?"
"Oh. how can l bear it?' His voice
came out of a dream.
She supposed his work had not been
accepted and reproached herself for
conversational clumsiness. And then
somehow went on to make it worse.
"They generally don't mind" she
said.
mind what?" he mur1nured.
Being refused"
He felt himself grow burning hot.
"Have I been refused?" he STAN
mered.
"You know"
"I didn't dream / had dared-I don't
understand. How did you guess what
l."
'It's so usual" she said.
He found he was fighting for breath.
But you mustn't mind" she said,
with sudden kindness. "You must be
proud, and say like the others, shat it's
gross blindness and prejudice, and that
somebody else will recognize your
merit"
"The-the others?" he stammered.
"What others?"
"All those who have been refused"
"Were-were there many?"
Hundreds"
Pcnwin laid hold hard of the edge
of her chair.
"But you mustn't mind so much.
Indeed, you mustn't. dear Mr.. Penwin.
Everybody begins by being refused.
Please don, mind So"
"lIow can | help?" he demanded, al.
most with a sob.
She put out ministering hand and
it met his cheek, which was bowed
down. There was a tear on it. He
seized the hand and kissed it, and then.
they neither of them knew how, he
was on his knees by her side.
MAKE up to me for it-a little," he
said. at is as hard as DEATH"
Her hand was still in both of his.
He felt a subtle change in it. 1t quiv-
cred, and then seemed consciously to
surrender itself to him. He kissed it
again.
after ALL" she said, by and by, in
new voice, somehow 1 should not have
thought you were writing man."
why not?"
you don't look like it, you know"
81 don't" he admitted, miserably.
"And you never ask how much So
and So got for So and So, and you never
seem annoyed at anybody's book being
success, and you never say good
thing and then seem to think you've
wasted it, and you don't talk about
form and local color and"
"You see," he pleaded, I'm quite
novice!"
N"And always when you came into the
room there seemed to come breath
from the mountains where nobody
hunts for unusual words and where
one can live with real and beautifui
things instead of writing about them
and Liked that"
He was so sad and so happy that he
was dumb.
"D'you know, ibid rather you did.
mt write!"