Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-10-01

mind. Then. calm and self-posSessed,
she walked over to her desk and
wrote a letter TO the editor OF
Youth"
Poor Miss Mayo. That was the
editors thought when he received il.
For this was not the ordinary school
girl's letter II was the outpouring
Of heart that had never known
comranionship. Those few short.
pithy sentences would have done
credit to n Balzac or Turgenief. a
Thackeray or a F1auoert, SO incisive-
ly did she paint herself her longingS
her poor aspirations, And all that
she asked was that Mr.. Trefusis
would write her letter, TO her ad-
dress (Which she gave the editor in
solemn confidencel and tell her
something OF his life. And would he
send her a photograph" She would
treasure both. and he would never
know how much she would thank
him
And then--this was the most des-
perately wicked thing Of an-in or
der that he might not misunderstood.
she signed her letter Mrs Harry
Lesson"
That. Of course, would prove to
Mr.. Trefusia that she was no school
girl. but a woman with whom there
could be no possibility OF personal
relationship, she being the wife Of
another
',N hINC.al1r lot, khe
editor.
Reing a good editor his first I'm
pulse was to print the letter, Then,
being also gentlep,an, he changed
his mind Then he wrote short
note to the author. as follows;
Our readers are still writing us by
the hushel about you, You sure have
made a hit with the girls. Keep up
the stuff and you can't drown us,
Wen be able to take couple more
serials from you this summer, and
try to turn them out during the next
month If possible, so that we can
put our artist on the Job by the
way Mrs, Harry Lesson has written
us letter asking to meet YOU in an
epistolary way. Queer sort OF note
to send YOU. of all people How
ever, we're not parting with It. be-
cause she doesn't want you to know
her address. but this is the gist OF
/ It. So II YOU feel inclined,
send us a kind word to hand out to
the poor lady"
The letter weAt off at five In the
! afternoon. At nine the next morning
Mr. Harold Trefusis was waiting out
side Mr.. Demands office for him or
the stenographer or somebody, no
matter whom, to come along and let
him in, 1t happened to be the editor
! himself. who had come down early
/ to finish up some work
why hello" he began, extending
/ his hand.
/ Show me that letter or I'll strangle
! you!" yelled Mr., Trefusis
What's wrong?" inquired Bernard
/ as he unlocked the door. He shook
his finger archly under the writer's
nose, Il didn't know you were that
/ sort of chap" he said in mock re-
/ prOach. Say" he continued. TT
isn't serious, is it? | thought some
body was putting n horse on you"
Bernard" said Trefusis. with the
Calmness of despair, you're kind
man and you mean well, and you've
raised my price again. but unless you
/ turn over that letter to me right
smart I'll pulp you in your own type
writer"
The editor put the letter In the
! writer's hands. Trefusis cast one
| glance at the address, and a moment
later he was In the street and speed
ing toward the place where Miss
Mayo lived.
Miss Mayo was out Trefusis
waited till noon: then, realizing that
she would probably not return till
| evening he went home But that eve
ming he was back, and at eight O'Clock
Miss Mayo was amazed to hear a
| ring at her bell.
This was an unprecedented event
With beating heart and fingers that
trembled so that she could hardly
/ press the opener, she waited in her
apartment. But, remembering that
the ringer would have hard work
/ finding It, she did what we all have to
do, we fatdwellers. She went out
and leaned over the banisters.
And there It was that she set eyes
upon Harry Lesson again. He was
coming up the stairs, two at a time.
Fear held her to the spot Her
brain was whirling Had Harry heard
Of the use that she had made OF his
name and come to threaten the law?
How had he found her? What was
he doing here? Anyway, she would
die OF shame and humiliation. She
must kill herself-she must-if she
could only get back into her apart
ment
But since she was too terrified to
move she did the best thing possible
under the circumstances Miss Mayo
tainted