White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-26
IN TIME OF NEED

sy sAIDEE E. BALLOON.


Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.)
"Swiftness is the essence of the pres
ent task, Miss Peyton," spoke Vance
Drury, traveller, explorer and lecturer.
"They tell me / can take dictation
very rapidly" replied the young lady
s~tenographer modestly, but with con-
viction.
"Then you viii exactly suit me. 1t
Is a peculiar case. 1 have just return
ed from the far South Pacific. / have
reason TO believe l 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 l have
reason to believe, In possession of
copies of my memoranda Of the first
six months of my trip. Be that as it
may, I 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, I
wish to rush 1t to press forthwith"
II u~nderstand,p nodded Miss Peyton.
She vas glad of the work, for which
she had been engaged at very good
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 a week from eight until noon
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 one but an 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 q half-coherent form. I've
sent for a very dear friend, Carl Whit
beat the mass into shape and give 1t
the literary flavor. the coloring, the
snap and 60"
Carl Whitley appeared or the scene.
From the first Nina disliked him. He
assumed great airs of literary superb
ority because he had made a hit In the
world of letters with n OF 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 for alarm, but i have
reason to believe that l am going to
have a relapse into the sleeping fever
Of which / had an attack Just before
returning to this country. If this Is
true, I shall be utterly in%capacitated.
mentally and physically, for at least
two months. I have sent for you to
urge Whitley to get at work on the book
at once. II would break my heart to
have Axel Morgan appear on the scene
while l am helpless and fitch my hon
estly-earned laurels. You will urge on
Whitley and my publisher and push
forward the work at once, | 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
In the young woman became aroused.
She was urged on by reading a
dispatch stating that Axel Nor
gan had arrived at a Spanish
port. en- route for the United
States. Nina sat rejecting seriously
all one evening. The next she spent
with the prospective publisher of the
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 a 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