The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-12-11

she said, presently. "I have story 10
finish for the Epoch tonight, and it's
weighing on my mind
weighing on your mind" he ex-
claimed. Il don't believe you allow
anything to weigh on your mind, Gwen"
Don't your" she asked, listlessly.
How little he understood!
The editor of the Epoch had rejected
her last contribution, with a curt note
to the affect that the story was scarcely
up to her usual mark.
No one but Gwen herself knew how
she WINGED beneath that criticism, as
beneath every rebuff of the same sort.
They were plentiful in her profession,
but somehow that did not make them
easier to bear.
To her editors and colleagues, Gwen
seemed case-hardened journalist who
pocketed snubs cheerfully, as matter
of course, and showed a commendable
appreciation of her own ability.
They little guessed what agOnies Of
doubt and self-distrust the girl endured
at every business interview. at every
post that brought back a rejected manu-
script; what bitter tears she Sled in
secret; how. at times she would cry
out in her loneliness and feel afraid
desperately, hopelessly afraid of the
struggle that lay before her, the sOrdid,
miserable struggle for mere bread-and
cheese that had been her lot almost ever
since she could remember.
The success that had fallen to her
Sh ho hn1 oh I,,t ;t Il;
suffice to set at rest the terrible doubt
of herself and her powers that torment
ed her SO perSiStently.
Sometimes at the end of more than
usually hard spell of work. her over
taxed brain would suddenly refuse to
respond further to her call upon it. and
then an awful fear would seize her
the fear that she had come to the end
of her resources, that her stock-in- trade
of ideas had been exhausted, that she
had. in fact. written herself out"
At such times she would sit at her
desk for hours, wild-eyed and white
faced unable to pen a single line, WON
dering desperately what the end of it
all would be.
And then, all at once. in the midst OF
her misery, a thought would come to
her. bringing light to her tired eyes,
and flush 10 her cheeks. that seemed TO
transfgure the anxious face and make
it strangely beautiful.
She was not altogether friendless. He
had told her, again and again. in his
boyish. impulsive fashion. that he ad-
mired her more than any other woman
in the world; and, though she smiled at
his extravaganza, ii was infinitely
soothing to her.
He had never pretended to be in love
with her Indeed, he had hurt her often
enough by his thoughtless. outspoken
comments upon his own and other men S
attitudes towards her.
But-there had been no other woman.
Perhaps. some day-who could tell?-
he might-he might-Gwen never got
| beyond this point. She was proud, she
| tried to be proud. even to herself.
It was pride that made her smile her
caImest smile when she was most dls-
rouraged and depressed; PRIDE thal
made her silent in her suffering, even
, before him. and when he understood her
,aast made it the more impossible for
her to undeceive him.
There had been no other woman.
Well, that was over now.
| "Mv love to Lucy" she said, as Tom
bade her good-by that night.
INV love to Lucy" she whispered to
herself. when the door had closed pe-
hind him.
Then she began to laugh.
She was too proud to cry.-Short Sto-
ries.