The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-01-23
By FATE OR
CHANCE
BY HELEN M. QUINN
Copyright, 1901, by H. VI. Quinn

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Saturday afternoon. and the great
publishing house was almost deserted
In one of the offices a man and q wO-
man were ut work. the former busily
writing and the latter reading YEARLY
through a slowly diminishing pile of
MSS.
The woman sighed. The man looked
up at her.
"Tired Miss King?"
"Tired! That does not express it, and
it does seem that l am accomplishing
very little today"
Can be of assistance? l am almost
through"
well, there is one thing l would like
to have you do when you can spare
time. 1 have two stories here on which
l should like 10 have your opinion"
You think they arc good?'
YES. hut | 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 tn me ~
be rather clever little story. but as it
is written by Il very dear friend Of
mine perhaps l am partial. Will 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.
II am going home" she said as she
Of ., 81 =
should come in, would You mind ask
ing her to telephone me from here?"
1T will be Il pleasure Miss King"
When she had gone, he laid down his
pen, put away his papers in Il method
ical way, lighted a 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 it through quickly.
'Umph. Well. yes. suppose there is
genius In it," he unused, but it GER
tainly wants cultivation"
He picked up the other and al first
glanced over it somewhat carelessly,
then suddenly a few lines brought back
his wandering thoughts. He turned the
pages to look at the authors name.
Lillian WatsonT he said thoughtful
~. "WelI this is coincidence
He read few pages further.
1T is surely more than coincidence,
because no one but Bessie could have
written this, no matter what the sigma
ture. Why, l remember this scene as
if it We're yesterday. We We're only
children then, to be sure. but there are
things one never forgets. and she has
remembered our very words
Once more he turned to the sheets in
his hand, but soon they were laid on
the desk, and he sat with his forehead
resting on his palm and his deep gray
eyes looked YEARLY back through the
years.
How wildly the little story brought
it all back to him-the two childish
playmates of long ago, the scrapes they
fell into and out of together, the boy
and girl who were schoolmates and
shared each others sorrows and joys
and were loyal comrades, then the real
ization that this youthful companion
ship had developed into the passionate
love of man and woman and the deep
happiness this awakening had brought
to both Of them. How well he remem-
bered his ardent woong and her sweet
surrender!
Then the gray eyes grew troubled as
he thought OF the little rift within the
lutte" and the final quarrel and parting
brought about by woman's pride and
q mans StuhbOrnnCSS
That was five years ago, but it
seemed as if he had just awakened
from long dream. He had tried so
hard to forget and until today almost
had convinced himself that he was sue
Ceeding, but somehow all the old hopes
crowded into his heart, and he realized
that they were mastering him in spite
of himself.
Il cannot forget" he said. Il must
see her again and win her forgiveness.
She can not have forgotten the old
days, or she would not have written
this
There came to him great longing to
hear her voice, to feel her hand, soft
and cool, on his forehead, as she used
to lay it long ago when he was tired
OF discouraged and came to her for
sympathy.
He was reused from his reverie by
the entrance of the office boy bearing
Il card.
Lady for Miss King, sir"
Bring her in here" he said. without
glancin% at the card which the boy
laid on his desk. He took it for granted
that the lady was Mrs. White.
Was it fate? Was it chance? Who
knows?
In Il moment he heard the Office boy
return, and he could hear the faint
rustic of woman's skirt,
The shadows had gathered in the
office, and the light was somewhat dim.
He looked up and saw her standing
there in the doorway i'll her simple
white dress and blue ribbons, the
sweet, Sirlish face just trife more
serious perhaps than of old, but otner-
wise unchanged.
He jumped to his feet and came for
ward, but his back was to the light,
and she did not have good view Of
his face.
Has Miss King gomez" she asked
IN low voice. and the old tones
thrilled his very soul.
Without answering her question, he
held out both hands.
"Bess"'
For a moment the womsn's seff nos-