Democratic messenger., 1911-10-28
Eleanor
Trimble
Being a Story Of q
Library
By F. A. Mitchell
f..k.a a.
By F. A. mitchell

was with to B. 10 make some negotia.
tions for IL. lie was obliged to
wait TO see the parties he was to do
the business with and after he had
seen them and reported 10 the home
office he must wait for further In.
was seldom occupied more than half
an hour day and usually not that.
B. Is beautiful place. rather fitted
for literary or artistic persons than
for those devoted to business. There IL
n public library there. and to Tread.
well. passing the place. II appeared
so Inviting that he concluded TO go In
and look for something to read. II
was a quiet place. the light subdued.
and as he enteree the librarian. a
young woman. arose from desk where
she was writing on some cards and
stood ut the counter over which the
books are passed. Trcadwell asked
for something to read, saying that he
was Il stranger and would be Obliged
II she would recommend n book.
The girl handed him Il novel. There
We're alcoves In the building. and she
told him he would be welcome TO sit
down In one OF them and read.
For one subject to the influence OF
books there can be nothing pleasanter
than 10 lean back Ia big leather
chair In one OF these quiet alcOves.
where he may occasionally glance at
foliage and heckcd sunlight on the
grass without. Treadwell stretched
his legs and rested his head on the
cushion and opened the book. On the
hyleaf was name written In ink,
Eleanor Trimbe." Whether she had
given the book 10 the library or II
had been purchased secondhand
Treadwell did not know. But under
the quieting influence Of the place he
fell to wondering about her before
beginning TO read. The date on the
title page was an old one. but some
how he could not but look upon Ele-
amor Trimble as Young person.
There was something about the sto-
ry-Treadwell could not tell what
that attracted him. And what put a
finishing touch upon his interest was
that some one had marked in light
pencil certain passages that especially
appealed 10 him. Treadwell's fitting
fancy had lighted on Eleanor Trim
BILE. and 1t would not he satisfied with
any other marker OF these thoughts.
About some OF the passages-indeed.
most Of them-there were two OF these
marks. and to n number there were
three.
There was another fancy-excitant.
Why had Miss Trimble. who by this
time Trcudwell had begun to picture
as a very pretty girl of an intellectual
type. chosen to make sometimes one
sometimes two. sometimes three marks
about these IDEAS that had pleased
her? Treadwell had come to the libra
ry to kill time by reading. and he was
not only killing II by building up an
imaginary girl. but he experienced a
singular pleasure In doing so. He
drifted into the feeling that this Flea
nor Trimble had written the story or
was ut least ia sohie way identified
| with II.
At any rate. she was to him the
heroine. 1t is questionable II the her
oine would have been heroine at
all IL she had not been Eleanor Trim.
BILE. She. the heroine. Miss Trimble.
was walking about through the story
doing all sorts OF attractive things.
exciting Treadwelfs admiration and.
like the leading lady OF a play. sur
rounded by the other characters In the
story as her satellites. She was Mar
cia Colfax. but To Treadwell this was
fictitious name for Eleanor Trimble.
AS Treadwel read on he noticed
that certain thoughts or acts OF the
heroine were differently marked.
Some OF them had one. some two.
some three marks. as though the
marker approved. much approved or
immensely approved the sentiment or
the deed Besides this. AT times where
there was one or perhaps two marks
third would be drawn dIagonally
across. Treadwell was much bothered
at the diagonal mark. not being able
to account for II.
While he was alternately occupied
with the story. with Eleanor Trimble
and the fiecked sunlight without he
could see the librarian sitting at her
desk writing something ON cards and
stacking them up before her He
wished she would stop work and come
over and sit with him that he might
ask her questions about Eleanor Trim
BILE. Probably she could tell him who
Miss Trimble was. whether she had
done the marking. what the double
and triple marks meant and. above all.
the diagonal But the librarian kept
on at her work. nj intervals rising 10
give or receive book. though all was
done so quickly that at times when
Treadwell was much interested In his
story he would not be conscious even
of this slight disturbance.
II was about 10 o'clock In the morn.
ing when Treadwell sat down TO read.
and at l he went out TO dinner. He