The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-11-23
IN TIME OF NEED
Cnnxright. iaIR. Meatern NeHananer uninn
BY sAipEE c. L C

SWIIneSS IS Ine essence OI Ine pres
ent task, Miss Peyton." spoke Vance
Drury, traveller. explorer and lecturer
'They tell me l can take dictatior
very rapidly" replied the young lady
stenographer modestly, but with con
viction.
"Then you will exactly suit me. II
is a peculiar case. / have just return.
ed from the far South Pacific. 1 have
reason to believe / have discovered
a new land and a new people. 1 have
had a rival, and an unworthy one,
Axel Morgan, a man not at all averse
to stealing my thunder. and, as I have
reason to believe, in possession of
copies Of my memoranda of the first
six months of my trip. Be that as 1t
may, / am here safe in New York
ahead of him. To prevent the posi-
bility Of his coming on the scene to an.
ticipate the publication of my book,
wish to rush 1t to press forthwith"
II understand.s nodded Miss Peyton.
She was glad Of the work, for which
she had been engaged at very gooG
pay. She was the daughter of an edi-
tor and writer and recognized in Vance
Drury a man of superior mental mold.
Besides that, his daring, adventurous
spirit captivated her. There was a
charm In his recital of the scenes he
had witnessed, the work was unique,
and for q week from eight until o
and from one to six, Nina sat In the lit
tie Office. transcribing the notes made
by the explorer during his years visit
to the Antarctic circle.
Some of his descriptions Of Icy Won
ders, of great solitudes, of sun and
moon pictures no n but al actual
observer could describe. Vance jotted
down these verbal descriptions. recog-
nizing in them the finest part Of his
work.
you see, l want to group all my
ideas into a half-coherent form. I've
sent for a very dear friend, Carl Whit
ley. the story writer. l want him to
beat the mass into shape and give II
the literary flavor, the coloring, the
snap and GO"
Carl Whitley appeared OF the scene.
From the first Nina dlsliked him. He
assumed great airs of literary superb
ority because he had made a hit In the
world of letters with one or two triv-
ial books. At once Nina realized that
he was indolent. fairly written out, and
inclined to rest on the generosity OF
Drury in giving the finishing touches
to the book, the latter proposed to
issue.
1t was two days after Nina had COM
pleted her work and was transcribing
the great mass of data to typewriter
form, when she was telephoned for by
Drury. She was somewhat startled
and alarmed to learn that he was at
a private hospital. She found him I'M
der charge of a physician.
Miss Peyton," said Drury, "there
may be no cause for alarm, but / have
reason to believe that / am going to
have a relapse into the sleeping fever
Of which I had an attack just before
returning to this country. II this Is
true, I shall be utterly incapacitated,
mentally and physically, for at least
two months. / have sent for you to
urge Whitley to get at work on the book
at once. It would break my heart to
have Axel Morgan appear on the scene
while 1 am helpless and flch my hon
e~stly-earned laurels. You will urge on
Whitley and my publisher and push
forward the work at once, l hope"
Nina promised him. pleased and hon
ored with the confidence he reposed
In her. She met a decided obstacle
at the outset. Carl Whitley developed
In his true colors an Incompetent. a
procrastinate. She soon realized that
no dependence whatever could be
placed upon him.
With this h~oped-for cooperation fail
ing. and Vance Drury lying In a vast
ing fever. all the initiative and energy
She was urged on by reading a
dispatch stating that Axel Nor
gan had arrived at q Spanish
port, en- route for the United
States. Nina sat rejecting seriously
all one evening. The mex she spent
"AhA NS PANoPNNNAFO PdOtiSAcA Vi tic
book. Then-work. oh, such work
Day and night she devoted heart, soul
and mind to the task she had set for
herself. Carl Whitley she utterly
disdained. He was a broken reed, a
pretense.
A great triumph was In her eyes,
wearied and worn as they were from
overwork, as she went to the hospital
one day. "You can see Mr.. Drury,"
spoke the physician. HE is past the
crisis Of his sickness. though weak"
Nina approached the cot. Across 1t
lay a newspaper and she noted that its
first column referred to the arrival In
the city Of the explorer. Axel Morgan.
The downcast expression on the face
Of Drury told how depressingly the an
nouncement affected him.
Mr.. Drury." she spoke softly.
"Ah, you T. and his eyes frightened