Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-11-01
EVENING SHORT sTORl
JAMES AND AGATHA.
BY BARRY PAIN.


to him. He never travelled in a class
superior to that for which he had
taken his ticket. He never did any
thing which was not extremely care
full and c~onspicuously honest. With
such a. character, there was only N
thing that the young man could ulti-
mately become. ( Y
Shortly after he became. a reviewer
of fiction for the Daily Record 1t hap
pened that he met Agatha. Agatha
had at a comparatively early age been
left an orphan. AS her education wasg
defective, and as she did not like
children, there wa only one thing
that Agatha could become. =
1t was shortly after Agatha had be-
come governess that she and James
met. Her face was wholesome and
practical, rather than beautiful. For
some weeks he never told his
love. Then one afternoon he took her
to hear an oratorio. 1t may have been
the effect of the music. or of the tea
and buns at the A B C shop afterward,
or of the long drive to Kilburn through
London's romantic dusk. The fact rea
mains that when they climbed up on
the omnibus he called her Miss Brown
and when they parted at the end of the,
journey he called her Agatha. He
treasured the oratorio programme, and
met her frequently. One night there
was an air of mystery about he's.
Shortly" she said, you will see me
in a new light, James,"
Il would not have you different"
said James. This was quite the right,
thing to say, as he had seen it in a
book.
East side OF Waterloo bridge, about
six. Tomorrow" said Agatha.
Right" said James. He would then
kissed her, but refrained from
the publicity which would have attend
ed the act.
The next morning there was brought
to his rooms a large parcel of novels
from the Daily Record. He groaned,
because that meant work, and even the
reading of novels is not pleasant if
you happen to be paid for it. He
would have groaned still more if the
books hads not come, because that
would have meant no work, and want
OF work would have made sundry ro-,
mantle possibilities more remote. AS
II was, they had arranged to be mar
RED next year in the sweet spring
time. Quite quietly. Bride in brown
cloth. Honeymoon of seven days at
Littlehampton. zss.y,gs.,
He tore his mind away from romance
in realslife and settled down to ro-
nance as it is written, and the very
first volume that he picked up was
entitled "A Love of Other Days" by
Brown. This was the new
light in which Agatha was to APP
pear. She had written a novel, and
he was to review it. He wondered IL
the editor OF the Daily Record would
stand an entire column about an I'M
known genius. James almost regret
ted that he had discovered three I'M
known geniuses the week before; it
was likely to spoil the market.
He noticed the name of the publish
ers with regret. Agatha would have
lone better to have consulted him.
Then he read the book and buried his
face in his hands, for that novel by
Brown was about the most
putrid thing in fiction that had pol
luted his chambers for the last is
1t was wrong everywhere; it
was wrong all through. There is no
thing on earth than a bad his
novel. and this was a very bad
historical novel.
Here, then. was the conflict between
love and duty. Duty was scratched,
and love walked over. By the evening
he had written a column hailing Agatha
Brown as the greatest genius that the
had yet seen. But his heart
was broken. For once he had not been
conscientious. He could not live with
hat stain upon his soul. So he deter
mined to meet Agatha on Waterloo
take one long, last farewell,
Ind then send off the review and com
nit suicide. Agatha was a little late
or her appointment, and looked very
with herself. 4
"Well?" she said.
why did you not confide in me?"
lie asked. gently. why did you not
ell me you had written a book? Pos
IDLY my practiced judgment might
What on earth are you talking
I've not written any book.
ihouldn't be so silly" q .lgH
Then somebody else with your
lame has"
HAS she? What cheek!" She still
ooked at James somewhat inquiring-
y. He had an uneasy sense that she
vas expecting him to say something,
nd that he was not saying it.
Well he said, what did you
mean then by saying that you were
;oing to appear in a new light?n
If you happen to be blind" she
.nswered, rather snappishly, Il can't
i've you eyes,"
Don't be cross. dear. Let's see; it's
10 . -, oolyof xtc, alu,nwxr ..zo- -