Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-02-05

NO carpet down; in five minutes her
small broom had lightly fiicked round
the walls; in five more her long one
had gathered up the worst Of the
dust and fiue. He 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. He
knew that she often thoroughly
cleaned a room for fourpence.
whats that for?" she whispered,
sharply girl who seldom saw oc-
casion to whisper. PUT it back, or !
won't ask to do it again. You know
better!"
II know you're kind" he said again,
past a throat lump. "These-these
rooms soon get dirty"
They do, in six or sever weeks. He
went in; the dust had subsidized. She
knelt there, wringing her flannel, and
p~icturing him at the table in the or
ner. No, she should never dare to
offer to cook him a meal. 1t seemed
the most ridiculous thing in 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
morsel O. good He was one of the
men who painfully need some one to
look after them, and, in the nature of
things, that some one could only be
a woman. 1t was all well to have
broken hearts," Busy fingers are
the things a helpless man needs.
And after that-after that Gyp, SUI
premely unconscious of her own tact,
found regular opportunities OF doing
him that little service. No one knew;
and if he could never seem to find
his voice in thanks he seemed to
know that any mention of payment
would bring the blood surging to her
cheeks. just as you may find a fault
less kernel in a fool of a husk, so you
may have the heart of a true woman
beneath an impossible bodice. Gyp
did it for the love of the thing. If
any one had suggested that she did
it for love of the man Gyp might
have found herself unable to 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 a tall, aristocratic
old gentleman, with white hair firing
ing his silk hat, staring incredulously
in.
"Does-does my son lodge here? l
mean, a Mr.. Meredith" he asked,
keeping back some emotion.
there's one right at the top" she
said, cycling him doubtfully. Eyes,
/ think he's in. T1l-Iu show you"
They went up. She pointed and
then ~retreated to the next landing.
Not for her life could she help lis
tening. She heard a husky Frank"
and then a dull bound, as if the man
in there had leaped convulsively from
his writing table. And then
"What! 1 asked you not to try and
find me. l told you-"
my boy! I've searched all New
York for you. You-here, in this
den! Frank, you know I never meant
half of what I said!" :.
But you said it. I was a good-for-
nothing--I could go. I simply took
you at your word. Perhaps, when l
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. I can exc out a liv-
ing by writing, and Pm in hopes"
But, my boy, it's impossible-it's
starvation! Look at you now! Peo-
pie r saying I let you go to your
ruin!"
ITO just the reverse, it may be,
Dad, ii l have your obstinate, hasty
spirit, that is hardly my fault. I've
had to swallow the lump; Pm quite
comfortable 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. I'll tell you this much: T.
his voice trembled here-"T've been
writing a book-a novel. Pm in hopes
it may be the beginning of an end. II
it comes back-if it fails-then I'll
realize that I've made the mistake OF
my life; and | may make another,
But it won't. / can't talk about it
you'd never understand. You'll know
SOON"
my boy, you know it will come
tack-you know what things are!
You're an unknown. Publishers play
upon names nowadays; they're bound
to. You know well I-why, I'd have
paid for it to be printed and let you
have your fair chance. You'd be GER
tain then of getting a hearing.
don't wish to thwart your ideas, but
let me pay that!"
A pause, as if he were struggling
against the s%harpest temptation that
ever came to a man clutching the
lowest rung Of that slippery ladder
Then an amazing answer.
"No! No, sir! A month ago / might
have thought twice of that; but now
now l feel hat 1 want my book to
stand upon its merits. You don't
know what a book becomes to it's au.
thor. Heaven knows l had to realize
it was all or nothing with me! l want
to make my W way in the world
"Then, my boy, if you won't con.
slider me, think Of that poor girl with
her breaking heart. You left hel
without a word, after you had won
her affection. Think of her!"
II do" he said, brokenly. 81 think
Of her every moment I live. I would
never let it be said that I married
her for her money. I wrote to her
/ gave up all thoughts of it. She
knows--she knows that if ever / make
a name for myself Dcn't-don't
dare to tell her where | arm. If yor
do"
l H IT'S 49, 49, ~ N ~