The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-12-26
The Story That Was
Never Printed
ny GEORGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
lcopyTIshl. by JOssph D, n0wIsal

copy OF "Morte dAfthur' IN his Ia
TIERS library; and from Il he created
world OF romance OF his very own.
Occasionally. even now. he went back
10 his garden OF romance and forgot
what he knew. The castles In Spain
that he bullded for himself were very
beautiful. and he wanted 20 believe
that maybe they did exist after all,
somewhere. somehow.
His uncle. an ardent ehurchman,
had chosen 10 forget young CAROLS
existence when the latter chose news
paper work In preference 10 a high
stool In the ayuneular bank. Other
folk followed this relatives example.
Young Carroll realized that he had
given up a great many things worth
while for n beggarly pittanee and IL
hours labor each day. not 10 mention
the unspeakable Klunk.
Klunk was the city editor. lie was
small. mean man with ferret eyes
behind stcelrimmed speetacles, His
stature was miniature and so was his
mind: but he had served on the Morn
Ing Transcript In every capacity from
copy boy TO his present position.
No New York newspaper was this
Morning Transcript: but one Of the
leading dailles In a city not 200 miles
south OF Mason and Dixon's line.
The city editor had treated Carroll
rather decently at FIRST under the mis-.
apprehension that the youth was do
ing this work more as a freak than
anything else. When Klunk realized
that Carroll was without means OF
subsistence except the wre,ched sal.
AIRY that the Transcript paid him. his
hatred for the man who was what he
was not broke out. and he chose 10
make Carroll the ONCE scapegoat and
butt.
The chlyalry that was Unborn. a
part OF the man. would not permit Car.
roll 10 disregard the mute appeal Of
the woman who had toppled and fallen
In a heap before the house where he
had his cheap rooms. In the light OF
the gas.lamp. he saw that she was
dirty and frowsy. He spent some time
trying to rouse her. but found II I'M
avalllng.
There was no policeman In sight.
With n sigh OF disgust, he picked up
the limp bundle and carried the
woman into the house and up the
three flights OF stairs: then he reused
his housekeeper and told her about IL.
This busy woman had vast amount
Of respect for young Carroll. While
she went upstairs TO look after the
woman. Carroll went for the doctor
who having now arrived. pronounced
Il clear case OF alcoholic exhaustion
and said that to move the woman
might prove fatal. so Carroll gave
over his room TO her and took another
one.
Next day he found her crying softly.
why are you so good TO me-" she
sobbed. He was vaguely embarrassed.
oh | say now" he protested. He
looked at her with more care, and
noted that she had been pretty once.
She told him her story-of having
been married to man who had grown
tired OF her. and who abused and beat
her. Discouraged and weakened, she
became dissipated. Her husband
forced her from her home, and threat.
ened her against the use OF his name
Frightened, she promised to obey his
wishes; after that she never saw him
again. She had gone downtown
until
"Oh! want TO live" she said
Just to do things for you, Mr.. Car
roll. want to do something for you
to show you how grateful am"
She did not know then that she
would never recover, but finally she
learned 1t. Realizing that she was
about to die, she wanted to speak to
Carroll; and In doing so she put a lit
tie package into his hand.
"Him-he's got money now. Hell
give you money II you give him those
He can pay-make him pay, the
brute! He beat me-he don't want
people to know-that l belong to
him"
She choked spasmodically.
His manner"
Carroll bent over her and heard the
whispered syllable. When he realized
what she had said, the papers dropped
| frnp, biu hand opd ha olutobad NC
bed. He looked at the woman, and
saw that she had died, quite peace
fully.
Carroll left the house and returned
to the office.
Welt" snarled Klunk. why didn't
you get here before? There's a bic
story that you've got to get-see?
One of your fine friends has made
fool out of himself-married a
chorus-girl secretly and the thing
just got out. They've been married
secretly for nearly year. His name s
Lester Middleton-you know him well
enough"
Carroll knew him entirely too well
AS a matter Of fact, Essie Middleton
Testers sister, was much more to him
than he liked to believe. IF things
had been different" he had often
thought. IF had anything"
AS for Essie, she looked on Carroll
as the best of all men, the quintes
sence of manliness.
| Il don't want the assignment" saiN
| Carroll.
You'll take. 1t, or you'll hand in
| uorr rasipn tinn - cnannnd KDnl