The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-04-07

HhlS hIHDAE, SHE SAID, WAS II
Check
sort of thing they send me. | wish
knew what it is they like about your
stories.
Willy. nothing specially, dear" re-
piled his wife She wiped her arms on
her apron that She might put them
about his neck without soling his shirt.
You write ever 50 much better than l.
only I've been at it longer. You mustn't
get discouraged You'll strike it in
time"
Time. I've been at it two years.
No, Stella. guess its a city desk and
twenty -live a week for mine for the
rest OF my life. What's the odds any
way"
In the face Of such hopelessness as
this Stella fc her presence worse than
useless. She put up her rosy lips TO be
kissed and went back to continue her
struggle with the coffee cups She had
seen Anthony down" very often of
late, and she had recognized in this
heartsickness the one malady of which
she might not even try to cure him.
Her attempts indeed seemed only to ir-
ritate and annoy the big, square
chinned fellow, whose defeat was so
much the harder for him to bear be-
cause of her success.
Anthony loved his wife. as a great
many everyday men still do in spite of
the quibs and jests of the comic pa
pers. He had thought her the daintiest
and brightest of little women when he
married her, and his greatest delight
had come with the contemplation of
the things he would do for her when
he got there" That he would ulti-
mately get there" he had never doubt
ed. The newspaper on which he work
ed had printed three or four of his ro-
mances, and scores of his friends had
complimented him on their cleverness.
Surely the magazines ought not to be
difficult after this,
As matter of fact, they had proved
not only difficult, but impregnable.
Manuscript after manuscript was re-
turned to him. always with thanks"
and printed slip. Stella on the other
ha'AiNis AifAh ltNtiN t'l 90 lbl lltI very HESl
story a fable intended for children,
and had sold nearly everything that
/ had come from her pen since. This
had not been so humiliating for Antho-
ny naturally looked upon fairy tales
with some contempt, but lately Stella
had found steady market for humor-
Gus verse. and humorous verse her hus-
band considered his forte. The fact
that he was fond Of her and wanted
| her to be proud Of him made her prog
ress merely the more reproach 1t
was he who must be proud of her now
he, Anthony Matthew. six feet one i'm
| his stockings Somehow those six feet
were the browning aggravation.
There was no denying that, notwith-
standing his superior height. Anthony
did not write half so well as Stella.
His work lacked the grace and point
Of hers, and he conceded it. 4 bur
lesque sonnet which she had finished
the night before lay on the desk beside
a long envelope addressed to the ed
itor of the Decade" Anthony had read
the verse twice, and he knew that 1t
was better than anything he had ever
done. The Decade would print 1t, and
the boys at the office would say: "Saw
a poem Of your wlfe's this morning.
should think you'd 90 in for magazine
work some yourself, old man"
Stella's fresh young voice made itself
heard above the clatter of plates In the
room adjoining. 1.-THE Good Old Sum-
mer Time" had given way to "Beda-
ha." Anthony paused. holding Che man.
uscript, to listen:
"Oh, Bedalia, 'Dalia, 'Dalia,
I've made up my mind to stale ye;
Oh. Bedalia, Bedalia, dear!'
Mere association of words shot a
sudden impulse into his brain. The SON
net was in his hands, the addressed en-
velope was before hlm-why shouldn't
this contribution go to the Decade over
his signature? Its appearance as his
composition would be in the nature of
a triumph, and Anthony felt that he
had earned triumph of one kind or
another. Il saw poem of yours"
they would be compelled to remark at