Year: 1861




was Tie instantaneous question that fol-
lowed TIE glance about the room, aud set
tied hs eyes upon the guide who had
brought him into IL


Ah /! but She was pretty. There could
lss 10 two opinions about that


Walk III. sir; and be welcome to what
/ can offer you IN your unpleasant position.


There was something very good and
child-like in the face before him The
dark hazel eyes had a sad look, but there
was no sign Of grief IN the full, rosy checks
no care wrinkles in the pure, clear skin.
There she stood before him, the angel that
was to rescue him by means Of pens, ink
and paper, from bis serape--a delicious,
lady-like, neat but plainly dressed little
creature Of about twenty, with Quakerish
brown hair, beauhnly rounded form, and
white hands almost making him forget the
very object for which he had been brought
70 the spot


She placed a chair, into which he me-
chauically dropped,a and then without anoth-
er word put before him the requisite arti-
cles for his photographic exercises. Such
pens - Gillotts 303s.' Such ink Aye
and such paper, to say nothing of the
precious little inkstand. Pink tinted and
water-lined paper, on which TO scrawl for
the hands of the compositors. He took
up sheet and looked upon il with an ex-
preston that seemed TO say as much and
she without speaking, showed that pink
tinted and water-lined was her only store,
and ihen she took up the work that lay
upon the table, and leaving it all undis-
turbel to him, seated herself at the win
dow and began stitching away with a
strasge gyration Of fingers'that showed at
once she was making button-hole.


low still the room was, not sound but
the scratching Of his pen over the paper
and the ticking of the clock on the mantel.
The pen was flying fast and every few
minltes the Autter Of sheet would an
nounce that one more leaf was added to
the screed.


BY and by, lie laughed, and she looked
up Their eyes met, and he apologized
by saying that he had forgotten himself
for the moment, and was laughing at what
he had written That it was his custom
when he was alone and wrote few pages,
TO read it aloud that he might be sure il
was all right.


Then she asked him Why he did not do
50 now2


Woull i not annoy hclt


Quite the contrary, she would like to
hear him, if there was nothing that Should
be kept secret


And so each few pages that he wrote,
he read aloud, and Size listened with a
marked attention, which had thc effect ol
spuring him on in the task; and the pen
fairly Jumped over the paper. In 4 few
minutes Sic laid down tie work, and came,
So naturally, to the opposite side Of the
table, seating herself fo all the world a.
though she had been accustomed to such
labor for lifetime, and took up tie sheets
he had written, reading them over SO stu
diously and marking with pencil the
words which in his Taste he had dropped
AS every writer viii do, and noticing what.
ever corrections were wanted. Nothing
could have been better, for as the clock
licked on, the time went away and at last
when with good, round strong sentence
that elected her caudid applause, be con-
cIuded the article, there was just seven
minutes to get il down to the Office. She
pointed this out 10 him as he was wrap
ping up tile sheets, making perhaps it,
Tie more delay than was necessary, and
charged him that punctuality is the life
Of business


There were not many words spoken
but what there was amounted TO permis-
sion that he should return and tell hel
whether he was in time, and thank her
more at length for the generous assistance
she had given him in time of need.


II is useless perhaps TO say that in less
than half an hour after there came tap
ping. tapping, at the chamber door, and
that when il was opened there was not


darkness there and nothing more, but in
it, place there was the veritable scribe Of
tie afternoon, a rather handsome fellow OF
aboat twenty FIVE, returned.


lie was so full Of thanks, 50 running
over with protestations Of a desire TO serve
his fair neighbor in turn, that notwith-
standing she stood with the knob Of the
door five minutes in her hand, determined
not to invite him in, seeing that bis task
was performed, and desire to prevent
public disappointment was no longer the
motive, yet she did succumb to the force
of circumstances, and breathed forth a kind
Of half ho pitality, which he eagerly
grasped at.


Now, with the great shadow Of de-
layed press no. longer looming over him,
he had chance 10 look with an unoccu-
pied mind on his ncw friend. There was
something about her, dreamy, gauzelike
memory, that struck him strangely. Had
he ever met her beiores No it was I'M
possible. 50 she said IN answer TO his que
~. Why impossible; Simply because
she had only been couple Of weeks in
New York. And had come from where :
The answer vas not very willingly given,
but Il came. From NJ, in Massa-