The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-04-23

/ stilI looking at IT When one OF the
copy boys stopped at her desk.
"Mr veits says he'd IKE to have
! your copy if it is ready, Miss Patton"
he announced. "He wants To get
the department stuff in early to leave
/ the machines free for the murder
! trial."
In just a moment she promised
4 with guilty glance at the clock and
/ then with an abrupt little gesture of
determination she faced the machine
again and wrote rapidly.
She turned the copy in and hurried
uptown to club meeting to which
she had been assigned, but through
the day the letter and her answer
! haunted her thoughts and she could
/ not put them from her mind.
1t spoiled her sleep, too, for she
could only toss uncomfortably through
half the night and rose with heavy
spirits and leaden head in the morn
! ing. In the hope of gaining some re-
lief she started to walk down the ave-
nue. to the office.
! She had scarcely turned the corner
nearest her apartment than she came
to dead halt, for coming toward
/ her was the man whose image had
been revived so strongly by the letter.
For an instant she thought that it
was all part of the walking night
mare in which she had spent the last
| "a hours, but the next moment Ned
Darlington was shaking her hands
with grip that was anything but
ghostly.
! I've been here a whole week." he
cried, brilliantly, shut there were
some things to be done before look
/ ed you UP. was coming to call this
morning. did not suppose that you
left for the Office before 10 at least"
81 was not feeling well and I
thought that a walk might do me
good" she explained. and Ned turned
and suited his pace to hers.
Then by all means let us walk"
he agreed gayly. "It's been long
time since we used to walk together.
| Agnes. suppose that you don't mind
walking with man with a hat like
this?'
Agnes gave glance at the light.
soft Stetson that spoke of the west.
"You look like cowboy; but you're
not cowboy to be ashamed Of" she
J said. with admiration. you seemed
to have stretched out and up. Ned.
Only your face is not changed"
Prosperity" he explained. "After
we had our last talk came to the
| conclusion that you were going to be
a better newspaper woman than ev-
er could be painter, so scraped my
dollars together and went west. hap
pened to stumble against very real
mine, and I'm worth a pot of money
now Are you still sticking to your
old job and telling the lovelorn what
thew want to known
That is only part of the work
now she explained. 81 can't seem
to get rid of it,
And you are still telling them what
you would do yourself?" he asked, re-
ferring to the platform on which Ag-
mes had taken her stand when the
work was first given to her and which
he had declared would never do.
81 am still giving real advice" she
said, with an attempt at her old gay
ETY..
Then we'll go in here and get the
ring" he announced abruptly, as they
came to halt before famous jew
elry store.
What ring?" she asked, in confu-
sion.
For answer, Darlington drew from
his pocket a folded paper and pointed
to the home page displayed on the
outside.
81 guess you wrote that" he said.
quietly. 81 was afraid that you might
guess that had the question sent in
and chuck it into the waste basket.
The girl stenographer at the hotel
wrote it for me-"
| Agnes glanced at the answer that
had stirred her so strongly. In a
half-dozen sentences she had advised
the writer that, if the man could sup
port her, it was better that she should
abandon her career than that it
should interfere with her love.
That's advice from an expert" re-
minded Ned. exultantly. "Are you
ready to follow your own advice?"
and Agnes proved her willingness by
following him into the store. wonder
ing that the happiness she had coun-
seled for another had suddenly be-
come her own.-New Orleans Pr
cayune.