Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-07-23


toward the low coping on the edge Of
the roof. "You read of people falling
off roofs In summer time How many
do it by accident and how many with
actual intention?,
Again Patrice looked at him anx-
iously. His hands were clasped about
/ mis- knees. and his eyes glowed
strangely.
''Oh, you can't understand how lone
some I've been. I've been hungry for
the sound of a woman's voice, and
since I've been in this house I've sat
and listened to your singing and won
dered If any one would ever sing like
that-for me-"
Silence fell between them. The girl
was thinking hard and fast. 1t was the
heat, the awful heat, that had nearly
unbalanced his mind. Perhaps she had
come just in time. And he had a
mother-on the farm. There was a
sharp brief struggle with the old pow
er of conventionalities then she leaned
over for nest of pillows she had
brought up from her den.
Lay JO0A ANoh Ol1 LDCSCy SAC 6dAN,
with an air of authority. You're
too tired to talk, and you never should
go to Newspaper row a day like this.
It's deadly. Come"
She patted the pillows and looked at
him smilingly. Like a tired child he
laid his head on the pillows, and, with
a gentle maternal movement born In
every good woman, she commenced to
stroke his forehead. Her fingers felt
cool to his hot head, and her voice,
grooming one Of the songs his mother
and hers had sung, grew fainter and
fainter in his ears, and at last he slept.
When Cannon awoke, dawn was
creeping over the city. He was alone
on the roof. Then he looked at the pill
lows and remembered. A hot flush
mounted to his face. He had been q
coward. Moreover, he had let a wom-
an see it. And what had he said to the
pretty girl in the kimono? The remem-
brance of gray eyed girl at home
came to him, and he paled once more.
He gathered up the pillows and hur-
ried down to his apartment. Just for
an instant he paused outside her door,
but no sound came from within. The
pillows seemed to burn his fingers, and
one done in white silk crescents and
Yale blue in odd brocade and a red
just the shade of her kimono.
After his bath he felt better and
more reasonable. Then he went out to
breakfast. On his return he found a
letter in his box. 1t brought new
light to his eyes. The question of how
he was to meet and greet her no longer
disturbed him. A moment later he
tapped on her door.
She threw it open. The kimono had
disappeared, and a slender figure clad
In a short walking skirt and shirt
waist stood before him. She was evi-
IDENTIFY just ready to start out on her
days work. He hesitated, and she
filled in the pause.
How much better you look this
morning! You must have slept"
"Slept? Like child" he laughed.
MAY come in just moment? l
want you to see this letter."
She took the letter and led the way
to her tiny parlor.
What did tell you? The tide has
turned. Two hundred dollars for the
serial and they'll be glad to consider
short stories also. am very glad. !
would like to see you succeed" Her
eyes fell. IL think that when one
lives alone, as l have been doing, she
is apt to watch others. And 1--we
known just what struggle you've I'M
dergone. And now, you see, you won't
need my poor little illustrations to
catch the EDITORS eye Two hundred
dollars! guess we'll drop the partner
ship idea" She smiled cheerily and
reached for her hat. The clock in
the church tower across the street
chimed 8.
He looked straight into her honest
eyes.
"You are mistaken. l will need you
more than ever. The serial must be H.
lustrated."
1t was now her turn to blush, and
she iabbed, her hatpin nervously into
the saucy sailor.
"I'll be glad to do it, of course, and
it will probably be my last work of
this sort II shall be married in Oc-
tober to our art editor"
Cannon instinctively drew breath
of relief. His hazy recollection of that
scene ON the roof cleared. He rose and
opened the door for her.
''I'll call for you to take lunch with
me- With two hundred looming up, it
must be something special today. And
we'll talk illustrations"
But in his heart he knew he would
tell her about the gray eyed girl at
home.