Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

lIlllllll IIIIlIlF

mark and was from the editor of re-
ligious paper. 1t acknowledged the re-
ceipt of an article sent by Malcolm
some two months before and retained
it with view to publication when the
press of matter already accepted would
permit, etc. Payment for the article
would be sent when it was published.
Dorothy's face flushed with pride at
Malcom's success as a writer, and at
the same time she could not help feel
ing that II the editor Of that paper on
ly knew how much they needed the
money he would pay for the article
when he accepted 1t instead of keeping
the author waiting until 1t appeared in
print. But she was unfamiliar with
the customs Of magazines and news
papers In this respect, and she rejoic-
ed, after all, that her husband had
been able to write anything that such
famous paper wanted.
The last letter also bore Boston
postmark, and after reading the let
ter Dorothy laid it down and rose to
walk the little room, while her cheeks
burned with excitement and her eyes
flashed with light that had not been
seen in them for many days. The let
ter read:
My Dear Mr.. Kirk-For several months we have
been considering your name in connection with
vacancy on our editorial board and have at last
decided unanimously to ask you to assume the
place OF assistant under the chief editor OF the
! magazine. We have been led to this decision by
our knowledge of your work on the German
IN IL s.
rusal OF several articles recently written by you
| and printed in the Boston Review. In addition to
this we know Of your work in Conrad through
Mr. Wilson, your old seminary classmate, who
last year was on our board for a time. We make
you this offer and hope you will see your way to
accept. The salary will be $1,000 year, with
opportunity OF increase. The press Is powerful
as the pulpit In these days, and you may be sure
your usefulness will not be shortened or lessened
by making this change We await your reply,
hoping it will be favorable to US.
Here followed the name of person
| who was at the head of one of the
most influential papers published in
New England. Dorothy knew well
| enough how much Malcolm thought Of
i the man and how often he had ex-
| pressed his admiration for the charac-
ter of his literary work.
She picked the letter up and read it
| through again. What was there in
| Conrad, this wild, uninteresting west
fern town, struggling against fnan-
| cial depression and future as well as
a past failure of crops? How could
| Malcolm ever rise to any place worthy
Of his powers in this little church, so
feeble aQd SO poor? ut is true" she
found herself saying; "it is true he
chose the ministry as his life work,
and he has often said he would not do
anything else. But
She went to the door and stepped
out on the little porch. 1t was after 10
o'clock and frosty night. Down the
main street she could see the lights
from the saloons. There was brawl
going on in front of one of them, but
that was common-a group of cow
| boys galloping down the street. firing
their pistols as they came. That was
| not unusual. Dorothy shuddered
What Of that promise she had made
with Malcolm to try to redeem the lost
of Conrad? Was it worth while, after
| all? 1t would be SO much pleasanter
| to live in Boston. They could have
things and live as other people lived,
and after awhile her husband would
become famous and
"Well, little woman, won't you take
cold out here?'
It was Malcom, and he led her into
the house again. She had not seen
him come. He had unexpectedly fin.
ished his engagement and been able to
return much sooner than he expected.
She saw as he came in that he was
very tired, but was making brave eff
fort to appear cheerful and contented.
She hesitated about showing him the
letters, but he had already seen the
open envelopes on the table, and his
hand went out toward them. Dorothy
stood between him and the table.
"Will you read them in the order I
say?" asked Dorothy.
Certainly. Must / get ready for
bad news?" he asked soberly.
at is for you to say" Dorothy an
swered. And she gave him the letters
in the same order that she had opened
them and stood watching his face
hungrily as he read them.
CHAPTER XII.
A MOMENT OF DOUBT.
Malcom read the four letters through
one after the other without word Of