The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-02-07

knows--she knows that If ever make
"A name for myself Don't-don't
dare TO tell her where ! am. IL you
do"
His door banged on sob. The old
gentleman stood for a minute as IL
stupeficd, and then CROPPED back down
the eternal stairs. lie did not seem
TO see the shabby girl who shivered
back on the second landing, and Gyp's
own staring eyes merely focused a
strange mist.
Gym knew ali now: knew in her
crude way that that tio6k"thd come
to secni..a matter 81 life and death TO-
the man. The words ne 'h6d dropped.
the way he came 1ut and listened.
when the 'postman knocked, the gray
fear on his.face, that,yppished as She
came mp. with. only a long envelope.
And here--here she was, carrying tho
parcel up the endless stairs, with n
numbed sensation. 1T had come back
TO him. She had taken it from the
carriers hand. The publishers print
ed address was on il. she had only
TO lay il down beside his door, tap
once, and creep down again as fast
as possible. How right down silly
of her!
She was nearly up TO his landing.
She had paused. Tiff a parcel
comes" he had said dozen times,
you might let me have il at once"
She had paused, she knew not why.
The silence of his room awed her.
Into her head came that queer recol,
lection of the man down the street
the man Who, out of work and des-
pei.lte, had swallowed dimes worth
of carbolic acid. And she heard n rus
tie a soft, silken, slow rustic on the
stairs behind as il some great lady
were feeling her way up. Gyp looked
and looked. A sweet oval face
framed in FIR, came above the land
ing, the dark, velvet eyes in II were
looking beseechingly, fearfully, up
into hers. And Gyp knew what had
happened. 10 was the woman-the
woman whose heart was his, the
woman who had come 10 find and take
him away. And Gyp's red hands
clutched the parcel in a spasm OF
jealousy.
'Mr. Meredith? They told me he
" The whisper broke of.
Yes, | know You. Hes here"
Gyp breathed back. That's his room,
up there And this-here's his book,
come back as il went. VIII you take
it?"
A pause. His door had opened.
He knew nothing of the tragedy
breathing outside, of the two women
who looked into eacs others eyes.
lie never knew. and never wodi1
know, of the last whisper.
"Ilis-his book! And he does not
know? o, thank you! Bless you for
telling me! Give it to me-his book,
came 10 the minute. lit was to
be. | waited till j dared wait no
longer! Not word. He need not
know now. God-by, good-by!"
She had taken the precious parcel
close against the furs OF her breast,
and was gone.
Just week later, when Gyp knelt
YEARLY down 20 wash the top stairs,
the mans door opened. In the mans
eyes was "A wild light, in his hand
that mornings letter. For one of the
most wonderful things in life had
happened. And ii seemed SO natural
that it should happen!
"Gyp," he said, 81 knew you'd be
glad know you win They've taken
my book. You shall have a copy.
shall be going soon. They might call
or send. | could hardly let them
know this address You've been kind
-ah, but you haye | wanted-I
meant all along to give you a little
present. You must-you must; you
have been so thoughtful"
IL was an envelope with a gold
piece inside. He went hurriedly down
the stairs. For him new life had
begun. lie was treading golden,
dancing path, with woman's sweet
oval face at the far end of il. His
book had been taken He could not
he expected to know Of the hutFlled,
dreary figure on the top of the land
ing there; of the red, twitching
hands that covered face. He had
given her an eagle. Women IKE Gyp
have no hearts TO brealS.-Chicago |
Tribune.
Ius1