The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-02-13
"OLD PAPERS"
BY OLIVE MARTIN.

IN n living Don and watched the
feathery flakes Of white busting the
street and sidewalk.
"How time fiesl Dear me. I'd no
Idea the month was so far along. I've
been so busy with the campaign for the
new baby hospital that I've lost track
of the days."
She turned to the window again. 81
wish those little boys would hurry with
their wagons; it's after one now and
there's so much to do"
In a few minutes a 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
of the past. A half dozen years be-
fore a great tragedy had come into her
life.
She returned to the library and
picked up a photograph from the table.
"Eear, the last time l saw you was
u aoJ n AhAcy Dut SOlucnOW IL uiuu l
seem cold like today. The world even
without the sunshine was rosy and
warm and glowing because / was with
you. You looked that day as il you
wanted to say something and couldn't.
What was 1t, dear? Did / guess right?
Did you really love me and was it
that you tried to tell? Then why did
you go awayf"
The little wagons filled and two trips
were made to Miss Lorena's big side
porch where the contents were emptied
In a heterogeneous mass that delighted
her heart. "Why, Riddles, it looks as If
we were going to get a 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 a stack of
sermons. Such q lot of writing and
pounds and pounds of paper" She
picked up a sheet and read.
"It's all about starsl And It's old
and dusty, an old manuscript somebody
has thrown out. / think I'll take 1t In
and look 1t over. I've always loved as
tronomyI
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
horizon" The paragraph ended
abruptly and the rest of the page was
blank except for a footnote. I'm tired
and can't write any more. Lorena,
dear, goodnight"
She sprang to her feet with a cry,
clutching the paper tightly to her
breast.
Robert Culver, returning from his
daily trip to the library. went into his
study and opened a drawer of his
desk. 1t was emptyi Horrifed he
pulled out another. 1t was also empty.
In fact every drawer was as 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?"
"Nhy, sir, it's the darlin' babies.
They came and said they needed the
papers TO make a hospital with and
they were so old and dirty l thought
you'd forgotten them and / 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 gonel
Suddenly he spied two small figures
pulling a wagon through the park.
They might know of something. With
out waiting for hat or coat he followed
as fast as be could.
"Hello, boysl Do you know anybody
that's collecting papers around heref'
I'VE are. Have you got any? We're
after our third load"
mo, I'm afraid you got all 1 had.
Where are you taking themf"
ITO Miss Lorena Herrick's on Syca-
more street"
"Lorena Herrick'sf" he almost
shouted. He stood looking dazedly
into the shabby little wagon regardless
of the curious eyes turned on him
standing bareheaded in the snow. Lo-
rem Herrick The name that had
been buried in his heart for years
Then suddenly the words took form
and gazed up at him from a letter in
the bottom of the otherwise empty
wagon. There 1t lay, old, yellow and
soiled, but the inscription on 1t stood
out plain. Miss Lorena Herrick, ITO
Sycamore street, Drewton, N. Y" The
stamp was u~ncanceIed and the writing
his own. He picked 1t up bewildered.
"Where did this come from?'
"Don't know. Must a fallen out of
something" came the answe
Its for Miss Herrick. I'll take 1t
to her" He turned and strobe away.
Lorena stood before the fire. Rob
ert, dear, goodnight h breathed
softly over and over to the mysterious
figures dancing in the flames.