Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-03-04
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gaETE HAHN

IRETE HAHN

I allied the vast gulf that stretched be-
tween her and his a who under
stood her so little.
Forgive me if / send YOU away
now she said presently. Il have a
story to finish for tbs Epoch tonight.
and it's weighing on my mind"
weighing on your mind.' he eX-
claimed. II don't believe you allow
anything to weigh on your mind.
Gwen
Don't gu" she asked listlessly.
I How little he understood.
The editor of the Epoch had rejected
her last contribution. with a curt note
10 the effect that the story was scarcely
up TO her usual mark.
No one but Gwen herself new how
she WINGED beneath that criticism. as
beneath every rebuff of the same sort.
/ They were plentiful in her profession,
but somehow that did not make them
easier TO bear.
To her editors and colleagues Gwen
| seemed a case hardened journalist, who
| pocketed snubs cheerfully, as a matter
! of course, and showed a commendable
appreciation of her own ability.
, They little guessed what agonies OF
doubt and self distrust the girl en-
dured at every business interview, at
every post that brought back a re-
| jected manuscript: bitter tears
she shed in secret; how at times she
would cry out in her loneliness n feel
afraid-desperately. hopelessly afraid,
OF the struggle that lay before her. the
sordid, miserable struggle for mere
bread and cheese that had been her lot
almost ever since she could remem-
Der.
The success that had fallen to her
share had cheered her, but IL did not
suffice TO set at rest the terrible doubt
of herself and her powers that tor
mented her so persistently.
Sometimes, at the end of a more than
usually hard spell of work, her over
taxed Brain wuu:u suddenly refuse 10
respond further 10 her call upon ii, and
then an awful fear would seize her
the fear that she had come to the end
OF her resources. that her stock in
trade of ideas had been exhausted, that
she had, in fact. written herself out"
AT such times h would sit at her
desk for hours, wild eyed and white
faced. unable to pen a single line, Won
dering desperately what the end of it
all would be. :
And then, all at once. in the midst
of her misery, a thought would come
10 her, bringing a light to her tired
eyes, and a flush tC her cheeks. that
seemed to tTansfigure the anxious face
and make 1t strangely beautiful.
she was NOT altogether IflSHOlSSS.
He had told her, again and again. in
his impulsive fashion, that he admired
her more thar any other woman i'm the
world: aEL though she smiled at his
extravaganza, il was infinitely soothing
TO her.
He had never pretended 10 be in love
with her. Indeed. he had hurt her
often enough by his t~houghtless, out
spoken comments upon his own and
other mems attitudes toward her.
But-there had been no other
woman
Perhaps, some day-who could tell?-
he might-he might-Gwen never got
beyond this point. She was proud: she
tried to be proud, even to herself
1t was pride that made her smile
her calmest smile when she was most
discouraged and depressed; pride that
made her silent in her suffering, even
before him. and when he understood
her least made IL the more impossible
for her TO receive him..
There had been no other woman.
My love TO Lucy" she said. as Tom
babe her good-by that night.
Well, that was over now.
My love to Lucy" she whispered to.
herself when the door had closed be-
hind him.
Then she begn to laugh.
She was too proud TO cry.