The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-02-07

one. IT'S no tr ouble, and-and il must
want it,
Under one? You're kind" he said
Il don't know-perhaps it does. Die
you mean now?'
Just as you like. / mean it's nc
trouble" she repeated
lie threw back the door. She stu
diously avoided looking pointedly
round. but she could not help seeing
something that brushed away another
slice OF the mystery table in the
corner by the window covered with
writing paper. That's what he did
then, wrote all day long. He had
no carpet down; in five minutes her
small broom had lightly licked round
the walls; in five. more her long one
had gathered up the worst or the
dust and nue. lie waited on. the land!
ing outside. As she brushed the heap
past him he held out two coins that
had grown hot in his hand. lie
knew that she often thoroughly
cleaned a room for fourpence.
What's that for?" she whispered
sharply girl who seldom saw oc-
casion To whisper. Put il back or
won't ask To do il again. You know
bcttcr!"
81 know you're kind" ne said again,
past a throat lump. "These-these
rooms soon get dirty"
They do, i'm six or seven weeks He
went in; the dust had subsidized. She
knelt there, wringing her flannel, and
picturing him al the table in the cor
ner. No, she should never dare 10
offer 10 cook him a meal. Ii seemed
the most ridiculous thing i'm the
world that day, but somehow, her
heart was beating faster under the
blouse, that suddenly seemed too
shabby for the daylight at the
thought that she had done him that
morsal o. good" He was one OF the
men who painfully need some one 10
look after them, and. in the nature OF
things, that some one could only be
n woman. IL was all well To have
broken hearts" Busy fingers are
the things helpless man needs.
And after that-after that Gyp, SUI
'premcly unconscious OF her own tact,
foun regular opportunities of doing
him that little service. No one knew;
and if he could never seem 10 find
his voice in thanks he seemed to
know that any mention of payment
would bring the blood surging to her
checks. Just as you may find fault
less kernel in fool of a husk, so you
may have the heart of true woman
beneath an impossible bodice. Gyp
did it. for the love OF the thing. II
any one had suggested that she did
it for love Of the man Gyp might
have found herself unable 10 an
swer.
The lower door Of the tenement
generally stood open. One day, at
an hour when most of the occupants
were out, Gyp saw q tall, aristocratic
Cd gentleman, with white hair firing
ing his silk hat, staring incredulously
ian.
"Does-does my son lodge here?
mean, n Mr.. Meredith?" he asked,
ping nuAh Eiflllt fiiluifNUs
There's one right at the top" she
said, cycling him doubtfully. Eyes,
think he's in. l'll-I'll show you"
They went up. She pointed and
then retreatcd TO the next landing.
Not for her life could she help lis
tening. She heard a husky Frank"
and then a duh bound, as If the man
in there had leaped convulsively from
his writing table. And then
what! asked you not TO try and
find me. | told you"
MY boy! I've searched all New
York for you. ou-here, in this
den! Frank. you know never meant
half of what | said"
But you said il. / was a good-for-
nothing could go. | simply took
you AT your word. Perhaps. when |
can show you that I'm not so worth.
less, I'll think of coming back. Not
before! You mustn't come here. You
need not worry. ! can exc out liv-
ing by writing, and I'm in hopes"
But, my boy, it's impossible--it's
starvation! Look at you now! Peo-
pie are saying ! let you SO 10 your
Iuin!"
"To just the reverse. IL may be.
Dad, ii / have your obstinate. hasty
spirit, that is hardly my fault. I've
had to swallow the lump; I'm quite
here, whatever the place
is. No, you had better not come in
side. You'll go back and say I'm mad.
I'm not. III tell you this much: IL
his voice trembled here-"I'ye been
writing booka novel. I'm in hopes
il may be the beginning Of an end. If
il comes back-if IL fails-then I'll
realize that I've mnde the mistake OF
my life; and | may make another.
But IL won't. | can't talk about it
you'd never understand. Youth know
soon"
MY boy, you know il will come
hack-you know what things are!
ou're an unknown. Publishers play
upon names nowadays; they're bound
to. You know well why, I'd have
paid for il to be printed and let you
have your fair chance. You'd be GER