Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-01-04

the outskirts of loneliness. she heard
a tapping on the glass and looked up
q find u note pnked under the window
ledge.
I've feeling that you are honesick
again" II ran. AT any rate. il is too
/ good an afternoon To waste indoors. 50
Your doctor orders you t. take brisk
walk in Riverside park in good com.
any. BE ready at the corner In fif-
teen minutes. No wry faces or rebel
ling. and the doctor will beg the good
fairy 10 bring you the very thing you
want most"
There was nobody to know or care,
and she did love the sunset on the rlv-
er. She hurried into her coat. stopped
and ruilied her hair becomlngly about
ler face, donning her hat and veil.
She could hear the man humping
about in the next fiat. She looked al
her watch. 1t was Just ten minutes.
! 1t would be fun to get there first and
slip away, giving him chase. When
she had gone some distance she heard
some one running and looked around.
10 see IA man coming up at her side.
That wasn't playing fair" he said.
He was tall and 1.-the. with good,
! clear features ana frank eyes that
were dancing with fun as they looked
| down at the girl. she felt suddenly
small and childish. She laughed up at
! him.
They turned into Riverside park and
made their way along the path nearest
! the river High up in the park near
the big gray tomb they sought a
/ bench. The sun had Just sunk, a fiery
| golden ball behind the misty green
/ bank across the river. and the whole
scene was wrapped in Il soft cloak of
| glowing orange. They sat in silence n
| few moments. the girl leaning forward,
! her chin IN her two hands, elbows rest
| Ing on the rail in front of her. She
| had had a hard day, drifting about In
search of editors that were intrenched
/ behind impreSnable battlements OF of
| fee boys and tightly closed doors. The
only one she had succeeded In seeing
| had been disagreeable about her story
! and had dilated TO her on the over
| crowded condition of the literary mar
/ ket. Her companion resorted to a lit
| tie probing ana finally succeeded in
getting his patient to tell him the story
| Of her days ills.
"It must he glorious" she said when
! she had finished. ITO be a great, sue
/ cesSful author. so as tn he able to die
/ tate terms TO these putfed up editors
| that love TO crush budding genius
at must be-" said the man, with a
| quiet smile And now tell me what
| your story is about"
The girl drfted easily into the lit
/ tie romance she had woven. quoting
| whole paragraphs now and then from
! memory. When she came to the end
the man looked UP quickly. THAT
seems to me good story, The editor
turned 1t down. you say
Yes. without tiinching." she said,
with laugh that tried to be uncon-
| cerncd.
."Wil you meet NE here tomorrow
afternoon and let me read the manu-
script"
The girl agreed. The ,ittle stroke of
! appreciation smoothed her ruiiled van
| ity considerably
The next afternoon the walk was re-
peated. and the man read her manu-
| script-read it aloud TO her. 1t seemed
,l,N liSyA IN
| his Interpretation. For the first time
! she got perspective on 1t. As he fold
! ed ii and slipped the manuscript into
his pocket the man turned to the girl
and looked at her closely moment.
| CHATS way above the average story"
/ he said
The girl blushed with pleasure at
| the sincerity of the compliment and
| looked away Somehow his judgment
seemed to count.
II have a friend who is one Of your
ogre editors. and | am going to send
this to him II YOU will let me-" he said.
! The girls heart beat high with hope.
This man had way of smoothing out
the wrinkles in ones way and inspir-
ing one with courage and faith.
The walks became almost daily
events in the lives of the two next
door neighhors. They sought out new
routes. though Riverside always re-
mained the favorite. and sometimes
they would wind up their strolls with
Il dinner at some quiet, unfrequented
little cafe, Once there was a visit to
the theater. another evening Il concert
and other pleasures that no longer left
room for homesickness in the life Of
| the girl BY mutual agreement they
continued to make the fire escape their
medium of communication and neither
| learned the others name. They We're
| Just "neighbor'' to each other. which
was the mans suggestion 1t was an
easy, odd sort of friendship they slip
ped into unQuestioningly, accepting 1t
as naturally as children do good gifts.
Three weeks passed before the man
said anything more about the manu-
script of her story. One evening as
| they sat at dinner almost hidden in
one corner of cafe behind tall shrub
lery he handed her a note, which
read
Dear Bob--Where did you come across
| that story, and who is the mysterious,
| unknown writer? 1t is a good story. /
am going to rush 1t in the Christmas
| number and should like to speak for any
more you can secure from the same
source If they are as well written. 1t
really is an excelenty handled thing.
[ inclose check to you, as you do not give
the name or address of the author. Yours,
| SIDNEY HENDERSON.
| The girl looked at the name of the
magazine printed on the stationery
and gave little excited gasp, A lump
came In her throat for a moment. 1t