Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-05-28
WHEN LATHAM
INTERfERED
e, WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE
Copyright, 1909, by T. c. Mcclure
,saA5ese*s4zse~saae.assR
Guess I'm all in. ell, Doctor?

l Ohl ~ Al bsiL NVui
Fifteen minutes later Robert Latham
tptoed into the sick room with that eX-
agger:ted caution which a robust six
footer usually feels in the presence of
had his face turned to the WALL but at
the sound of footsteps Slowed round
his head
He smiled family from the pillows.
"Awfully glad to see you, old fellow.
1t was good of you to come"
Latham choked a little. This mod
est young fellow with the winsome
smile dragged nightly at his heart
strings.
Yes, it was dashed good of me-" he
answered gruffiy. do you expect your
friends to forget you just as soon as
you make an idiot of yourself?'
Weir's face was q study in embar-
rassed apologies. Really l couldn't
help it this time, Latham. The kid
was right in the way of the car. 1t
was up to me to do something"
'Of course it was. It's always up to
you to do something" Latham spoke
gruffiy to cover a melting heart.
Jimmie Weir laughed little broken
ly Good old Latham, Everybody
, knows you. \ fierce bark but you're
mighty shy on bite" Then with Il sud-
den change of voice, Il say. Bob, there
iS bipor | wont vnu 70 do for ma
III case | pass OUT
You're not going to do any such
dashed fool thing"
THE doctors think | am" answered
the young man quietly. 'They don't
say so out and out, but they think it.
They're afraid of blood poisoning.
What l want you to do, Bob, in case
the thing is going against me, is to for
ward this letter TO Effie Sheldon. You'll
do that, won't you?" he finished rath-
er wistfully.
80 that's what the boys had on his
mind these last three months; might
have known some baby faced pink and
white girl was at the bottom of his
depression; guess I'll have something
to say to Miss Efiie," thought Latham.
Out loud he said, ''Sure thing"
"Oh, and there's one thing more
about the book. You'll attend to any
correspondence necessary between me
and the publishers?"
Il will that. I'll see that the sale of
the new great American novel doesn't
suffer because its author happens to
be a bally idiot without sense enough
to let people take care of their own
babies"
All through his days work at the
city desk of the Post young Weir's
white face kept coming between La
than and his work. He had half a
mind to write to the girl himself. Still,
he had made it the rule of his life TO
mind his own business.
Afterward, ON a sudden impulse, he
sat down and wrote a letter to the
young woman who hadn't sense enough
to appreciate Jimmie Weir. He told
very simply and lucidly the story of
how Weir had thrown himself in front
of a cable car to save a child and in
so doing had lost his hand, how the
boys first words after recovering con-
SClOuSlIcSS uSlh DCCA uS W llit SlLCly
of the child and how the young author
lay in the hospital at the point of
death. Then he told graphically of
the young mans fight against i'll health
and poverty, of the brightness and
good cheer which never deserted him
and which won all men to him. He's
the most charming man the Lord ever
left unmarried. l don't know whether
you love him. ! dare say not. Most
young women haven't sense enough to
love the right man. But l know that
he cares a great deal for you. L could
see it in his eyes when he gave me
this letter to forward you. If you do
care for him, and you're a woman
worth your salt, you will take the
next train for Kansas City, no matter
whether you think it proper or not.
If you come, wire me at the Office, and
1 will meet you at the station" La
than smiled grimly as he read over
his brusque, offensive letter. IF that
doesn't bring that young woman, she
isn't worth the powder to blow her
up" he said to himself.
Then full grown there jumped into
Latham's mind an idea for booming
'"The Dice of the Gods" that he always
claimed was the real reason for its
proving the big seller that it afterward
did. He shouted across the hall to
Perry, the literary editor:
by thunder, Dick, I've got the big
gest idea in logrolling you ever saw
for booming Jim Weir's book. You
watch my smoke. I'm going over to
see Alcott of the Associated Press"
The result of his interview with AL
colt was apparent in every city of the
country next morning. Generally speak
ing, the Associated Press is not run for
sentimental reasons, but the paragraph
about young Weir's accident was de-
signed to draw tears from New York
to San Francisco. IT. succeeded. Men
talked about it in restaurants, women
discussed it at their clubs, and tender
hearted girls wept. Latham had put
four hours into the composition of
five hundred word story about how the
brilliant young author Of the latest
novel, "The Dice Of the Gods" had
given his life to save a child. His life
SllLl huIS ~ IL Odt NANAS was
small hope of his recovery.
Latham, the cynical, chuckled when
the telegrams of inquiry poured in
from all over the country. Orders for
the book deluged the publishers. The
critics discovered that the novel was
both brilliant and profound.
1T happens to be true, but they
would never have known it if it hadn't
been for me-" growled Latham as he
walked down to the depot to meet
young woman from Buffalo.
A gray eyed girl i'll a brown travel
ing dress alighted from the tf.in be-
fore the porter had well settled the
stool
How is he:" she demanded from
Latham before the newspaper man had
announced himself. Her quick eye HAD
picked him out at once.
Better; lie has Il chance" answered
Latham. This way for the cab,
please"
Latham could not tell on the journey
to the hospital whether she cared for
Weir or not She was so quiet and self
composed so eminently mistress of
herself, that he felt an unworthy de-
sire to say something that would cut
| her to the quick. But once, when they
got caught in jam of carriages and
had TO wait Il few moments, she turned
| a white face to him and asked if there
were not some way of getting to the