BY THE WAY

New Zealand Mail, 5 February 1902, Page 11

BY THE WAY

(By A.J.W..)

Tt seemed as though the weather had Wished a wholesale boiling down mHaS 'of its own. The people in the S 3, the offices, the shops, everywhere, ■ stewed. In the afternoon a duststorm came on, a real Sydney diiststorm, aud the air was thick yellow, blinding, ft was like this when the door of a poor looking cottage opened and clouds of dust drove in.. “Oh Jeanie, shut the door, for mercy’s sake "’said a quavering voice from the 6ofa under the window.. Jeanie closed the door with a rueful exclamation. Her breath came in little mbds and sighs as she went down the K now colliding with a grey figure which would suddenly emerge from a billowv cloud, now reeling as the wind raueht her dress and twisted her ronnd. When she reached her styping-place the roill of MSS. she carried ms anything but spotless, and she ,had taken such pains to keep it clean. “ Mann” always said she " mussed” things so with her hot hand Her round cheeks were red with the heat, and a possible feeling of awe aa she climbed the stairs to the editor’s room, and her breath came a little faster as she knocked softly.

“Come in,” said a man’s voice—the quick, decided voice of a man who is Tremulously she went forward with an awkward bow. The editor looked up a little too late for the bow. He was a man above middle age. with iron grey hair and a piercing glance. As she met that glance the girl quailed, ! and her own pathetic brown eyes fell on the floor “Sit down,” said the editor, not unkindly; “the weather holds no mercy for us to-day." “I have brought a little manuscript It’s—it’s not very long. I hope you will like it. I've taken a lot of trouble ”

The editor moved some papers a little uneasily. “Well, I’m rather busy just now; but if you care to leave it i will try to find “Oh!” she faltered, ‘‘if you wouldn’t 'mind—if you could look at it now—it’s not very long.” He held out his hand without speaking, and she put the roll into it. Presently he looked up again-. “Miss ?” “Miss Daley.” ‘.‘Have you been writing long, Miss Daley?” "Oh, yes— that is, from time to time for years," faltered Miss Daley. "I see. Well ” he paused and considered for a moment..

He was a 'kincl-hearted man, and despite his piercing glance never hurt anything wilfully, but Jeanie Daley read her fate iu his face.

“Oh,” she said, Oh!"

‘ you don’t like it.

In spite of herself her eyes filled, She was tired out, and they wore so poor. “You are hard-pushed?” said the editor.

it . w ith a catch in her voice. Marm is old, and sick, too.” He leaned across the table. Here,” he said, “is a cheque. Give me in return your story and the promise never to write any more. face^'' S^6 sa ' d a £ a * n ’ with paling

Promise,” said the editor. ,„looked at the cheque and thought oi marm’ on the sofa under the Window.

I promise,” she said, sadly. As she-went out the editor, with a practised hand, threw the rej ectecl manuscript into the waste-paper basket.