Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-01-26

into the hands Of a private inquiry
agent He said he had. personally In
teryiewed the keeper of every regis
try office in London, but with no re-
suit.
That summer we were particularly
busy, and toward the autumn l de-
cided to spend month by the sea
and combine business with pleasure.
chose Littlebourne and took with
me a large pile of manuscripts to read.
1 discovered a retired nook in the
midst of some rocks half mile be-
You'd the end Of the front, and here l
spent most afternoons, wading through
the MSS. One afternoon, when was
exceedingly bored, suddenly became
conscious that girl was seated on
some rocks about five yards away from
me.
Surely" said to myself, Il know
that figure.' In another moment the
blissful revelation came to me. It
was Joyce.
miss Joyce" cried.
.You?" she murmured, blushing Wis
IDLY.
AT last have found you" said.
"Do you, know, have. been searching
everywhere could think Of for you"
For few seconds we stared at each
other, and in another moment we were
both laughing heartily.
ut is queer that we should meet
down here like this. Are you holiday
making?"
Eyes" replied; "and you?"
"Oh, am in situation down here
now
eWhereabouts?" / asked.
I'm afraid l can't tell you," she
answered.
mo, i suppose not" / muttered, at
was through me you lost your last
situation"
"oh. that didn't matter" she said.
II was going to leave shortly
.Now look here, we'll make bar.
gain" cried. II won't try to find
out where you are now employed IL
you will promise to meet me occa-
sionally."
"oh, but you are a gentleman and
am only parlor maid. We are too
far apart to be friends"
mot at ALL" / cried. 'Wnat do
petty distinctions like that matter?"
am not going to recite the details
Of our excursion on the following day,
This was but the first Of several and
in this manner a fortnight passed rap
idly away. must confess that my
work suffered, but l did not trouble
about that. / tried to make up for 1t
by slamming into my reading when /
did not see Joyce. She manifested
interest In my work and often told
her of the stuff l was reading.
One afternoon we rambled away
along the cliffs.
Il ran through $4,000 words this
morning" said. ut was novel,
and Its title was Vanity"
''Yes," she replied. WAS 1t any
good?"
Not the slightest" I replied.
What was the authors name?" she
asked.
Arthur Lester" replied.
There was silence for few minutes.
Suddenly looking up, saw my com
panion's eyes were filled with tears.
"Joyce!" cried, anxiously. Joyce,
what is the matter?"
"oh. nothing much" she murmured
brokenly.
There is a greal deal the matter"
i said. Tell me-what is it?"
For moment she hesitated, then
her head dropped.
IL am Arthur Lester" she muir
INJURED.
Joyce" whispered. Joyce. dear,
am 80 sorry. i had no idea"
Il ought to have told you," she
murmured, though she did not draw
herself away from me. II thought it
would be such surprise for you, for
thought 1t would DO accepted. That
was why was a parlor maid. AS you
will remember. described some old
maids In my book, and in order to get
an intimate knowledge of them OBJ.
tanned position at The Lindens. 1
am staying now with my aunt. who is
an invalid. That is the service / re.
ferred to that I am in down here"
How splendid of you!" cried.
What You must have gone through
for the sake of your book"
But 1t wasn't any good" she re-
piled.
But 1t was some good" insisted,