The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-01-02
BY FATE OR
CHANGE
BY HELEN M. QUINN
Copyright, 1901, by II. NJ. Quinn

publishing house was almost deserted
yn one of the offices man and q wo-
man were at work, the former busily
writing and the latter reading YEARLY
through slowly diminishing pile Of
MSS.
The woman sighed. The man looked
up at her
'Tired, Miss King?'
Tired! That does not express it, and
1t does seem that l am accomplishing
very little today"
"Can be of assistance? am almost
through"
swell, there Is one thing l would like
to have you do when you can spare
time have two stories here on which
l should like to have your opinion"
"You think they are good?"
Eyes, but l should like to know
whether your judgment agrees with
mine. This Reason and Romance
think. shows decided genius, and this
For Aud Lang Syne' seems to me to
be rather a clever little story, but as it
is written by very dear friend of
mine perhaps l am partial. VIII you
give me your unbiased opinions"
He crossed the room and took the
MSS. from her hand. A few minutes
later she closed her desk and put on
her hat
Il am going home" she said as she
paused at the door. eff Mrs. White
should come in, would you mind ask
Ing her to telephone me from here?
xui hA nj II
When she had gone. he laid down his
pen, put away his papers in a method
ical way, lighted cigar and settled
himself comfortably back in his chair
The first story he took up was Reason
and Romance" 1t was short, and he
read it through quickly.
"Umph! Well. yes, suppose there is
genius in it," he unused. "but it GER
tainly wants cultivation"
He picked up the other and at first
glanced over it somewhat carelessly,
then suddenly n few lines brought back
his wandering thoughts. He turned the
pages to look at the authors name.
LILLIAN Watson!' he said thoughtful
ly. "Well, this is a coincidencer'
He read few pages further.
1T is surely more than coincidence,
because no one but Bessie could have
written this. no matter what the sigma
ture. Why, | remember this scene as
If it were yesterday. We were only
children then, to be sure, but there are
things one never forgets, and she has
remembered our very words"
Once more he turned to the sheets in
his hand, but soon they were laid on
the desk, and he sat with his forehead
resting on his palm and his deep gray
eyes looked YEARLY back through the
years.
How wildly the little story brought
1t all back to him-the two childish
playmates of long ago, the ,scrapes they
fell into and ont Of together, the boy
and girl who were schoolmates and
shared each others sorrows and joys
and were loyal comrades. ,then the real
izatlon that this youthful companion
ship had developed into the passionate
love of man and woman and the deep
happiness this awakening had brought
to both of them! How well he remem-
bered his ardent wooing and her sweet
surrender
Then the gray eyes grew troubled as
he thought of the little rift within the
lutte" and the final quarrel and parting
brought about by a woman's pride and
a mans stubbornness.
That was five years ago, but it
seemed as If he had just awakened
from long dream. He had tried so
hard to forget and until today almost
had convinced himself that he was sue
ceeding, but somehow all the old hopes
crowded into his heart, and he realized
that they were mastering him in spite
Of himself.
IL cannot forget" he said 81 must
see her again and win her forgiveness.
She can not have forgotten the old
days, or she would not have written
this"
There came to him a great longing to
hear her voice, to feel her hand, soft
and cool, on his forehead. as she used
to lay it long ago when he was tired
or discouraged and came to her for
sympathy.
He was reused from his reverje by
the entrance of the Office boy bearing
a card.
'Lady for Miss King, sir!'
Bring her ia here" he said, without
glancing at the card which the boy
laid on his desk. He took 1t for granted
that the lady was Mrs. White.
Was ii fate? Was it chance? Who
knows?
In a moment he heard the Office boy
return, and he could hear the faint
rustic of q woman's skirt.
The shadows had gathered in the
Office, and the light was somewhat dim.
He looked up and saw her standing
there I'm the doorway In her simple
white dress and blue ribbons. the
sweet. girlish face just a trifle more
serious perhaps than OF old, but other
wise unchanged.
He jumped to his feet and came for
ward. but his back was to the light,
and she did not have a good view Of
his face.
HAS Miss King gomez she asked
in a low voice. and the old tones
thrilled his very soul.