The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-27

II didu mink you We're 80 near
ibid Tighten you?" How he fore'
bore to call her dearest" he did not
know.
"oh. no."
"Then"'
Itstartled me. But think like TO
have sou near. It's so dark
ut Is-ycry dark" He came nearer.
It was delicious to think she could be
afraid o. the dark He had feared she
was 100 clever.
what were sou going to say" she
asked.
II suppose" he said. despair coming
on again. II suppose there wasn't any
body here tonight who hadn't written
ii book2"
Most OF them. several" He fancied
she signed again. II must be boredom
this time, to think of the brilliant peo-
pile ut supper while she was shut up
with him. He fancied that 1t was With
an effort she turned to him and said:
And when's your book coming Out?"
She did speak YEARLY.
III don't know" he stammered.
You are u slow writer. them"
II can't even SPELL" he blurted out
"oh. / 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 1t
would be of any use putting 1t on my
llst?"
"oK, how can 1 bear it?" His voice
came out OF a dream.
she supposed his work had not been
accepted. and reproached herself for
conversational clumsinesS. And theE
somehow went on to make 1t worse.
They generally don't mind. shes said.
Mind what? he murmured.
Being refused"
He felt himself grow burning hot.
Have been refused he stammered.
You know
81 didn't dream ! had dsred-I don't
understand How did you guess what
-"
ITS 80 usual, she said.
lie found he was lighting for breath.
BUT you mustn't mind" she said
wIth Sudden kindness. You must be
proud. and say like the others. that It's
gross blindness and prejudice, and that
somebody else will recognize your mer-
It,"
"The-the others?' he stammered.
What others?"
al! those who have been refused"
"were--were there many?"
Hundreds"
Penwin laid hold hard of the edge of
her chair.
But you mustn't mind 80 much. In
deed, you mustn't. dear Mr.. Penwtn.
Everybody begins by being refused.
Please don't mind so,
How can 1 help?" he demanded al
most with a sob.
She put out Y mInistering hand and It
met his cheek. which was bowed down.
There was tear on it. He seized the
hand and kissed 1t. and then, they
neither of them knew how, he was on
his knees by her side.
Make up to me for tia little" he
said. 1T is as hard as death"
Her hand was still in both OF HIS. He
felt a subtle change In It. II quIvered,
and then seemed consciously to surren-
der itself to him. He kissed 1t again.
After ALL she said, by and by. in a
new voice. somehow 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
a success, and you never say a 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
noylceH'
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 beautiful things
instead OF writing and reading about
them, and I.--liked that"
He was SO sad and 50 happy that he
was dumb.
"Dyou know. rd-rd rather you
didn't write"
"Dulcie!" He had never dared even TO
think OF her by her name, but now 1t
seemed the one word In the whole
world that belonged to his lips. Dull
cle!"
Yes" she whispered.
"Don't you like writing men:"
I'm sick to death Of them"
Gould you like man who couldn't
put two words toEether!" he painted.
"F'm afraid do"
could you-could you love him?"
I'm afraid do"
For one sharp moment happiness
seemed greater agony than despair.
Then he leaned his face to hers and the
agony was gone.
DO YOU BELIEVE
What Wheeling People sayP
L..