Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-07-02
The Intervention of
a Kindly Fate ~ ~
BY JOHN RAINE


II He waiter-girls were piling chairs
atop Of the cleared tables, the
cashier was arranging her money, the
few remaining diners were preparing
to depart
Esther Newton, listening 10 the story
Of her companion with a faint smile
and wide, impenetrable eyes fixed on
the outer darkness beyond the brill
liantly lighted street windows, slipped
her black coffee with apparent placidi-
~ but an inward feeling closely akin
to despair The story she kept back
was far more thrilling than that which
her companion was relating. Hers was
rapidly approaching dramatic climax
which his was not.
Nearly a year before-to take up her
story-Esther Newton, left free and
all but penniless-by the sudden death
of her father, had come TO the city
with ten dollars in silver and port
folio of clever drawings for capital. A
sublime hope and confidence, support
ed by almost incredible ignorance of
the world and her possible chances, had
upheld her in the beginning; the draw
ings, by good luck, had taken the fancy
of certain newspaper editor. The
moderate success that followed seemed
to the delighted girl most delightfully."-
certain. Sure and safe, as she be-
lieved, in the present, she had lived in
the present only, saving never a pen
ny. When, with a suddenness as nat
ural and usual as IL seemed 10 her re-
markable, the editor who liked her
work was supplanted by the editor who
didn't, her income suddenly ceased. Six
long, dreary weeks of anxiety and bad
luck followed, and now, tonight, she
was close to despair.
For six long, dreary weeks her board
bill had been unavoidably neglected.
that her room was closed to her
until the arrears were paid. "No
trunk nor nuthin' till I gets nv
pay" the landlady had called after her
miserable ex-boarder. Her only con-
ISOLATION lay in the knowledge that
small sum of money awaited her at
the newspaper Office whittier she was
going; with this sum she could at least
pay a weeks advance board to some
other provider of poor food and lodg-
ing.
In the city, however, disappointment
awaited her The editor who had used
the pictures was sorry. but he had quite
forgotten to make mention of her work
on the pay roll Would she come
around next week?
She went out into the street slow
ly, her face pale and strained and
she greeted Bruce Darke, who sud
denly bowed low before her, as one in
a dream.
He begged her 10 dine with him.
pressing the request most eagerly.
The sister with whom he lived was to
be away from home that evening; he
hated a solitary meal. He reminded
the girl that not once. in all the eight
months Of their friendship born in the
studio of a mutual acquaintance. had
she accepted the smallest, slightest
courtesy from him. He did not re-
mind her how many courtesies had
been offered, extegded. but she remem-
bering, knew. The stern rules laid
down when she entered the city were
by no means disregarded, but a certain
concession she did make.
81 have never dined in public with
man yet" she told him, "but we viii
dine together tonight if-you will al
low me to pay my own bill"
Because he could not overcome her
scrupulous determination. he agreed.
and they went to dinner. A feeling of
mild recllessness overlook Esther. and
she refused to remember that to dine
alone would cost much less than the
''dollar table d hote" Of which they
were presently disposing. She enioved
the meal and the merry conversation.
moreover, until il was time 10 go.
Still. smiling bravely, she sIipped
from her fiat pocketbook the lonely
dollar and pushed it, hidden by her
curving fingers, across the table. In
the reluctant taking, Bruce felt the
touch of the little fingers, and was con-,
scious of strange, mysterious thrill.
He was wondrously happy as he paid
the check, adjusted her wraps and led
the way to the street. The girl. ap-
parently calm and untroubled, evolved
a sudden, desperate idea.
Her companion must be somehow