Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-01-03

consciously at the conventional way
in which it opened. His neighbor
moved distinctly closer to him, with
kind of little jump. He turned his
head slightly, and she looked quickly
out of the window on the far side of
the car. Leighton proceeded. 1t was
about man and woman who had
not seen each other for many years;
they had loved in the early day, and
the man was now trying to pick up
the lost threads-'to rekindle the old
flre." Leighton again smiled when he
came to that expression, and as he
paused on the paragraph he was dis
tinctly conscious that his neighbor's
weight was largely resting on his left
shoulder. He stole a glance out Of
the corner of his eye, and made sure
that she was intensely interested in
his manuscript. lie wondered why.
1t was q poor story, as stories go;
he had no idea Of accepting it. 1t
was decidedly below the average in
plot and construction; yet there was
something in the style that he liked.
He thought the author might do
better work after time.
All these ideas flashed through his
editorial mind as he read. He knew
he was not interested in the story,
and under ordinary circumstances he
would have SKINNED rapidly over the
remaining pages: but he was strangely
conscious that his neighbor was alb
sorbed in 1t. and it occurred to him
to let her read it through. If she
was interested IN it, why would not
the average reader be interested like
wise? He wondered if the average
reader really did enjoy that kind Of
sentimental, almost maudlin, rubbish.
Seventy-five percent of magazine
readers are women, he argued, and
here was a woman who might be con-
sidered to represent the tastes of that
70 percent. Leighton, therefore, de-
terrained to try the story on the dog,
and, turning the pages slowly, he
noted his neighbor's interest. Now
that he was alert he could feel her
every move. She leaned forward, or
sat erect, as the mild intricacies of
the plot unwound themselves. At one
point a very respectable old joke,
which had been put into the hero's
mouth, brought a smile of recog-
milton to Leighton's lips, and he saw
in the mirror, across the car, that the
young woman positively beamed. and
even seemed to color. He made a
mental note about old jokes in
general. The sentimentalism grew
more intense as the pages turned, the
lover pleaded, the woman spurned
him, the moon came up, soft strains
of music ''fitted across the silent air."
and the young woman in the pink
waist gripped her newspaper, caught
her breath and turned almost half
around toward Leighton. He sur
missed that she had read faster than
he, and was watching to note the
effect upon him of that last chaotic,
heartrendering paragraph
He folded the manuscript slowly,
conscious as he did so that the weight
on his left shoulder was gradually re-
moved. He made some hieroglyphics
on the back of the envelope. and as
he did so the guard shouted his station
from the doorway. Leighton gathered
up his papers, rose, stole quick
glance at his neighbor. and started for
the door just as the train pulled into
the station. He had seen that the
girl was not bad looking. and her
eyes shone with suppressed excite
ment. Leighton began to doubt his
editorial Judgment, and. as he walked
toward the stairway, he determined
to seek another opinion on that
story.
Just then some one laid hand on
his arm, and he turned to find him
self face to face with the young
woman OF the car. She was blushing.
but she looked up at him with an air
of quiet determination.
II beg your pardon" she began.
II hope you will not think me too pre-
suming, but | simply could not help
speaking to you. could not miss
the opportunity. saw you reading
the story, and | felt | must ask you
about it,"
These words were ratified out as
fast as she could speak them. She
paused. breathless. Leighton smiled.
What Is IL that | can tell you about
the story?" he asked. ITO be perfect
ly frank. | noticed you were interested
In il on the train. Perhaps you will
answer some questions for me, too"
and he led the way to one OF the
benches on the platform and asked
her To sit down.
Il hope you did not think | was
dreadful rude to look over your shout
der that way" she began. but"
Not at all. laughed Leighton.
THAT was natural. IL was entirely
pardonable."
Yes IL was" she said. because |
am Miss Ida Barker"
Leighton looked al her with Il
pleasant but perfectly blank ex-
preston. lie did not see the eonnee-
tion. lie had never heard of Miss
Barker. lie felt for ii moment as IL
he ought To have known al once who