Smyrna times., 1902-03-26
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
! ON THE
!; REBOUND
By GARFIELD MACNEAL
Copyright, 1901, by
Garfield NacNeal.


was an old maid. She parted the
cretonne curtains of her bed, curtains
covered with red roses, suggestive of
summer sunshine. and turned her eyes
toward the window. Rain beating
against the panes and dull gray sky
proclaimed a cheerless November day.
She sighed. Then, stretching out a
shapely arm, she took a silver hand
mirror from the nearby dressing table
and carefully studied her features.
In the language of Shakespeare she
saw mo deeper wrinkles yet" face
long and oval, patrician in outline and
expression. skin rather olive. eyes
brown, deep and luminous. mouth gen.
erOusly nodded, and a wealth of brown
hair. On the whole it was notable
face and one of character.
Dropping the mirror on the bed, she
called. Lois \ French maid, neat,
trim and smiling. appeared with the
breakfast tray.
"Ah, ma'm'selle! A thousand con-
gratulatiOns on your birthday"
"AIy thirtieth, Lois! But thank you
| just the same"
"Ma'm'selle is still young, and al
ready fame has come to you. And
when your novel is published the world
will be at your feet" said Lois with a
comprehensive sweep indicating the
world
"Oh. yes. the novel," murmured her
MISTRESS sitting up and starting in on
her coffee and rolls, while the maid
laid a bundle of letters ana manu-
scripts on the bed.
Miss Treadwell opened the one bulky
package and looked at the accompany
ing letter 1t was from a great pub
fishing house. formally expressing re-
gret that they were unable to accept
her novel.
She gulped down something in her
throat. Her novel declined. Her first
really original work. to which she had
given the leisure hours of six years!
Truly. this was a most delightful birth
day gift.
Lois" she said-and her voice trem-
bled-"LOis, my novel has been de-
clined.'
| L
with quick sympathy-'but some other
publisher will accept it."
Her mistress shook her head. 81
shall not send it out again. l shall
stick to hack work. | can at least
make a living at that" Then she add
ed refectively, my life has been {
failure
| oic ,Dro+oe+od Che x1-OrobiDod bo,
mistress. "Ma'm'selle has been sue
cessful. You have a pretty apartment
and everything you want"
"Other women, too, have prett.
apartments and everything the.
want"
"Ah. yes. but they did not work 70
Them" said Lois with a worldly shru
as she went in response 20 the electri
bell. which ait this moment buzze
] loudly in the hall.
l She reappeared with a huge whit
e box. Flowers. ma'm'selle, and
r note" she said gayly.
|. Miss Treadwell cut the ribbon tina
e held the box and disclosed a mass c
f violets. They seemed to look up g
e her tenderly yet shrinkingly as sh
: bent over them. With a sigh of pleai
: ure she took the note and studied til
a bold handwriting of the superscril
t ton. Her heart jumped. Surely
e was Jacks. Dear old Jack had +,
e mGmbered herl
n She slit across the end of the el
velOpe while her fingers trembled an
eagerly unfOlded the DaDer.
Dear Lillian" she read, "may
y hope that this remembrance of yol
s. birthday will prove that l have n
he forgotten you? l have been in tow
two days. secured your addre
S, from C.'s Magazine and send the
he flowers to warn you that am comiI
a to invade your sanctum sanctorum al
III talk over old times. Always yo1
friend, Jack Ainsworth."
She started up. scattering letters al
manuscripts on the floor. Lois" s.
said decidedly, Il want you to lay o
my new morning gown, the sea gre
he one with the train"
I'll Sitting down at her dressing tab
she began a careful toilet. II
thoughts were busy. with the pa
Jack had been her girlhood friend
at the little inland town where they we
J." both born and bred. Again she W
an twenty-four and he was twenty-s
SIS Why had he never spoken? She kn'
wv he loved her, and. perhaps, she
as loved him, too, then. But when
~ mothers death left her alone in t
world, she was seized with the des
to come to New York to try her
tune. Jack had advised against
ng but a strange perversity made her d.
to his warnings.
get At first they had kept up cor
ip- spondence. Soon even that link was b
Igo ken as she was drawn more and M
into the absorbing whirl of newspaI
and magazine work. For five years
letters had passed between them.
al be sure she had heard of him indirC
It'll ly, how he gradually forged abe
ity from clerk in the railroad Office
Ike manager of the whole system, and
ing had been glad for his sake.