The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-06-27
| WHEN DEAF HEAR
BY VINCENT G. PERRY.
Copyright 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa-
mar Syndicate

per SyDulCdleP
Vernon Montgomery, magazine and
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
yestigation; 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
structlons of the teacher, and her en-
! joyment Of the study seemed to be re-
flected in her face.
After the first two weeks had passed
Vernon thought 1t 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 1t aside and started
on love story with a 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 herselff
OF course she knew 1t Deaf and dumb
people were often very clever and her
cleverness could not be mistaken. How
eagerly she watched the teacher
What n wonderful thing lip-reading
was to give a 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
tlest name he had ever heard, but II
was not as pretty as It's 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 1t, and Vernon did
not object to comply with his wishes.
1t was hard 10 ret back to his old
| routine of work but he buckled down
to work on a new idea for some fea-
ture articles but tine new Idea didn't
pan out as he had expected. Some
thing had gone wrong,
Where were all his ideas2 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 tell
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 If
she was deaf and dumb? They could
converse and that was all that mat
| tered. Some men would be thankful
| II their wives were dumb, but Of
course, If Ivy had been gifted with
| speech she would not have made that
| kind Of a wife. lie would tell her his
| feelings, he resolved. But how could
! he? He didn't even know her adj
| dress. Wouldn't a novel about her
find her quickest? No sooner had that
thought struck his mind than he sat
down to write the story and when he
once got started everything else was
| In oblivion.
When 1t was completed, after weeks
of the hardest work of his life, and
yet the most pleasant, he made up his
mind that it was best suited for a
magazine serial, and he submitted It
! personally.
"Your synopsis Of the plot sounds
promising" the managing editor said
as he fingered the manuscript. Lip
reading, eh" His face lit up with
smile. young man, we shouldn't ac-
cept any Of your work. Your lip
reading series scoOped us, after we had
! put one Of the best of our staff out
after the story. To make matters
worse she got started in the course
and refused to leave off until she had
completed It. Were you as interested
In IT as that?"
81 certainly was. II is wonder !
didn't meet your writer, though"
"Oh!" A gasp sounded In the office
and the two men turned to face
young woman with handful of copy
II was Ivy Sterling.
"You gave me a start to hear you
| talk" she gasped,
"Miss Sterling, aren't you deaf and
dumbf' Vernon could hardly believe
| his ears.
81 should say | am not. So you are
the man who .,cooped me on the lip
reading storles-the first time | have
been scooped, too. 1t Is wonder |
never suspected you" There was a
merry twinkle in her eye.
"You knew nll alongw Vernon saw
II I'm an instant.
"Of course l did" she laughed. "and
It IS going TO make the dandiest mag
azine story
81 would have sworn you were dumb.
Why the way you blushed the day we
learned the word love, made me sure
Il was all new to you"
stAI M pFap coli