The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-03-14
BY FATE OR CHANCE,
The Meeting of the Two Who Had
Been SWeeiileartS.
BY HELEN n. QUINN.


man We're al work, the former busi!y
writing and the latter reading YEARLY
through slowly diminishing pile of
manuscripts.
The woman sighed. The man looked
up at her.
Tired, Miss King
Tired! That does not express it,
and it does seem that l am accomplish
ing very little today"
Can l be of assistance? l am al
most through
"Well, there is one thing | should like
to have you do when you can spare
time. | have two stories here on which
1 should like to have your opinion"
You think they are good|
Yes, but l should like to know
whether your judgment agrees with
mine. This Reason and Romance |
think, shows decided genius. and this
For Aud Lang Syne' seems to me to
be rather a clever little story, but as
it is written by a very dear friend of
mine perhaps l am partial. Will you
give me your unbiased opinion:'
He crossed the room and took the
manuscript from her hand. A few
minutes later She closed her desk and
put on her hat
81 am going home" she said as she
paused at the door. IF Mrs. White
should come in, would you mind asking
her to telephone me from here?'
at will be a pleasure, Miss King"
When she had gone he laid down his
pen. put away his papers in method
ical way, lighted a cigar and settled
himself comfortably back in his chair,
The first story he took up was "Rea-
son and Romance" 1t was short, and
he read it through quickly.
"Umph! Well, yes. | suppose there
is genius in it." he unused, but it Ger
tainly wants cultivation"
He picked up the other and at first
glanced over it somewhat carelessly;
then suddenly 4 few lines brought
back his wandering thoughts. He
turned the pages to look at the au-
thor's name.
Lillian Watson" he said thought
fully. We'll, this is a coincidence"
He read few pages further.
1T is surely more than coinci-
dence, because no one but Bessie could
have written this, no matter what the
signature. Why, | remember this
scene as if it We're yesterday. We
but there are things one never for
gets, and she has remembered our
very words"
Once more he turned to the sheets
in his hand, but soon they were laid
on the desk, and he sat with his fore
head resting on his palm, and his deep
gray eyes looked YEARLY back through
the years.
How wildly the little story brought
it all back to hin-the two childish
playmates of long ago, the scrapes
they fell into and out of together. the
boy and girl who were schoolmates
and shared each others sorrows and
joys and were loyal comrades, then
the rs&lization that this youthful COM
partnership had developed into the pas
sionate love of man and woman and
the deep happiness of this awakening
had brought TO both of them! How
well he remembered his ardent woOing
and her sweet surrender
Then the gray eyes grew troubled
as he thought of the little rift within
the lutte" and the final quarrel and
parting brought about by a woman's
pride and a mans stubbornness.
That was FIVE years ago, but it
seemed as if he had Just awakened
from a long dream. He had tried so
hard to forget and until today almost
had convinced himself that he was
succeeding, but somehow all the old
hopes crowded into his heart, and he
realized that they were mastering him
i'll spite of himself
81 cannot forget" lie said II must
see her again and win her forgiveness.
She cannot have forgotten the old
days or she would not have written
this"
There came to him a great longing
to hear her voice. to feel her hand, soft
and COOL on his forehead as she used
to lay it long ago when he was tired
or discouraged and came to her for
sympathy.
He was reused from his rcyerie by
the entrance of the Office boy bearing
a card.
Lady for Miss King. sir"
Bring her in here" he said without
CHANGING at the card which the boy
laid Oh his desk. He took it for grant
ed that the lady was Mrs White.
Was it fate? Was it chance? Who
knows?
In moment he heard the office boy
return, and he could hear the faint
rustic of a woman's skirt.
The shadows had gathered in the
Office, and the light was somewhat dim.
He looked up and saw her standing
there in the doorway in her simple
white dress and blue ribbons, the
sweet girlish face just trife more
serious perhaps than of DID, but 9th
erwise unchanged.
He jumped to his feet and came for
ward but his back was to the light,
and she did not have good view of
his face.
HAS Miss King gomez" she asked
in low voice, and the old tones
thrilled his very soul.