Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1904-01-22
By Kathleen Blake Coleman.

"The sweetest JOY, the widest woe 10
love" -BAILEY FESTCS.
CHE was leaning back in her chair
> very tired. The day was a hot
one, and the room, the highest in a tall
building, was stuffy and close. 1t was
a bare-looking room, furnished with
a mean desk, a chair or two and a piece
of mating. There were no blinds on
the tall windows, which were covered
with dust and looked over a long and
narrow court up which al intervals
wagons numbered to the ~side-doors
of warehouses. The woman walked
YEARLY to the windows and looked out.
Far below the sun shOne on a heap OF
lumber that lay along the wall, and a
gray cat picked her way among the
planks. Dirty papers swirled and ed
die in the hot wind. A woman with
a mop and pail crossed the yard n
entered an opposite building. Present
ly she reappeared standing on the sill
of a window and sending the mop up
m down the dusty panes. The other
watched her at her work, and
a faint envy was expressed In her eyes.
Il wish | were she" she said tiredly.
"HOw she must sleep at night! Oh!
to be really tired, really worn out, the
way women are who wash and scrub
and work with their hands, and have
no time for hoping and fearing. OH.
to be dog-tircd. What a sleep | would
have" Then she laughed. and she,
il she looks up, will be envying me here
idling at the window" she said. She
looked back at her desk, at the dis
order of loose sheets covered with mar
ROY writing which lay about the floor,
at the little stack of white, blank
pages. Il must get back to it," she
murmured, stepping to her swing char
and resting a mOment against its UNI
easy back. A bell rang. Five
O'clock she cried out aloud, and that
article on PlatOnic Love to be finished
by seven. What on earth made Plato
start "A theory of his own when love is
the same to-day as it was in the garden
of Eden" She sat down and dipped
her pen into the ink-pOt. She thought
quietly for a moment. then began 10
write
"Platonic love is not possible be
tween men and women who hay;
brains and sex"
A short, hard step coming sturdily
along the passage stopped her. HeI
office Dol was half Of muffed glass
n she heard distinctly. She threw
the pen from her and listened. IL was
n long passage. and her room was thu
last in the row. Her face flushed
slowly, and into her eyes there came 4
deeper. clearer light; but she never
stirred. The football halted, and there
was a seconds wait.
Then came a rap. quick, sharp. de
cisive.
The m rose slowly, walked tt
the door and unlocked 1t.
Come in" she said. gently. and tn,
mar entered.
lie looked perturbed. He was
tall, sunburnt man Of about 80, Will
massive shoulders and a great, gaun
frame, indicating immense strength
His head was peculiar; narrow at III
base, 1t widened out above the ears
attaining generous proportions. 4
noble forehead. square and with grea
temples, rose above eyes that wer'
g%ray-blue in color and shrewd in ex
preston. The face was narrow at TIT
chin, falling into a perfect oval, whicl
was enhanced by the short brow
beard that he wore trimmed down Il
a point. His nose and mouth wer
nondescript. A great shrewdness
combined with much intellectual force
and some acquired cynicism. brOode,
In face and head. lie had a peculiar
but undOubted. effectiveness. A
heart there seemed To be much tina
was tender and graceful. This he ha