Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 297, 20 December 1904, Page 4

Literature.

P T HE STORY OF"A BTOKY.

K CCorrtdnmed.) St' iw it wai her inotlwr's taunts ■ I *Kty for'thc starving young ■&{<* tl» , P '' J l" t umo recovering from & <»' m thought oi a Si t fl vc 1*I" c,Hlt - ' for ST'a» tLt d»» were ?i «*uoratcd, however, Uy the tune v rf*' louwl herself outside the oftices §%£■ Shaftesbury MagMU*- Still. V courage had gpiK. n sc '" so Sty helped hj- over the rest of the tt !ndW her at last m front of the Urge commissionaire who -,-, wouWs UJte to send up jour caid, replied Ethel, " but uiraid X can't send up iuy catrf* ■ f :iu a l [v '-'- v wants to st^ e him.; yem o» . very important business" tuxl she tried to look twice ber size, but only succeeded in looking so very , pretty that the giant 1 bundled oft, to return with the rep-y ■A that the editor would see her if sue

would wait live minutes. I , fltlottlft atw 'wait five minutes ? day « isho could only achieve her object in the end. However, sfae had only to « r ait about -a kjuartor 'of an hour, just long enough .to wonder what on 'earth dhe -was doing .invading these palaUtrib offices for some young man she had never seen. Still, if he was - starving ihra Kio perhaps depended cm her success "This way, please, miss," broke into her reflection®, and before she quite knew where she was she fouml t-afcbr drifi'lace to faco with the great tiym dbe Jiad come to see. The fact, that -he -had a. wife and several chil-dren--at-home couM not prevent his being impressed with Ethel's beauty • and therefore his politeness left nobbing to be desireid. ,s" Jpafe i Brwiord, I believe," he 'sank y How are 3'ou, Miss Bresford. Pray take a seat." ",Xhaoks. l'm very well, thanks," was tbe nervous reply, as Ethel sank -. into the luxurious arm-chair he -had placed for her, "and I have brought ' a little thing I should like you to rcgd if you would' lie so kind. I'm

never-kaiows, Miss liresford," replied the still polite editor. "Wo get fluch a lot of trash sent s in, that it's quite a relief to coma 0" aicfoer, .something good. I ;,hall be * delighted tcr read it." Ethel handed the typewritten wheets , .across dubiously, and watched lvis *' ""fort as lie reaid over the first page. ! His face was something ol a study " as he read. The pleased expression a ' 'ewnewhat ardent study of Ethel had jioipeurted to bis face bad graduallyfaded. He turned i rod—redder still—- « and then exploded into a scries of ? " H'ms." Thr.n he looked over at

r tgtin, bis artistic appreciation *■> of beauty straggling with his cdi- > torial- iiwtmct. " Is' tfei your own, Miss Hres- , v fond ? " hj; asked, seeking to lind {5? to excuse to reiuse it on the plea '"that they had had a good many r'J • other—thiflga very like it just recently. Oh, no," answerod Ethel. "II isn't mine. It was written by a gen- *:. tleman who—who " " Ah, I see !" be replied, quickly, j mistaking the cause of her hesitatio® i; : _ "lb isn't that," she replied still ;■ T more quickly, with flushed cheeks, for ootiUl . not misunderstand - jiis in- — ferencc, "but he's starving, and if ■■ this story is not accepted-—" r " I'm really very sorry, Miss Bresford, lam indeod ,- but wo positivt- ' >lyfoßH't do anything with this." " But you haven't seen more than the first page," she pleaded. "It may be better further on." " Slow, frankly, .Miss Bresfoid, 1 should only be too pleased to oblige &n£ would besittple ruin lor us to print stuff like this. It is not the slightest use my wading through the ' rest of it." Ethel gave it up and left the office. Even yet she felt herself obliged somehow to /make a success pf - u thm story;. although she already hated it with a rapidly growing hatred. "■ After she had partaken of a little lunch |n?r courage returned a little ■ and she recommenced the fight. She

* . visited as less them seven offices ■that afternoon'. Three editors refused to see her, and after all she was . wa# heufUjufony 'that all of them ; lv llwit aort • done so, for those who did 'V said such things of the poor story »; that at last she gave it up in sheer S; deaj/a i r and set out for home. l\htm she reached home, tired and , .of tears, she was as"v tonishod to lind a young man there, jvho appeared to have made himself very much at bouic and who was already ,on great terms of intimacy with her mother. He rose to greet hpr as she entered. * "• " Ethel, my dear," said Mrs lirest - fond, ''-let me introduce Mr Adrian to you."-, For a, few moments they looked at another. He was thinking what [• ».beaUtiful girl this was. She was thinking how she had been deetived and of the torments she had been "' - undergoing because of that dccep- » tion.

Ylws this the starving man she had spent that wretched day in trying to help. This elegantly attired J ounig gentleman, who. was as gorr goous an tL Bond Street tailor could , liiin ! she looked at him and then glanced at her own shabby * driss, Fancy trying to get money '' to keep, this giil-ded youth from star- , ( vatirro, while she—oh, it was too ; ' ridiculous ! It was worse than ridiculous. It was tragic. No, it was t not. It was absurd, and he would laugh at her when he knew. She j ' .would laugh, or cry, or throw his wietchcd * Vengeance 0 f Veda' in hia complacent face? Poor F.tliel couldn't decide ; but if she could have , _ Muml him with 's, look she wv>uld v'- have <tone, so there and thvn. At last he spoke. " I'm delighted to meet you, Miss Hres/crti. I' ve called to see about that story I sent jou.'- ** " Well," she said slowly, without returning his greeting, her lips comr pressed ominously. •" Well, what, about that story you sent me ? " ' I've thought it over, and I'm I; certain now that that editor chap —.wasn't far out after all. Ho I just ran over to tell you not, to bother about,. but just to tear it up. Of , course I shall pay you for your trouble; hut, my dear Miss Uresford, . whatever is the matter ?".

f. Kor Ethel's defiant attitude lwd at last broken down and she was weepr ' ing b f ttcrly# " And I'v« been—snulbbotf—all dav * —owr it," alio so-tybed. " I wish—l'd iwier—lieand of you—aiwj your fctory." And the offending story wont flyhijj into tho fire, r >'! E thel," saiil Mrs Bresford, waniingly.: . " Neither of tlicm took the slightest .. notice of her. Ethel was sobbing as ; _ lf her heart would, break at her <ruel disappointment, and. Adrian went lip to Ik'l' in the nrost natural . Itiunriar in the world, to comfort her. r ' 110 must have done this remarkably .well, too, for during tea (oh, yes, he stayed to tea, of course) Slis ])res- .• - nradothe alarmingi discovery that Jns handkerchief was wet. sk must have been crying too But when Mrs Brcsford announced * tor discovery Ethel blushed a „d s Reginald carefully folded up the handkerchief a nd vowed he would v -Kwp it for ever, •j.,, Coufd Ethel have wipeil away her ■ tears with, the handkerchief of a ,; mere stranger ? -1- 09 "'".V, Keginald does »*, m>t nave those headaches now, Mrs ' JJresford sees the workhouse, if at 1 trough the,wrong end of (he M. totescope, and Bthel—well, Ethel is pat so very sorry after all. ® (Tic End.)