The Southern herald., 1914-07-03
CHAPTER IIl-cOntinued.

Andrew pulled the soft hat over his
eyes and sprawled out on the rock
ledge.
Dorcas began with a nervous laugh.
cit sounds hke-presumption know
80 little Of the world, only have been
studying you"
Am worth the trouble?" he inter
rupted.
Worth the trouble! don't believe
you know yourself yet. You have a
wonderful Imagination and such knowl-
edge of human nature You could write
a great play, many of them possibly.
You know men and women. You have
laid bare the souls of some Of them
when you talked with me. After you
bring being into life, think how you
could make him live again on the
istage!"
Dorcas jumped to her feet. "An-
drew Merry, go to work! Show them
what you can do, If for nothing else
than to please me and prove that l
haven't made a mistake"
miss Dorcas, sit down"
The girl looked at her companion
curiously.
Let me shake hands on bargain"
he laughed. That's foolish little
ceremony used to go through with
mother when was boy. If prom
ised faithfully l would do anything, /
shook hands on it."
Dorcas held out her hand cordially.
Her clasp was magnetic.
"Sit down again and listen," he
begged For years and years and
years I've had play crystallizing in
my mind. It's all blocked out. Let me
tell you about it."
Dorcas sat leaning forward, her face
between her hands, her eyes glowing
with interest.
my hero is cashier in a bank,
young fellow Of good family, jovial.
happy-go-lucky, generous, democratic.
He has married the bank presidents
daughter, who is exactly his opposite
cold blooded, naughty, selfish and fond
of luxury. There Is a sweet, tender
little daughter The, love between the
father and the child is beautiful. The
man, trusting to luck to see him
through, steals for years, covering his
defalcations in the cleverest way. He
had to get money, for his wife denies
herself nothing. The father-in-law dis
covers the crime, exposes 1t to his
daughter, then drops dead. She gives
her husband up to public justice. His
trial comes off and he Is sentenced to
twenty years. The child is told that
she is fatherless. The wife takes her
fathers fortune and goes West. When
the second act opens she has divorced
the husband and married again The
child Is lovely, true-hearted woman.
She is engaged to the young mayor of
the city, and preparations are afoot for
the wedding, when she receives a let
ter from the one man who remained
loyal to her father-an old janitor at
the bank. He tells her the story which
had been hidden from her. The father,
penniless, broken down, hopeless, is
to leave prison in few weeks. She
confronts her mother, who denies the
story, but later confesses. The girl
breaks her engagement, leaves home,
and goes East. The old janitor takes
her to live near the prison until her
father is released. Every day she
watches the convicts at their lock-
step tramp and sees her father. The
closing Of that act, when she meets
him leaving prison, can be tremendous
in human interest"
He turned to look at Dorcas.
go on" che said.
"The last act is laid in New Eng
land village, among simple country
people. The girl and her father are
living on little farm. Her lover
comes, having searched for her every.
where. She tells him the story. He
tmarries her and takes the father home
with them"
Merry paused. The sun had dropped
below the horizon and the western sky
,glowed in red, gold and purple.
When" cried Dorcas In a flush Of
enthusiasm, when will you begin to
writer
"At once, tomorrow. I'll go away
somewhere; can't do 1t here"
"Go to Enoch," she said HE will
lbe delighted. He has such faith in
you and he loves you. Besides, you'n
have his sympathy. Poor Enoch, the
ono ambition Of his life is to be a
famous dramatist."
MOT" said Merry incredulously.
Don't tell him you know It. dis
covered II by accident. was tidying
his dask one day. ! came on a pile Of
manuscript There we're dramas,
comedies, tragediesA even comic
operas. He has been writing that sort
Of thing for years and years"
Queer he never told mel What
were they like?"
Don't think me disloyaI. but they
are awful Some day when he gets a
great plot. he thinks be will succeed.
sle won't. It wac cruel to tell him 80,