The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-03-09
"oD papers,
BY OLIVE MARTIN,

THE first snow of the season.
Lorena looked out of the big window
In the living room and watched the
feathery flakes Of white busting the
street and sidewalk.
"HOw time flies! Dear me, I'd no
idea the month was so far along. I've
been so busy with thecampaign for the
new baby hospital that I've lost track
of the days."
She turned to the window again. II
wish those little boys would hurry with
their wagons; it's after one now and
there's SO much to do
In few minutes noisy little crowd
was around the fire getting instruc-
tons.
The crowd departed and LOrena
looked fondly after her little settle
ment people. Her life was full Of these
things now, charity and good works,
that kept her busy and her thoughts
off the past. A half dozen years be-
fore Il great tragedy had come into her
life.
She returned to the library and
picked up a photograph from the table
Dear, the last time / saw you was
a day like this, but somehow 1t didn't
seem cold like today. The world even
without the sunshine was rosy and
warm and glowing because l was with
you. You looked that day as if you
wanted to say something and couldn't.
What was it, dear? Did guess right :?
Did you really love me and was it
that you tried to tell? Then why did
you go away?"
The little wagons filled and two trips
were made to Miss LOreEa's big side
porch where the contents were emptied
in a heterogeneous mass that delighted
her heart. "Why, kiddies. it looks as if
we were going to get good many
dollars for the little sick babies. Come
on inside now and warm your fingers
before you start out again. Why,
what's this? 1t looks like stack Of
sermons. Such a lot of writing and
pounds and pounds of paper" She
picked up a sheet and read.
Its all about stars! And it's old
and dusty, an old manuscript somebody
has thrown out. I think I'll take 1t In
and look it over. I've always loved AZ
tronomy!"
Lorena settled herself on the rug be-
fore the fire to look over her discov-
cry.
Toward the south we see that the
groups Of stars which pass above the
The paragraph ended
abruptly and the rest Of the page was
blank except for q footnote. I'm tired
and can't write any more. Lorena,
dear, goodnight"
She sprang to her feet with q cry,
the paper tightly to her
breast.
Robert Culver, returning from his
daily trip to the library, went into his
study and opened q drawer Of his
desk. It was emptyi Horrified he
pulled out another. It was also empty.
In fact every drawer was AZ innocent
Of paper as the Sahara desert Of fish.
He strobe hurriedly to the kitchen.
Nanny, where are the manuscripts
that were in my desk?"
"Why, sir, it's the darlin' babies.
They came and said they needed the
papers to make hospital with and
they We're so old and dirty I thought
you'd forgotten them and l gave them
to the boys"
He went to the door and looked
down the street. The cold wind blew
fine snow into his eyes, but he didn't
feel either. His work, the study OF
years, was gone!
Suddenly he spied two small figures
pulling a wagon through the park.
They might know Of something. With
as fast as he could. |
.Iiello. boys. Do you know anybody
that's collecting papers around here?'
I'VE are. Have you got any? We're
after our third load
''No In afraid you got all / had.
Where are YOU taking them?'
ITO Miss Lorena Herrick's OF Syca-
more street"
'Loreaa Herriek's?" he almost
shouted. He stood looking dazedly
into the shabby little wagon regardless
Of The curious eyes turned on him
standing bareheadel in the snow. Lo-
reaa He1ick. The name that had
been buried IN his heart for years
'H:'llen suddealy the words tool. form
and eazet. up ut nina froll Il letter in
the bottom OF the otherwise empty
wagon. There it lay, old, yellow and
soile;l, but the Inscription omit stood
out plain. Miss Lcrena IIerrick, lie
Sycamore street. DreWton, n. = The
stamp was Gncanceiet and the writing
his OWL. He picked it UP bewildered.