The Crittenden press., 1920-08-10
A Real Romance
By Saidss Balcsa

Iona Wlnslead US she came down from
the stair landing. whore she had stood
for several minutes, while u young
man spoke few parting words " lhs
landiady Of the home where Iona aud
her father were staying during n visi,
10 the city.
Mr. Hector Lyle. dear" was the
reply. "and never was more reluctant
TO have q guest leave the place. lie
has been y model bosrd.r. | fear
and the kindly lady sighed, ~ IL Q
question OF money; but dared not
Intimate II. willing as I would he 10
help him"
lona's eyes had never rested upon q
face that 81 Interested her Us that Of
the young man who had just left the
house
He Is u writer. Miss Iona" enlight-
ened the lsndlsdy. ~ romsnc- writer
they term II. ! think"
"oh. how delightful" eIclslmed
lons. IL know real novelist but
I don't know him after all. l wish I
did. ] only saw him. Perhaps he will
come back"
No, dear" dissrnted Mrs. Duryes.
He told m- he would leave the city
for his old home soon. what saddened
me most. however. was that h- was
greatly depressed and dlsh.ari-n-d
ne has been working for q long time
on n story aud II was returned 10 him
from The publishers lat mouth Thea
he prepared synopsis OF II and sent
II 10 another publisher. but so far has
got no encouragement. Poor fellow 7
Anyone could see that he Ia q genius"
Ions was as much affected BY the
mournful story as the labdludy her.
self. There WAS n good deal Of 70
nance In her nature and her lively
Inns xlnstion and sympathy cast q
gismor about the unfortunate author
that did not dissipHte oil The morning
Time hung heavy OH her hands She
was 4 stranger In the city and could
not very we'll venture out without nm
escort. Mrs Dur.~s In years sson.
had been their family hou-.kr-l,er and
was Ike some relative. aud Ions
sought her company TO nni her taking
down the curnins In . modest little
rear apartment
mir Lyi-'s room" she advised Ions.
"Just look Except Tor the natural
wear aud tear II IL as neat aud we'll
kept ss the day he SOok II. Just Ike
him-he has piled all the stray bits ~
rubbish In u CRATE and has even
udied ~ the wardrobe
just then there was q call Tor MIR.
Duryea from downstairs Ions re-
mained IN the room awaiting her r..
turn. There Wa. a species of fnsclna
tion In being In III. apartment where
genius had r-lmed A. Iona noticed
. portrait OF some Kind crumpl-i 40
In the crate she leaned over and Olsen.
tangled II from the heap Of papers
where II lay.
ut II his picture" she murmnrrd;
= crayon sketch made by sou. artist
friend, ! suppose" aud Iona smooth.i
II out and. with a hssty. almost guilty
look a, the doorway. thrust I, into her
pocket "oh. dear. what u cru.i sac.
rlhcr" she added. hs she selected sew.
srnl sheets from The CRATE. Mr. i.yl,
must indeed have been discouraged 10
abandon all the thoughts aud labor
that he has cherished. I wonder" aud
Iona was fairly awed as sh. noted a
great roll ~ msnnscrlpt tied with a
string and read, for the match of the
housemald-"perhsps that is the pre-
clous story upon which he founded
such bright hopes"
Mrs. DuryeH, returning half m hour
later, discovered Iona seated ON IN,
Moor surrounded Nv sheets ~ manu-.
script
ITS the story. Mrs. Duryea :" cried
Iona rSclt.dly. "And h. had lef, /, 10
he burned up oh II IN beautiful
beautiful Can 7 have ~ Pleas,
say I cln!"
why, what would YOU do With Il.
chlldt" inquired Mrs Duryca.
u would read II nll. and then all
over again There isn't u page so far
that doesn't fairly sparkle with lovely
sentiment and nohlenrss. The puh
fishers could never have read H. Mn,
" oh. thank you--thank youw
Hector Lyle had once set typ. f. h,.
native village, when he left Mrs
Duryea's he had less than ten d,llnr.
to live On, lie had found .mplo,u-ni
with publisher of u nelghhorhnod
weekly ani manar NJ To earn enough
to sustain him. he was alon. in IA.
little den ~ = place when n loyel,
young lady entered lhe room. all nn,.
nation and eagprne,s.
we have been trying 20 locate Van
Tor two months. Mr.. Lyle" spok. lam.
Winsted -scltrdly Mrs. Dury., and
]. aud the publisher too And ,,n.l
the whole manuscript Of the s,or, for |
The editor who had approved IN. |
synopsis, and he has accepted II and |
VIII pay you i've hundred dollars down |
and"
There the impulsi,e Iona came TO q
'safused pause for Mrs puryea FOL.