The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1901-01-18

erly expressed. because I've taken time
with II. I've cut II down and worked
II over, and I've viewed II always In
the new light that has come to me.
Bless the dear girl! Let's talk of her
for awhile and let criticism rest. AS
for your opinion, | pity aud forgive
you. Let that suffice
So we talked about the dear girl and.
as before, wound up with n game OF
billiards. And, by the way, Blake
made IA Roman holiday Of me. His bill.
lizards had improved a hundred per cent
within the week.
1t was agreed that | should drop 10
upon him at his lodgings after dinner.
Miss Woodruff was not to be mt home,
and an evening in his bachelor quar-
ters was the. best hat Blake could
hope for.
1t may have been 8 o'clock when |
arrived. Blake came to the door Of his
little parlor I'm response to my rap. He
had on an old red sweater" with n
faded ii on the front of II. An old pair
Of trousers and a straw hat with no
SIVN III " NOtiIlttcu lis NiSlpiV t'ilN
I had seen Blake wear this hat be-
fore, when he had to work late at
night. The brim shaded his eyes, and
the absence OF the crown, in his opin-
ion, prevented nm Injurious effect upon
the hair such rs is said to come from
wearing ones hat In the house.
Blake has plenty OF hair. and In mo
mcnts of excitement II stands out from
his head Mt all sorts OF angles. On the
occasion I'm question 1t streamed up
through that broken hat as If the cir
clet Of straw had been a funnel sup.
piled with n mighty draft Of air.
Everything has gone to the devil!"
was his greeting to me.
"What do you mcanY" | cried. HAS
Miss Woodruff
"Oh, no: she's all right, but that in
fernal villain Hatfield. to whom I've
owed n couple of hundred dollars for II
year or two. is going to make trouble"
"What trouble can he makcT | de-
mandcd.
"Why. he'll tell Mr.. Woodruff. and
then my cake Is dough-" said Blake.
"You see. | neglected to mention the
Hatfield matter in my talk with Wood
ruff, and he'll remember that. l tell
you II would ruin my life"
But there's nothing disgraceful
about this debt"
"No, except that | didn't tell Wood
ruff about it. There's the pinch. I've
| got to raise the money for Hatfield to-
morrow"
"How in blue blaZes are you going
to do it?" ! demanded. IL haven't 1t,
and
"I've seen Harper" said Blake. az
III finish that Porto Rlcan romance
for him, he'll pay spot cash. There's
about 5000 words to write. and | can't
do %it-except that I've got to. Why,
old man. fancy my trying to write to-
set, that my brains are mush. I can't
think Of my own name. Yet l must do
it. But, OH" he groaned, at will be
awful rot!'
He rather staggered than walked to
his chair beside the big table in the
center Of the room.
"Sit down and keep STILL" he said,
"but don't leave me. Just stay by
through this night. and maybe l can
turn the trick. If I'm left alone, l shall
either go crazy or go to sleep, and ones
as bad as the other tonight"
Three seconds later his pen was dig
ging holes in the paper. At first 1t
went heavily onward. and frequently
he stopped and paced the floor, assur-
ing me that no nan SO miserable as he
was could possibly write.
Presently, however, he began to go
more steadily. His eyes took on a
glare. He no longer addressed any re-
marks to me. but he said things about
Porto Rico and the character Of his
story to the air.
Meanwhile he smoked long black ci-
CARS, the ends Of which he chewed saw
agely.
This continued for hours. About l
o'clock he slowed up, and several times