Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-05-29

And with n bow she was gone. while
I stood dumbfounded. holding In my
hands the manuscript for which so
large price was asked
sat down and opened it, my curl
osity being strongly aroused. The
handwriting was graceful and the
manuscript bore no signs of a novice.
| began reading til continued reading
it, The office boy came in and told me
it was 6 o'clock. With an impatient
command | sent him from my pres
ence. aud still read Oh, until the last
page was reached and the word fms
written.
| was an old bachelor, as have said,
little given to rhapsodies or extrava-
CANT praise. accustomed to all the
agonies of authors dreams; but some
thing different had crept into that
story: it may have been a wOman's
bleeding heart-for every page was full
of exquisite tenderness and pnthOs: it
may have been the life she said it
represented; at any rate. it was bril-
liant effort, and well worth the price
asked.
That night. eager to give her the
satisfaction of knowing that her story
was accepted. | sent note by our good
landlady.
She came the next day for her check.
white. cold statuesque as ever. save
new light in her eyes and tremOr In
her voice.
The days crept by; her story, pub
lished in installments. became the rage;
1t was an immense success; but IL she
enjoyed its reception she gave no sign.
The studying Of her lovely face had
been dangerous pastime. found
myself waiting for her coming, watch
ing her often. myself unseen. uncared
for. until l awoke one day to find my
self madly in love. and that. too. with
woman almost unconscious Of my ex-
istence.
At last she failed to appear at our
table. aud took long walks. coming
back wearied and more deathly pale
than before; few days passed in this
manner and | was becoming alarmed
when my attention was attracted to
an impending murder trial.
Two young men had quarreled vio-
lently. the quarrel ending in Charles
Rybolt shooting his adversary. Vast
differences of opinion existed. for
young Rybolt had been a most exem-
plary young man previously. and ear
nestly declared it to have been done
in self defense.
Feeling Interested in the case. l Wis
tied the courtroom. and on CHANGING
toward the prisoner. to my great sur
prise | beheld our mysterious boarder--
Miss Dinsmore, seated at his side. her
face no longer cold and imperturbable.
but anxious. earnest, alive to every
word that fell from their lawyers lips
The boy--he was scarcely mOre-held
her hand, and only one glance was
needed to proclaim their relationship
brother and sister.
knew then whose life she had writ
ten that story to save. and ceased to
wonder at its power and beauty. The
five hundred dollars had employed the
famous criminal lawyer, whose shrewd
and adroit reasoning was surely clear
ing his client of any intentional wrong.
doing.
Murder in self-defense it undoubted-
ly had been; and when the decision was
brought in, it was Not Guilty"
pressed my way forward and found
them surrounded by friends giving
forth ordinations Of thanksgiving
But my darling lay unconscious upon
her brothers breast. The long strain
of weeks had given way when she
knew her work was ended.
1t was days before she was able to
sit up in her cushioned chair and re-
ceive me-the shy, sweet bushes COM
ing and going.
II know who has been our good
! friend during my illness; Charlie has
told me; and when am stronger, il
another story will pay the debt | will
be only too glad to write it,
Nay" said. there is Il better way"
and then told her how, and found
| the arrangement altogether agreea bic.
1t was years ago | am an old man
now, and my daughter Mary comes to
me and asks:
Papa. who wrote that pretty story
| in your scrap bOOk-the sad one,
menn?"
Couldn't you guess. my pet?"
"rhe style reminds me of mamma )
stories only hers all end so happily and
that is all tears: was it mamma:''
| Eyes, my dear and then. for the
first time. | tell her of that long ago.
"And was it really uncle Charlie.
whom we all love so much? Why, he
is now a popular minister. Poor man
ma"
! Happy mammal" reply. smoothing
my little daughters curls, for a sweet
voice humming a lullaby comes to us
from an adjoining room.-The Hearth
| stone.
| --------------------
The Wounds OF IL Friend.