The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-17

Copyright, 1903, by Robert Howard
Russell.)
CT heard you come in, joe" painted
in G1braith's lap. please read that.
It's got to be lone in time for the
morning mail, three Or four thousand
words at least; and I haven't had a
wink Of sleep in about two days,-"as
working on that Brooklyn fire all last
night and today" Hayden paused for
breath.
The storm of wind and rain that was
seeping the city at one o'clock on this
August night, followed a week Of ex-
f~raordinary heat. 1t had driver Gil
braith and me from q r~oof-garden to
erestaurant, whence he asked me to
come to his rooms for a smoke. He
had beer in very low spirits throughout
the evening, Notwithstanding the prom
ise of GOODNESS which made others
cheerful,-appearing to dread the time
when he should be left alone. AS ne
was uncommunicative, 1 did not know
the cause OF his depression. Hayden's
nervousness steadied him for the mo-
menC- he READ the lcleSIdIh- DIoIy
not yet received. Announced positively
for Mondays paper. Hope you won't
fail me. Slocum."-then turned in
quiringly to his visitor.
''Slocum's the editor of the Smith
Vile Chronicle" explained the latter.
"Smithville is my birthplace upstate,
and the Chronicle is an obscure little
weekly published there, but it's where
T 1Ot ~ start in noV-Sn9 NOR UOr< SlO-
cum secured my place for me here, TOO,
which left him stark alone-and he's
getting old"
$50 to bed, old man." said Gilbraith,
soothingly. "You look like an escaped
lunatic-walking in his Sleep Hayden
was a tall, thin bundle of nerves, with
an intellectual forehead and sensitive
mouth, whose very evident need Of
sleep justified Gilbraith's description of
him.
Il can't leave Slocum in the lurch,
and 1 WON'T" he said doggedly, "es-
pecially as it is all my own fault. He
wrote asking if I would send him some
thing of this sort for next Mondays
paper. l promised it off-hand, then
forgot all about it till I found this
wire on my table fifteen minutes ago.
I'm going to see the thing through to-
night, though. if I die in the attempt.
"ThatS what you're likely to do
Frank said Gilbraith. why, man,
the idea is absurd. You are talking
about turning out q story of that
length in six hours, whereas I've been
working. on one for s.z months-and it
isn't finished yet"
You writing ste esp asked Hay
den, incredulously. What is it about?"
He appeared sud My interested.
1T doesn't mar what it is about,
does it," said c. oraith, GROSSLY. Evil
IDENTIFY he regretted having spoken Of
his story. II OF : mentioned it to illus
trate my poir that you can't do a
thing like thu between now n morn
ing. It's rio ~-ulous."
Il might j you'd help me-" Hayden
was feeling his way. For instance, if
your story would answer my purpose,
and you d;int mind turning it over to
me as far as you've gone with it,
Nov. there's a brilliant idea," COM
mented Cilbraith, with sarcasm. you
are a man of resource, Hayden; you
ought to be at the head of the paper
some day"
It's a desperate case with me, Joe,'
pleaded the visitor. Besides, if you
COuluH l uo lIe lIillIS SOuISS1l III ~
months I don't believe you'll ever do
it."
That's my affair.""
At all went it was not mine. | had
already heard more than was intended
for my ears, SO I walked to the window
to inspect the weather. The rain had
ceased falling. but it's work was WISH
BILE below, where a lively current
sluiced along the asphalt. The storm
had left a queer, %yellowish glow, and
the air seemed overcharged and still
quivering with the violence of the ele-
ments that had rent it. This was my
opportunity to reach home without a
drenching, but again Gilbraith's voice
deferred me.
you've got a lot Of cheek" l heard
him grOwl. to which a silence followed.
then some words the purport of which
did not reach me. Suddenly he went
to his table. unlocked a drawer and
took therefrom something that looked
like a manuscript, which he almost
flung at Hayden.
There it is" he cried. land good
radiance to a rubbish. I'm deadly
weary of one thing. All I ask is tina
you never mention it to me again"
Hayden seemed to mutter hanks
hunbly. and to escape from TIE room
as quickly as decency permitted, but
with the look of a man who has at
tanned his object. Thereupon Gilbraith
came over to me at the window and
began talking in a way I had never
heard him do before, for he was close
mouthed by habit.
Joseph Gilbraith and his brother,
Robert. with a cousin named Walter
Gayle. We're the only survivors of an
old southern family. Being left in the
relation of guardian to Robert, the
one remaining object of his affection.
Joseph had chosen to migrate to the
north Gossip had it that he made
this change with a view to placing the
boy beyond the influence of certain
family traditiOns,-seVeral representa-
tives Of the name in past generations
having given it a questionable fame by
their truculent methods in quarrel and