Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-06-02

coed, Gwen, when | watched how yol
stood up against all odds, how yol
smiled at rebuffs that would have mad
other women weep, how you bearde,
the editors in their dens and calmly toll
them that your stuff was what thel
wanted, and how. when they declined
your manuscripts time after time, YOU
only laughed and declared that your
hour would come some day-do you re.
member, Gwen?"
Yes, | remember" she said, YEARLY
And your hour has comet"
yes, got what wanted. Tom"
Il knew you would. You are so cool
and plucky and unmoyed. Gwen. Some
times | feel almost afraid of you"
"Afraid-of me?"
She stared at him, with wide eyes full
Of pain.
Almost afraid" he said. you are so
different from other women. Some
times, Gwen, you are almost unnatural.
you seem so proud and strong and in
dependent"
IF he only knew" she whispered TO
herself. and in that moment she real
tied the vast gulf that stretched between
her and this man who understood her
SO little
Forgive me II l send you away now"
she said, presently. Il have a story TO
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 effect 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.
To her editors and colleagues, Gwen
seemed a hardened journalist who
)ocketed snubs cheerfully, as a matter
# course, and showed a commendable
They little guessed what agonies Of
loubt and self-distrust the girl endured
t every business interview, at every
lost that brought back a rejected manu-
cript; what bitter tears she shed in
ecret; how, at times, she would cry
ut in her loneliness and feel afraid
esperately. hopelessly afraid Of the
truggle that lay before her, the sordid.
liserable struggle for mere bread-and-
heese that had been her lot almost ever
ince she could remember.
The success that had fallen to her
hare had cheered her, but it did not
lffice to set at rest the terrible doubt
herself and her powers that torment-
! her SO persistently.
Sometimes. at the end of more than
sually hard spell Of work, her over
Ixed brain would suddenly refuse 10
sspond further to her call upon IL. and
len an awful fear would seize her [
lie fear that she had come to the end
her resources. that her stoek-in-trade :
ideas had been exhausted, that she ]
ad, in fact, written herself out" 1
At such times she would sit at her
ssk for hours, wild-eyed and white
ced, unable to pen single line. Won
ring desperately what the end of il
would be.
And then, all at once, in the midst Of
r misery, a thought would come Ia
IT, bringing a light to her tired eyes
ID flush to her cheeks, that seemed 10 =
ans6gure the anxious face and make u
strangely beautiful.
She was not altogether friendIess. He I
ID told her again and again. in his a
yish, impulsive fashion, that he adj y
.red her more than any other woman Ii
the world; and, though she smiled at q
extravaganza, it was infinitely b
othing to her q.
He had never pretended to be in Iavo z
p her Indeed, he had hurt her often "
ough by his thoughtless, outspoken A.
mments upon his own aud other mems :
itudes towards her. II
But-there had been no other worna,
Perhaps, some day-who could teIIp- 4
might-he might-Gwen never got
yont this point She was proud. she
ed TO be proud, even to herself. w
I was pride that made her smile her
NEST smile when she was most dis m
lraged and depressed: pride thar Nv
de her silent in her suffering. even
.ore him, and when he understood her
st made it the more impossible for 70
I 10 undeceive him. s
There had been no other woman. 10
Ven, that was over now. =
Ny love to Lucy, she said. as Tom
ie her good-by that night.
My love to Lucy, she whispered to
self, when the door had closed be- Z
ID him
hen she began to laugh. |
he was too proud to cry.-short stS~ J