Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-05-30

The attendant who answered i,
took up his name, returning in Q
few minutes to say that the editol
would see him at once, and forth.
With he led the way to the great
mans sanctum.
It was O small room in which
Northmore found himself, the
most noticeable piece OF furniture
being . large writing table by the
window, ut which was seated q
thoughtful-looking. gray haired
man of between fifty aud sixty.
He looked up from the manuscript
ne was reading as his visitor entered, ,
and at once arose.
l am pleased to see you, Mr..
Northmore, he said, graspiug the
young. mans hand and beaming
genially. Take a seat.
For the first few minutes he chat.
ted on in pleasant strain, and his
manner was SO friendly and frank
that Northmore soon felt that he
might have known him many
months instead Of so many minutes.
And now about this story you
sent me? he said at length, laying
his hand on the manuscript as he
spoke. A very curious incident
has happened in connection With
it. May / ask il it 10 founded on
fact to some extent?
Northmore, showing his surprise
at the inquiry, said Yes.
thought so, the elder scribe
murmured, smiling to himself.
The incident in the street. where
the hero presents the heroine with
q bunch Of daffodils in place Of her
own 10 true, eh?
Quite true, Northmore answered,
puzzled by the smile that played
upon the editors benevolent face.
1t happened to You personally I?
Yes.
And you are acquainted with
your heroine:
No, / can hardly say that. /
had never met her before, but she
lives opposite me.
The editor nodded.
Yes, he said. And on the same
morning that | received your story
l received one from her, written on
the very same lines, introducing
this incident, and bearing the same
title.
He looked at Northmore then as
one man looks at another when he
expects to astonish him. And this
expectation was fulfilled. His con-
tributor gazed at him in round
eyed amazement, wondering il he
had heard Alright.
1t is the most curious case have
ever met with in all my experience,
the editor went on. One might
call it almost unique. The stories
are identical in every respect, the
motive is the same, and they both
end badly; but that, 1 fancy, can
be remedied. / think You ought
to know this Miss Henderson, and
i have asked her to call upon me
tomorrow afternoon at 8. IL you
could also call, say about half past,
by then / shall have explained
matters to her. / want to use the
story. and my idea is that Yen
should talk it over together. IL
should prove very interesting to
you both, and ! think you will be
able to make it end happily, and
his gray eyes twinkled with mean
ing.
Northmore, Of course, fell in
readily with his proposal, aud, after
q little further talk, he took his
leave, promising to call again on
the morrow at the time named.
He walked down Fleet street
oblivious Of everything around him,
bis brain fully occupied by the ex-
traordinary tale the editor had I'M
folded.
Punctual to the minute he ap-
peared at the Office the next day,
and was at once shown up. Rose
Henderson was already there, aud
there was an excited flush on her
cheeks and an expression Of wonder
in her brown eyes that showed how
the editors story had astonished
her.
There was little embarrassment
on both sides when they met, but
this the editor quickly dispelled,
and after q little talk, be laid a
baud On each OF their shoulders in
fatherly kind Of way that was ir.