Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-12-31
BY FATE OR
CHANGE !?
BY HELEN M. QUINN
Copyright. 1901, BY H. NJ. Quinn

| PUBLISHING house WIS diiuuSt utS1fteI
| In one of the offices man and wo
man were at work. the former pusily
| writing and the latter reading YEARLY
| through slowly diminishing pile OF
MSS.
The woman sighed. The man looked
up at her.
Tired. Miss King?r
sTiredl That does not express 1t, and
1t does seem that am accomplishing
very little today"
Gan be Of assistance? am almost
through"
''well. there IL one thing would like
| TO have you do when you can spare
time. have two stories here on which
should like to have your opinion"
you think they are goodf"
Yes. but should like to know
whether your judgment agrees with
mine. This Reason and Romance
think. shows decided genius. and this.
For Aud Lang Syne.' seems to me to
be rather clever little story. but as IL
is written by very dear friend Of
mine perhaps I am partial. VIII you
give me your unbiased opinion?'
He crossed the room and took the
MSS. from her hand. few minutes
later she closed her desk and put on
her hat.
Il am going home" she said as she
paused at the door III Mrs. White
should come in. would You mind ask
Ing her to telephone me from heref"
1T will be pleasure. Miss King"
When she had gone. he laid down his
pen. put away his papers in method
ical way. lighted cigar and settled
himself comfortably back In his chair
The first story he took up was Reason
and Romance" 1t was short. and he
read II through quickly.
"Umph. Well. yes. suppose there Is
genius in It." he unused. "but 1t Ger
tainiy wants cultivation"
He picked up the other and at first
glanced over II somewhat cayelessly.
then suddenly few lines brought back
his wandering thoughts. He turned-the
pages to look at the authors name
LILLIAN watson" he said thoughtfuls
~. well. this is coincidence.'
He read few pages further.
ut is surely more than coincidence.
because no one but Bessie could have
Written TINS no matter what the sigma
ture. Why. I remember this scene as
If it were yesterday. We were only
chliaren then. 10 be sure. but there are
Things one never Iorgets, ana she has
remembered our very words
once more ne turnen 70 Se sheets I'D
MS nand. but soon they We're laid on
the uesk. ana ne SAT with ms forehead
resting on MS palmsand his deep gray
eyes looked weariiy back through the
years.
how WILDLY the little story brought
" ali pack 10 nim-the Two childish
piaymates OF long ago. the scrapes they
Tel into and out OF together. the boy
ana glri VINO were schooimates and
shared each others sorrows and joys
.nu we're 'oya. eoinfaaes' tnen tne rear
i.auon .nal 'nis youeniui colnpan'on
sup nao aeveiopeu INTO tne passionate
.o'e ot man anu woman ana the deep
nappiness 'nis a"akehihe nau orou2H
70 Dotn OF tnem' HOW wei ne remem-
oeleu nis aruelt "ooihg anu ner sweet
surIehuer'
linen the gray eyes grew troubled as
ne thougnt OF the httie rift within the
iute ana the maj quarrei and parting
Drought about by woman's pride and
mans stubbornness
ihat was I'VE years ago. but 1t
seemed as II he had Just awakened
from long dream. He had tried SO
marc 70 forget ana until today almost
hau convinced himseif that he was sue
ceeding. bnt somehow all the Old hopes
crowded INTO ms heart, ana he realized
tnat they We're mastering him In spite
oi himseiI.
a cannot forget he said. Il must
see her again ana win her forgiveness.
she can not have forgotten the old
Gays, or she would not have written
TINS.
There came to him great longing to
hAg hos al g.. l.. Il.