Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-06-10


as | said, a mere hallucination. l sus-
pect she will have forgotten you by
this time Then, leading the way to
a remote corner of the room, he drew
aside curtain and said quietly:
Miss Marguerite"
Come in" said the girl in a low,
musical voice and marked southern
accent.
A mellow half light filled the
apartment. 2
1--WE visitor"
The splendid Harvard man stood at
the doctors side and slightly to the
rear. From his eyes there shone a
great compassion.
This is MIR. Hamilton A cry of
alarm came from the pillows.
Hamilton approached the bed.
Wont you tell me why my name
alarms you so?" he asked tenderly.
She looked at him for what seemed
an interminable period, then she said,
half to herself:
How could 9. man with face like
that do such thing?"
At this the doctor would have with
drawn, but Hamilton, with motion of
the hand. detained him.
"Do WHAT" Hamilton asked.
81 heard you say, doctor" the girl
went on, ''it was an hallucination: but
here-read this!" She fumbled under
her pillow, drew out sealed envelope
and handed it to Hamilton. 81 didn't
intend that should be opened until my
death, but I think you, of all men,
should see it."
Hamilton broke the seal and read.
The doctor watching him saw look
of the keenest pain come to him.
The contents of the envelope had
fallen from Hamilton's hand. They
were simply a letter and a clipping.
The doctor picked them up and handed
them to the girl. but she gave him
back the letter and said quietly, Read
it,
It ran:
Dear Miss Wentworth:
Your story, His One Love- has
been favorably considered by us. We
want you to let us publish it anony-
ilcuSig VI uliuSl d iOll1 uS plIliC. IL
suits our purpose so well that | shall
pay you Kipling prices for it. In
closed please find check for S100.
trust you will find this fair compensa-
ton.
Yours, Truly,
John Ray Hamilton, Editor"
The doctor folded the letter, and as
the girl took it she said:
when | received that my dream of
happiness was realized. l did not
mind their publishing it anonymously.
1t has my idol. did not care for fame,
but / had labored-oh. so long-over
that story. But, like most women, |
couldn't keep it to myself / had to
tell all my friends that my story had
been accepted by the leading New
York magazine. l showed them all
this letter, and was fairly lionized by
the simple village folks. was pointed
out as the young literary woman of the
state, and some even said | would be q
great novelist. Well, finally the maga-
zine came"
Hamilton groaned.
Everybody in the village had order
driver, handed them around; but he
didn't make any comment. He seemed
in hurry to get away as soon as he
gave me mine, and when | called after
him and asked if he had read my story
and weren't going to congratulate me
on it, he seemed not to hear me, but
turned so quickly away that l was
alarmed. He had read my story,
though, and this is what he head at
the top of it,"
Hamilton raised his hand in depre-
eating manner.
The doctor took the slip. It read
as follows:
For long time we have been on
the lookout for the most worthless
story possible. in order to give our
readers an idea of the kind of rubbish
we receive, and have selected this as
the one"
The doctor stood with the slip in his
hand. The girl watched his face as he
read, then said
"a whole world, no doubt, laughed
at the brilliant EDITORS sarcasm. All
but a lone, little village in the back
woods Of Texas. There were dozen
men there who would gladly have
gone to New York and shot that editor
but l begged them not to do so. l was
dreadfully ashamed. | could hardly
look my own mother in the face. And
after all the hopes they had built on
me, too. They loved me so, and pitied
me SOL but when heir compassion be-
came greater than could bear / crept
away alone-alone with my broken
heart-to die here. hadn't done any.
thing to deserve it. either. | had just
worked at my story, dreaming of
fame; and when it was ready | copied
it so neatly, and didn't roll it or fold
it, but put it between two pieces of
pasteboard and then posted it myself.
And l waited so long, and then the
editors letter came. And oh. the JOY