Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-03-07

"Mr. Thorpe?" quer!ed Lady Alice.
The visitor admitted his identity.
I'm SO impatient" proceeded Lad!
Alice. "Where will you sit! DO begil
at once please
| The meek person poised her pencil
and two pairs of feminine eyes gazet
expectantly upon Mr.. Thorpe.
Il think it would be better remark
ed that gentleman, "if | had some gen
eral idea OF the plot you propose"
"Oh. yes. How stupid" gayly crie'
his collaboration. II don't think yol
need wait this morning. then. Mis-.
GOlding. Come again tomorrow at 10
by then we shall have settled the plot
and we can begin the writing"
Miss Golding gone Lady Alice gaz
moments.
well she announced ut length. "it's
got to he about a girl"
Eyes"
"And man."
"Quite So"
"And they must fall in love, yor
know"
Naturally"
"And they can't marry for ever Sc
long, and people try to keep then
apart. and they have each other ut the
end. like happy endings." remarked
happy Lady Alice. with judicial air
There was short silence.
Hasn't something like that been
done before?" Mr.. Thorpe ventured tc
ask.
Il suppose it has" admitted Lady Al
ice discOnsolately. "All the stories
have been done before, I think. Both
err
"Rut we might do it over again." sug-
gested Mr.. Thorpe. "Only in differ.
ent way, you know"
"Oh. so we might" cried Lady Alice
joyfully. GLOW clever of you. DO
lets.'
The writing of the novel went mer-
rily on for about week. when one
morning radiant vision foated into
the morning room and announced that
it was the chairwoman Of the Society
for Bettering the Conditions of the
Middle Glasses, and that there was a
committee meeting at 1870.
so we shan't he able to do any novel
this morning." continued Lady Alice.
Don't wait. Miss Golding."
The meek person removed herself.
but Mr. Thorpe seemed in no hurry to
go. He continued to gaze at Lady
Alice. who certainly was worth look
ing upon. Her gown was an exquisite
creation, hut it was upon simple, al
most shabby, little pearl brooch at the
throat that Thorpes eyes were fixed.
II see you've had your brooch mend
ed. Lal?" he said in a strained voice.
Lady Alice paled.
"The brooch-Dick's brooch? Why,
what" she gasped. with her eyes
Then she took a step forward.
"Dick" she cried. "You know Dick -
"No," answered Mr. Thorpe. II am
Dick. 1t was the beard and losing my
hair. | suppose, that prevented you rec
ognizng me-"
He walked toward the door.
"Stop. Dick" whispered Lady Alice
I'VE must finish the novel. you know"
ut will never be finished" he an
swered roughly. He turned from her
to hide his CHASTITY face.
You must stop. Dick" painted Lady
Alice. Listen. want to write an
other novel. I'll tell you the plot"
She came closer to him and laid her
hand on his arm. He shook from head
to foot.
Its about two people," painted his
lost sweetheart. "And they We're en-
gagged and awfully in love. Then the
man lost all his money and went to
South Africa to make some more, and
the silly girl promised to wait for him.
for she was really awfully fond of him.
you know"
"Ah, stop-in pity" he cried. II can't
bear it,
She went on:
"And when he was getting on very
ruined him over again. Then he wrote
to the girl. and released her from the
engagement. and 1t nearly killed her
But he didn't care. He enlisted In some
irregulars. and behaved like hero,
and got mentioned In dispatches. and
all sorts of things. Don't be impatient
Dick: I've nearly finished. Well. then
he came back, and he didn't tell the
girl who he was. although he met her
again. He was so cruel and hard-heart-
ed. Oh. he was brute. Dick! And
the poor girl was breaking her heart
for him all the time and people Won
dered why she didn't marry, for she
was getting quite old-nearly twenty
five. And he was actually going away
from her again. and she got so desper-
ate she had to speak. And-oh, Dick.
can't you see?"
Dick saw, and that Is why Lady
Alice's novel was never finished.
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