Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-05-10
when DEAF HEAR
BY VINCENT G. PERRY.
Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicatel

NtihOl MpHiSOlutIy, luuSdLihc uhu
newspaper feature writer, had won
prominence because his articles and
stories were different. He never used
secondhand information, every fact
he quoted was gained by personal in
vestigatiOn that was one of his boasts.
The possibility of series of articles
in lip reading presented itself to him
and he lost no time in seeking out
school for the deaf, and enrolling as
pupil.
From the first he found the study
Interesting. AS the days went by he
began To take an interest in the pupils.
There was one young lady especially
that interested him. He was attracted
To her first by noticing that she was
always the first to catch onto the in
StructionS Of the teacher, and her en-
jOyment of the study seemed to be re-
Elected in her face.
After the first two weeks had passed
Vernon thought it time to set to work
on the first of his articles. He didn't
get more than started, however, for
his mind would not settle on his sub
ject. He pushed it aside and started
on a love story with deaf and dumb
heroine.
The next day he managed to sit near
er the girl that had attracted him, with
the result that he missed some of the
instructions. What was her name, he
wondered. Did she know 1t herself?
OF course she knew it Deaf and dumb
| people were often very clever and her
cleverness could not be mistaken. How
eagerly she watched the teacher !!
What wonderful thing lip-reading
| was to give n girl like her an oppor-
| tunity to converse with her fellow
beings. He could say few words,
already, and she could say as many,
so he seized his first opportunity to
carry on conversation with her. He
had learned her name at the first Of
their friendship and every night he
said it to himself before the mirror.
Ivy Sterling he thought was the pref
test name he had ever heard. but 1t
was not as pretty as its owner. the
deaf and dumb girl.
The first of VernOn's articles had
appeared and the editor of the maya
zine that was running them wanted
more and lots Of it. and Vernon did
not object to comply with his wishes.
1t was hard to get back to his old
routine of work but he buckled down
to work on a new idea for some fea-
ture articles but the new idea didn't
pan out as he had expected. Some
thing had gone wrong.
Where were all his ideas? Was
there nothing in his brain but
thoughts Of lip-reading and Ivy Ster'
ling? That was it-Ivy Sterling was
the cause of the whole thing. He was
in love, and he had to admit it, and
he hadn't even written to her. To tel
the truth the thought of being in love
with a deaf and dumb girl had never
entered his head before. but now he
knew that 1t was love he felt toward
Ivy. After all what did 1t matter II
she was deaf and dumb? They could
converse and that was all that mat
|
II their wives were dumb, but OF
course. If Ivy had been gifted will
speech she would not have made thai
kind Of a wife. He would tell her hi:
feelings. he resolved. But how could
he? He didn't even know her ad
dress. Wouldn't q novel about he
find her quickest? No sooner had tina
thought struck his mind than he sa
down to write the story and when III
once got started everything else wa
I'm oblivion.
When it was completed, after week
of the hardest work of his life, ant
yet the most pleasant, he made up hi
mind that ii was best suited for
magazine serial, and he submitted |
personally.
"YOur synopsis of the plot sound
promising" the managing editor salt
rs he fingered the manuscript. Lip
reading. eh!" His face lit up with
smile. "YOung man, we shouldn't nc
cept any of your work. Your lip
reading series scOOped us. after we hat
nut one of the best of our staff on
after the story. To make matter
worse she got started in the cours
and refused to leave off until she ha
completed ii. Were you as intereste'
in 1t as that?"
81 certainly was. It is wonder
didn't meet your writer, though"
"Oh! A gasp sounded in the offic
and the two men turned to face
Young woman with handful of copy
1t was Ivy Sterling.
"You gave me start to hear yo
talk" she gasped.
"Miss Sterling aren't you deaf an
dumb?" Vernon could hardly believ
his ears.
81 should say I am not. So You ar
the man who scOoped me on the Liz
reading stories-the first time l hav
, been scooped. too. 1t Is wonder
!, never suspected you" There was
( merry twinkle in her eye.
you knew all along" Vernon SAL
, ii in an instant.
"Of course. did" she laughed, IAN
II Is going to make the dandiest ma.
azine story"
= 81 would have sworn you were duml
Why the way you blushed the day W
learned the word love, made me SUI
q. ,-oS oil now to yOu"