The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-30
Devon
Rose.

Magnus had been a writer for the
lesser magazines. He wrote short
stories and essays and sent them to
the editors in the hope they would
be accepted. His stamp bill was
very large.
Still, perseverance, a mild inten'
ton, and knowledge dug from the
encyclopedias will tell in time. His
accepted manuscripts increased in
number. This perked him up. He
started a bank account of moderate
dimensions. Nothing makes a maj
90 brave as a bank account.
And he joined two or three Cit
'erary clubs" wherein he was a
+'lion."
Pale, bespectaclei ladies with
warnings assured him that they had
read his articles in the Ladies' Fire,
side Instructor on Every Woman
Her Own Sandow," and it was love
ly." This pleased Mr.. Magnus al
most as much as did the editors
check.
He was a slender man, with droop-
Ing shoulders, mild blue eyes and a
sandy Vandyke beard. When
"lionized" he used to twist this
beard into a sharp point and stall
himself upon his shirt front. Though
his legs were wobbly and his feet
large, his heart was in the right
place" This he knew from the fact
that when startled by a sudden
noise it "beat thick and quick, like
a madman on a drum"
A boisterous doctor came up be-
hind him, slapped him on the shout
der and howled:
"Maggy, old man, how're the bru'
tai editor men?"
The heart, which was in the right
place, began humping. Magnus
wheeled and faced him, wrath in his
pale eyes.
IT do so hate to be called Macy,
he snapped. ut really is not my
name"
Then his thin delicate hand went
to his left side.
Its all right, Magnus." the doc
tor said. BEG pardon. You look
-overworked. Take a bit of free ad'
vice-go away somewhere and rest
It was early summer and the mem
bers of the literary clubs, the fash
ionables and the preachers were fit
ting.
The bank account was healthy
Magnus looked owe the papers
Among a thousand advertisements
of places with all the comforts oil
home" his eye was caught by the
mention Of hatfield.
He asked about it and was told il
was in a good country. with pure
air, farm foods, trout fishing anc
cheapness. That seemed to suit
Next afternoon he alighted from
dilapidated cart in front of Grass
dene" farmhouse.
"A river rolled grandly to the
south. The hills were blue, save
upon their submits, which were
crimsoned by the dying SUM-. From
afar came the drowsy tirkle of {
cowbell. A slow wind brought the
scent Of fresh fields and flowers
Looking from his window over thu
sweeping river Magnus said:
Here is rest. I do not want hu
man companionship-a cultivated
mind needs only itself. Surrounded
by these eternal hills, amid which
dwell a simple people, solitude
: should bring happiness. Their way
ara not my ways, their souls ar
half-developed, but we need no
clash"
He fell readily into the habits o
the household. 1t consisted of Mrs
Loudoun, a silver-haired widow, he
granddaughter, Elfreda .Loundoun
q ~brown-eyed girl of eighteen, witt
a delicious figure, a mass of BROW
hair, and a frank smile, and a man
of-all-work, who ate enormously AM
never said a word.
The two women gave him no con
fdences, for which he was grateful
He was forced to admit that thei
manners were perfect, but set thi
down to innate female refinement
They made no effort at all to enter
tain him. He paid mis- moderate bill
and kept to himself.
He discovered a boat in a small
house which stood by the river, an
used to pull laboriously a half-mil
up the stream Of evenings, then foa
lazily down. The heart which wa
in the right place began to sho1
some disposition to stay steady whe'
sudden noises came.
In two weeks, however, he real
lied that a cultivated mind need
something more than itself. He wa
bored. Furthermore, his conscienc
oppressed him. He told himself tina
he was ungenerous in withholdin
himself from these two lonely WON
en-, who knew nothing of books, SO
ciety, cities, or the great world with
out.
He was not conscious of a desir
to alleviate the loneliness of Mrs
Loundoun, but he thought the gil
would improve nightly by convers
with a man of his cultivated abili
ties and experience. She was plumI
and her weight in the boat made tn
rowing more difficult, but he endure
the extra labor for the pleasure G
watching her intellect expand Iik
o flower.
He noticed that in the half-ligh
Of the evenings she was a SINGULAR
pretty girl, nor could he see that sh
lost any of her attractiveness in tn
full light of day.