The Hope pioneer., 1918-09-05
.MABEL's MISSION
BY CARRIE oREENWAY.

Covington was cleaning up the desk.
The upstairs girl, answering his ring
for a larger waste basket, almost fell
down the back stairs In her hurry to
spread the news.
Covington had come to board al.
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 boasted that he could find any
thing he wanted at moments no
tice.
At the Office his desk was scrupu-
lously neat, but the roll top in his sit
ting room, used for his personal cor
respondence, was pied 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 novel occupation, and soon he
was busily engaged in reading over
old letters and discarding those Of
no further interest.
Mabel's letters, Of course, he kept
in a drawer, the top one with the
Yale lock. Well, perhaps it would be
well 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: II shall not write
again until your answer comes" That
had been fortnight ago.
His eyes caught line in an ad-
vertisement in theatrical paper that
formed part Of the litter Of his desk.
Consider silence polite negative"
1t 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. It
! 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
| fhQ cleaning nm nrOCoSS
There was another envelope under
the pile Of consular reports. He drew
it out and his face blanched. It 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 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
had not even written. He slipped out
of his house coat and into his dinner
Jacket. There was telephone in the
lower hall. Perhaps Mabel had not
gone out.
It was her mother who answered,
rather frigidly, with 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 it off
but he would not have it so.
IT have a special delivery message
for you," he announced. ut should
not have been letter at all, but I
guess I'm a sort of moral coward.
"Anyhow, was cleaning up my desk
at the house tonight and found this.
I thought it had been sent two weeks
ago."
Letters, often go astray," she COM
mented as she stretched out her hand
to receive it.
1T was my fault" he said humbly.
"You see, I've desk up at the house
and I've rather prided myself upon its
confusion. Tonight cleaned 1t up,
just to have something to do, and I
found this letter."
Something in his tone conveyed its
import and she slowly broke the seal
and glanced through the contents. At
last she looked up.
$50 that is the reason I have not
heard from you lately" she said. II
wondered that you forgot the Apollo
concert"
"That is only one count" he said
humbly. II did not bring the letter
expecting that you would give the
same answer hoped for two weeks
ago. I just wanted you to see that