Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-05-07

49, WV L lIIdt SuCH d
book could have been written only by
a wonan-and a young and beautiful
woman"
The distinguished authoress made no
epiN ~ was often not discreet to re-
ply 10 Wlllie'S emarks
What l can't understand" went on
Strange with the utmost inconsistence,
is how on earth you ever came to
write such Il book. What could YOU
know about being neglected? Why. it's
impossible that you can ever have
been neglected in Your life. aver for
land who would permit it,"
Still Hyacinthine made no reply. but
she contrived TO look more beautiful
than Yer.
anyway" continued Willie, you
cant say that you're neglected now,
Hyacinthine gently squeezed his
hand. and Willie returned the pressure
with less timidity.
II don't hin it's right that you
hould neglect me SO little,'' she said.
Why not he asked ambiguously.
Somebody told me yesterday that
you are married. j think you should
have told me so yourself, and not led
me to ppo that you were SINGLE"
Willie cursed somebody. whoever he
IA and half made up his mind that
1T must be the neglected discoverer.
Does 1T natter! he said, very earn
estly. We're doing no harm. sitting
mere In the same hanson. listening to
the same music. seeing the same plays,
in dancing together and enjoying each
others society-there is no wrong in
that"
No, perhaps not" admitted Hya-
cinthine. But people are apt to say
that there is wrong where there is
none; and. II you will excuse the ego
tism OF the remark. my ook has made
me so conspicuous that whatever do
is noted and talked about. BY and by
our intimacy will get to your wife, and
then there may be trouble. What is
anywhere with you? Does she never
go t Doesn't she like going out?'
No. she doesn't like going out said
Willie. land i think it's just as we'll.
She doesn't shine much in a crowd.
She's a dear. good little woman, but
she's more fitted to be at home."
Usually, Willie would have not
spoken in this way OF his wife. He be-
lieved in a ~gentlemanly loyalty, how
eve much he might be disloyal in a
gentlemanly a but. just then. the
remembrance of his wife irritated him.
He did not wish to be reminded of her.
She was a nonentity. and he did MOI re-
spect nonenttties.. Hayacinthine was the
celebrityTof the year. That his obscure
wife should come between him and his
companion struck him as an
impertinence.
My wife is not likely to hear about
you" he said. and ] don't think she
would min II she did: in fact, / don't
see that h would have a right to
mind"
Perhaps not" said Hyacinthine,
but she might imagine she had"
She has no imagination" replied
Strange. growing more irritated. ''She
is not like o All. you have an
imagination! It's simply amazing how
you can ever have imagined the feel
Ing OF that neglected woman You
absolutely convince one that the. writer
is neglected: that she Is suffering. 1
read 1t through again last night after
L got home. n / confess that 1t al
most brought tears into my eyes. It's
a wonderful gift. i wish 1 could write
In that way"
This vas quite true. Strange felt
that even better than living In the So
ciety of celebrities was to be q celebrity
oneself. Hyacinthine had told him
more than once how she came to write
her famous book How her father,
Major General Thoroughbred. being
dead. she had found herself pinched for
stories for the ladies' magazines. How
the idea of a neglected oma had
come into her head: how a famous
publishing firm a read it and made
her an Offer; how h had stipulated
that her name should not appear on
the title page. and how thankful she
felt for her success.
Willie asked. leaning forward in the he
cab to gaze at her beautiful face.
Almost admitted Hyacinthine.
In fact. once or twice / did quite"
serted Willie. you must have felt it
so keenly. | suppose there are som
women who lead lives like that and
sumer In that way. Isn't 1T awful"
1t was q woman who suffered in
that way suggested the book to me-
said Hyac inthine.
Poor DEVIL" commented Strange. He
was driving her home to her fat after
they had been to an orchestral con-
cert. He retained the cab when thew
alighted.
Won't you come imp asked Hyacin-
thine.
Willie longed to go in I'M nave an
other of those cosy little teas by the
freight of which they had shared 40
many during the past few weeks; but
ne had an appointment to keep at a
club in st. James street. and he knew
very Well that once he was seated in
Hyacinthine's dra wing room. no an
pointment could drag him out until
long after 1t would be too late. So he
declined regretfully. and watched her
graceful departure nto the lift. Then
he re-entered the cab and told the man
tc drive to st. James street. At the
corner of Sloane street he bought a
newspaper. He turned to the front
page. which contained a batch OF liter
ary notes. He always made it his af-
fair to be we'll posted In the tittle-tattle
of the book world. it was SO useful in
conversation.
The first paragraph riveted his at
tentfon. $50 the secret Is out" it be-
gan the author OF The Diary of a
Neglected Woman is no longer anony-
nous: AS has been generally sur