The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-09-12
$T;aaIIe al y ~ T?aal1e| a i J
w Co. IN W
~ BY Edith NJ. -
SSSSSGG WiIIste. q

room. One of them stood on the
hearth rug, with his back to the fire,
looking down on the other as she sat-
lingering the MS. on her lap.
Why do you want to read it?'
she asked.
Because YOU wrote it, he an
swered, with great simplicity.
She frowned. You ought to say,
it's because my other stories have
been so successful, and l get such
nice puffs in the papers,"
Those reasons may suffice for the
rest of the world, but they don't for
me-"
Perhaps you expect too much!"
she said, and studied her MS. deeply.
DO Il" he asked, and studied her
profoundly. The clock licked loudly
and the fire cracked.
"By the way" she remarked. "You
will be the first person to read this
story of mine, so that shall be i'm
patient for your verdict!"
I'll read it tonight and report
tomorrow" he assured her prompt
ly.
Does the first necessitate the Sec
ond?" she asked, raising her eye
brows.
"As far as I'm concerned" he an
swered, lowering his, whereupon she
held out her story with heavenly
smile; but he being of grasping
disposition, took first the MS. and
then the hand that held it, and-oh!
well!
The clock licked loudly and the
fire cracked.
Two hours later he stood in his
front hail, turning his pockets inside
out by the light of the midnight Oil,
then he searched the front steps and
examined the pavements outside, and
finally patrolled certain street to
certain house till certain small
hour of the morning, when he re-
turned to his abode uttering unholy
words.
What are you looking for?" she
demanded on entering the drawing
room the next morning.
Nothing" he answered, rising
hastily from an evident inspection Of
the carpet. His face was pale, and
his searching eye roamed uneasily
over the furniture.
II thought you might have
dropped sonething!" she suggested
casually.
'Oh, no." he responded defiantly.
So she sat down on the sofa, her
face very grave, but the corner of
her mouth slightly twitching.
We'll, what do you think of it?"
she inquired.
"Oh!" he said with start. THAT
story Of yours? 1t was great, real
ly absorbing! I assure you it kept
me awake. until four o'clock this
morning"
And yet it is comparatively short.
You must read very slowly! Do tell
me what you like best about it,"
'Oh, WELL" he floundered; Il liked
to me especially was that-er-
scene where the heroine-er-gets
the best of it,"
And paying no heed to her blank
looks, ne fastened on into the safe
waters of abstract literary criticism,
saying: In those few passages you
show breath Of view, q right ap-
probation Of value, sense OF the
tonal significance, which, if may be
permitted to say SO, is quite above
the average"
He felt that he was doing we'll,
but at this point she brought him
back to earth.
do you think" she asked him,
earnest and wide eyed. that Gregory
ought to have done it,"
"Who?" he asked, staggered for a
moment. "What?" And then recol-
lecting himself-"Yes." This stout
ly. 4 think Gregory was perfectly
justified; l don't see how, under the
circumstances, he could have done
otherwise. l am quite certain that
in his place I shouGd have done just
the same thing"
What thing" she asked, as she
poked the fire with her back turned.
Then, as he did not answer imme-
diateiy, she said gently: Il don't
think you cutie understand what
scene l referred to. but III show you
in moment, if you'll just hand me
the MS"
THE MS.?" he queried. blauEly.
The MS" she repeated, deter
: minedly
He took two turns up and down
the room, then faced her, crimson
and crestfallen.
I'm extremely sorry to tell you,"
he said, hoarsely, that your MS. is
1.-THE arctic blue of her eyes froze
the truth upon his lips)-is left be-
hind" He finished. II hope you
don't need it immediately"
"N-no," she admitted; mot to-
day, but l must really dispatch it to
the publishers tomorrow"
"All right" he said; I'll call in
the morning."
With the MS" she asked hSn
smilingly.
With the MS" he echoed, des-
pairingly.
And as he went out of the house
he held a brief Intellectual conversa-
ton with the butler, punctuated with
a five-dollar bill, and then paced the