Repository: UIHistories Project: Illio - 1896 [PAGE 83]

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to t came in n r it .iL'.iin and it's all BO different from my description f ; -I as if

till* Slol'X Was s p o i l e d . "

*• Nnt at a l l . " said I I«-r.-f. .r<i.

" W hal d o the d e t a i l n D . a l t e r ? I'nun h e r a b s o r p t i o n hastily:

A n y o n e w i t h ft o f theIK.UM-,

feedini: tor such t h i n g s w o u l d recognize i t . " •• \ \ h \ , " t-rii-d Miss C o n r a d , w a k e n i n g

•' ha\ e•_.•'read my s t o n " "

"Yes, indeed/' began Hereford, adding " W e all did, and we th-ught " 14 M O h , what d i d y o u t h i n k o f i t ? it matter that i t ' s all so d i f f e r e n t ? I had w a k e n e d Up w h e n I saw how I h i m w i t h a l i t t l e l a u g h , for she k n e w not t e l l M r . H e r e f o r d , w i l l y o u . that I ' l l tell no o n e , ' ' said h e l p l i k i n g it—as far as t h e suddenly r e m e m b e r i n g the u I hope M r . H e r e f o r d

M

,

Miss < ' o n t a d i n t e r r u p t e d , eagerly : " a n d does felt as i f I had been d r e a m i n g s o m e t h i n g a n d had changed i t , but t h e n — " She l o o k e d at 4 she was t a k i n g it a l l too s e r i o u s l y . " You'll t h i s is the place I m e a n t ? "

H e r e f o r d , " a n d , as for l i k i n g t h e s t o r y , no one c o u l d pleasure o f r e a d i n g i t g o e s , " h e a d d e d u n c o m f o r t a b l y , l i m i t a t i o n s o f Le Sieele. t h i n k s s o , " she said.

That afternoon James went to Hoboken, and Charnley recognized a familiar 44 manuscript on Hereford's desk again. Is she coming for it this afternoon ?" h e asked. " ( i o i n g to send it to h e r , " said Hereford. " No use wasting my time on another interview. Wish Benham didn't have such a genius for introducing people." " Y o u ' r e getting equal to t h e emergency," said Charnley, with approval. Charnley was sometimes almost as superior as James. But Hereford took to himself no glory, feeling that he would lack the courage to refuse that manuscript after a third meeting with Miss Conrad. Later in the evening he found that fate had taken good care of him when she prompted him to send it. He had been forced to show himself at a reception, where he was expected to pose as a literary light and encourage luminaries that had not yet had the opportunity to shine. " Oh, Mr. Hereford," cried his hostess, capturing him, " I want you to meet such a charming young woman, a writer "— Hereford shuddered. "Come this way. Miss Conrad — Mr. Hereford." And their busy hostess was gone. Mies Conrad put out her hand cordially. There was a laugh in her long, soft eyes. " I'm delighted to meet you," she said. " You—you're generous," blurted Hereford, wringing the hand. " What can I say for myself? Did I make it clear in my note that I would have given anything to have taken that story—that it was only because we have enough in that particular line to last a year ?" " I understood your note perfectly," said Miss Conrad; " but do tell me, when Mr. Hereford and bis representative go out walking, what becomes of the office?" " You are forgetting James," sighed Hereford. " James ?" she asked. " James," said Hereford. " James takes care of the office whether Hereford

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