The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-09-12
MABEL'S MISSION
BY CARRIE GREENWAY.

uONu lit DuNh SUMS III ~
spread the news.
COvingtOn had come TO board at
the Bradley's three years before. and
since then no one could recall having
seen the top of the desk. A little
space in front, just large enough to
write upon. was kept fairly clear, but
| for the rest COvIngton seemed to take
a pride In the confusion he maintain
/ ed and boosted that he could find any
| thing he wanted at a moments no
tice.
At the Office his desk was sCrupu-
/ lousy neat, but the roll top in his sit
| ting room, used for his personal cor
respondence. was piled high with pa
pers and books.
| It might have continued so for an
| other three years but COvingtOn was
| restless. He found the evening pa
pers dull, the theatrical advertise
! ments made no appeal to him, and
| books were intolerable.
/ In his restless roaming around the
room his attention was attracted by
the desk, and sinking into the chair
he began to clean up. Here, at least,
was a novel occupation, and soon he
was buSily engaged in reading over
old letters and discardlng those or
no further interest.
Mabel's letters of course, he kept
in q drawer. the top one with the
Yale lock. Well, perhaps it would be
we'll to clear those out, too. Romance
was dead. He had written her the pro-
posal he seemed unable to make in per-
son, and had added: 81 shall not write
again until your answer comes" That
had been a fortnight ago.
His eyes caught a line in an adj
vertisement in q theatrical paper that
formed part of the litter of his desk.
"Consider silence a polite negative"
It ran. That was what he was doing.
Mabel had not even taken the trouble
TO answer.
He viciously thrust the paper into
the basket and caught up letter. Ii
was that check for his tailor. He had
been positive he had mailed that; the
subsequent argument had resulted In
transfer of his patronage, yet here
was the check still inside. He was
rather. glad that he had commenced
the cleaning up process.
There was another envelope under
the pile Of consular reports. He drew
It out and his face blanched. 1t was
the letter to Mabel. In some fash
ion it had slipped into the tangle on
the desk. He remembered he had
written a number of other letters at
the same time. When he had done he
snapped a rubber band about them and
had given them to one of the fellows
to take out.
What could she think of him? He
had ceased his customary visits and
J had not even written. He slipped out
of his house coat and into his dinner
Jacket There was a telephone in the
lower hall. Perhaps Mabel had not
! gone out
1t was her mother who answered,
rather frigidly, with a certain note
of disapproval in her voice. Mabel was
in, but she was I'll and had gone to
her room. She did not think that she
could see Mr.. Covington.
But Covington was persistent and In
the end he gained permission to call.
He found her pale. with nervous lines
in her face. She tried to laugh 1t Off
but he would not have 1t so.
IT have a special delivery message
. for you," he announced. at should
not have been q letter at all, but /
} guess I'm a sort of moral coward.
) anyhow, 1 was cleaning up my desk
at the house tonight and I found this.
. 1 thought 1t had been sent two weeks
, ago."
) Letters often 90 astray," she COM
, mented as she stretched out her hand
) to receive II.
at was my fault" he said humbly.
; "You see, I've a desk up at the house
and I've rather prided myself upon its
confusion. Tonight l cleaned 1t up.
Just to have something to do, and /
y found this letter"
Something in his tone conveyed its
import and she slowly broke the seal
z and glanced through the contents. At
last she looked up.
$50 that Is the reason I have not
- | utdIu sOu iulciyt ohc SoAN.
n wondered that you forgot the Apollo
concert"
"That is only one count" he said
e humbly. 81 did not bring the letter
It expecting that you would give the
same answer I hoped for two weeks
ago. I Just wanted you to see that i
n was not quite as bad as you think
IT am"
s. 81 did not give 1t great thought"
she said, while the red, flooding her
face, denied her words. 81 thought
70 that perhaps you were engrossed in
t. some important deal"
70 "This is the most important deal
in a mans life" he laughed lit
tie bitterly. "And have bungled II
badly"
"Pity is akin to love-" she reminded
n. "and do you know, Frank, think
have mission"
"And thatT he asked hoarsely.
J.. ITO keep that desk straight" sht
smiled.