The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-05
A DEVON ROSE

a
For ten years Mr.. c. Heming Magnus
has been a wrier for the lesser maya
zines. He wrote short stories and essays
and sent them to the editors in the hope
they would be accepted. His stamp bill
was very large
Still, perseverance, a mild intention and
knowledge dug from the encyclopedias
viii tell in time His accepted manu-
scripts increased in number This -perked
him up. He started a bank account OF
moderate dimensions. Nothing makes q
man so brave as a bank account
And he Joined two or three literary
clubs wherein he vas lion"
Pale, bespectacled ladies with yearnings
assured him that they had read his arti-
Gle in the Ladies Fireside Instructor on
Every Woman Her own Sandow," and
1t was lovely" This pleased Mr.. Magnus
almost as much as the editors check
He was q slender man, with dropping
shoulders, mild blue eyes and sandy
vandyke beard. When -Iionized' he used
to twist this beard into sharp point and
stab himself upon his front shirt. Though
his legs were wobbly and his feet large,
his heart was in the right place Tnis
he knew from the fact that when startled
by a sudden noise it beat thick and
quick, like a madma2 on q drum !"
A boisterous doctor came up behind him.
slapped him on the shoulder and howled:
l"Maggy. old man, how're the brutal
editor mem"
l The heart, which was in the right place.
began humping NIagnus wheeled ana
faced him. wrath in his pale eyes.
Il do 50 hate 10 be called 'Maggy,' " he
snapped. 1t really is not nay name"
Then his thin. delicate hand went to his
left side.
Its all right, Magpus." the doctor
said. Beg pardon You look overworked.
Take bit Of free advice-ga away some
where and rest"
Il was early summer and the members
OF the literary clubs. the fashionable and
the preachers were fitting
The bank account was healthy Mag
nus looked over the papers. Among
thousand advertisements OF places with
ali the comforts OF home" his eye was
caught by the metnion OF MaJfield.
He asked about it and was told it was
in a good country. with pure air, farm
foods. trout fishing and cheapness. That
seemed to suit. Next afternoon he
alighted from a dilapidated cart in front
of "Grassdene" farmhouse.
river rolled grandiy 10 the south
The hills were blue, save upon their sum-
mits, which were crimsoned by the dying
sun. From afar came the drowsy tinkle
of a cowbell A slow wind brought the
scent of fresh fields and flowers. Looking
from his window over the sweeping river
Maguus said:
Here is rest. I DO not want human
companionship-a cultivated mind needs
only itself Surrounded by these eternal
hills, and which dwell simple people,
solitude should bring happiness Their
ways are not my ways, their sculs are
half-developed. but we, need not clash"
He fell readily into the habits 5f the
household. It consisted Of Mrs. I -udcun,
a siiver-haired widow. her granddaughter.
Elfreda Loudon a brown-ey ed gifI Of =.
with a delicious figure. a mass Of brown
hair. and a frank smile, and a mon-of-
alI-work, who ate enormously and never
saio a ord
The awe women gave him no conf
siences. for which he was grateful. He
-sssrf forced to admit that their manners
.
nate female refinement They made no
EFFORT at all to entertain him He paid
his moderate bills and kept himself TO
himself
He discovered boat in small house
: which stood by the river. and used to
null labol io1sly a haIf-rniie up the stream
of evenings. then float lazily down. The
heart which was in the right place began
10 show some disposition TO stay steady
when sudden noises came.
two weeks, however, he realized that
q cultivated mind needs something more
than Itself He was bored Furthermore.
hIs conscience oppressed him lie told
himself that he was ungenerOus in with
holding himself from these two lonely
women. who knew nothing of books, So
ciety, cities. or the great world without.
He was ont conscious Of a desire TO al
leviate the loneliness Of Mrs. Loudoun.
tut ne thought the girl would improve
nightly by converse with a man Of his
cultivated abilities and experiences. She
was plump. and her weight in the boat
made, the rowing more difficult, but he
endured the extra labor for the pleasure
OF watching her intellect expand like
flower.
He noticed that in the half-nght Of the
eN enings she was a singularly pretty girl.
nor could he see that she lost any of her
attractiveness in the full light Of day
She listened 10 his talk OF books with
every appearance Of interest. He found
all her comments apt. and some OF them
shrewd He felt. the unconscious charm
OF her innocence.
One evening. three weeks after the be-
ginning Of their friendship. she assumed
sufrance OF the conversation. It was done
in a spirit Of mischief. but the eyes of
Magnus did not see il lie lacked the
perceptfve faculty
She astonished him much by 4 sound,
e. not brilliant, nonologue upon the Eliz
abethan poets as compared with those Of
the earlier era. and il q mid discussion
OF the reputed authorship Of the Srake-
spearia nplays she worsted him badly.
She said they We're the work OF Sir Wal
ter Raleigh during his eighteen years Of
confinement in the Tower ~ London.
Next day she invited him into e part
of the house be had not visited. intro
duced him 70 q sitting room furnished