Show Daily Short Fiction Story TWO WEEKS LATE I By MOLLY Copyright 1914 by hy the Newspaper Newspaper News News- paper Syndicate Mary Iary Anne gazed gaze longingly at the tho news stands It was Vas the of the month and many o of or the new magazines had come from rom the press But wistful eyed though the girl was she realized that she sho could I not pos possibly afford to buy more than on onor one or two of the cent 10 Issues Mary Anne was as a a. writer In embryo She had not as yet arrived although many editors h had d found her stories acceptable acceptable- She f felt her lack of current reading matter matter matter mat mat- ter very ery deeply It was dl difficult cult to know the market when she could not bu buy the publications Always Alway at the 1st and of the tho month Mary Iary MaryAnne Anne could be bo found hangIng hangIng hang- hang Ing lug hungrily about aboUl the news flows stands She Sh sometimes felt relt that to have yearly early subscriptions subscriptions sub sub- to a half dozen of the best magazines would be her ne nearest approach to heaven on this t earth On very ery rare occasions Mary Anne went without a lunch or dinner end and bought ht one of or the cent 33 magazines With untold untold un un- told joy she perused ory e line lino of her Imer dearly bought treasure and drank milk in place of having a good square quare meal It was in ono one of oC the tho English publications among amon the advertisements that Mar Mary Anne found a solution to her probe sho She wondered why the Idea had not occurred occurred oc oc- oc to her before In the private advertisements under the Books and Music column there were wele two appeals for old magazines In consequence there thero appeared in the New York papers a small per person on which read reath Wanted Wanted Century Century harpers harper's Scribner McClure and others one ono week la late te Half 1101 f pi price Ice Ur Urgent M. M r. r A. A Druce 04 O West cst Seventy eighth street When young Tommy Deanc Deane read that advertIsement his hla heart liE leaped within him For sonic some months Tommys Tommy's limited bank account had been whispering to him that ho would have havo to curtail outgoing cash His magazines were In the nature of r a luxury although t y tU-y y helped him to dispose of oC an occasional oR olt of verse or a short article Tommy had aspirations In the literary field as w well as a weekly ly salary salary sal sal- ary from rom a brokerage firm Ho longed to give he up all for tor a a. career carcer yet ct he lie was fa far I too level le headed to blat let go o a r regular gular salary alary for or mea meager el Irregular checks from editors The Tho advertisement nd nt of M. M A A. Druce Druco camp In the na nature ture of a delightful solution to his difficulty Tomm Tommy could still have his luxurious amount of ci current reading matter without rea really II Injuring his ban bank account an appreciable degree lie sat town sown and ticked oft off a short businesslike letter to M. M A A. A Druce in which he lie stated that he was willing to 3 dispose of ten magazines each month one week from from date 0 of publication The price to bo half halt of the original cost coat By return mall mail ho he learned that M. M t. t A A. Druce would call can for tho the magazine so 50 as 10 to save u the postage So It was that Mary Anne obtained her precious reading matter She called twice a a. month at tho tue boarding house hOl i Tomm Tommy had a a. room and the maid gave e ga e I her the neatly done dOlle up package in return for fora sum of money Receipts were given hen and taken In a perfectly bu businesslike lIko manner Tommy Tomm D Deane was often oCten curious as to 10 the pcr personality of tho the person who sol got his magazines He lie felt kindred souls t with that person whoever It Ita a was yet et being at al business all an rIa day the tho two never ne rn met t. t From time to time ho hI turned down the corner of a particularly good story and once a short note had been left In which M. M r. r A. A Druce- Druce agreed with Ith him on a I. tale of unusual merit Tommy rather r fancied the tho writing and wished the note had been lon longer er and a trifle less Impersonal He Ho had pictured Mr 11 Druce as a man of unusual unusual un un- un- un usual mental qualities The Tho time c came when ono one of Tommys Tommy's poems graced th page lae of one of the better bet bet- ter magazines magazine He underlined his name nam in red Ink and wrote numerous marginal 1 notes not Somehow h he felt fell In dose close sympathy Fmpa th thy with Mr Ir Druce He lie was at t a loss 1015 to know Just h why the th feeling existed ted When hen hen he ht had rea read d his own poem over or again he lie glanced through the magazine Funny Funn he mused Hero I is a story atory b by Mary Marynn Anne nn Druce Is 18 there a chance In th the world world world- The maid with a a. letter cut short hl his surprise and conjecturing Dear Mr D Deanc Deane nc he re read d I I want to thank PU u for th the help you have ha afforded me In placing m my stories The magazines maga mag's 8 at t half price made mad It possible for forme forme me to study tudy the market more mor J cally and In consequence I have hao sold told ma many stories One of of mine is out this month I 1 hope you OU will r recognize co the name although I believe c you ou ha have beenu been Under u e the lon that M M. A Druce Druco 3 I wish ish you every success I was waB far Car too anxious to see sac if my story was in this month to wait watt two to weeks old so bought a a. magazine Sincerely yours yo-urs MARY ARY ANNE DRUCE Tommy whistled There Thero seemed no other way of adequately expressing the jO Joy that had swept over o him like a mighty tidal l wave wa That then had llad been hlen tho ho reason for Tommys Tommy's feeling of or kinship It had been beena a womans woman's wiles luring his thoughts thought through the 0 medium of oC magazines A Aman's Amans Amans Aman's mans man's mind would never have crept out from rom the situation and tangled Itself about his Tommys Tommy's own He l-Ie read Mary Annes Anne's story with great reat Interest and recognized a n writer that would In a 0 short time find herself In all allor of or th the tho magazines rommy Tommy sat thinking for tor more than an hour Ills His own writing and literary ca career Career Ca- Ca reer seemed things of or no moment MaryAnne Mary MaryAnne Anne was the one who whose whore e desires were ero to tobe tobe tobe be considered her hel wants looked looke after arid and her heart proper properly placed In tho the end he no wrote a letter Mary Alary Anne sitting at her desk on which the tho sun shone brightly rc read arl the letter and a n smile that rivaled the tho sun In brightness sparkled d in her eyes and curved her lips hips My I Dear Mary Man Anno Bruce I feel feci that you have In a 0 way robbed mo rno of or a desire to b conic become ome a great writer but let me tell you ou in Just what manner this has happened Your work Is excellent So good Is Ii it that my own seems hardly worth spendIn spending spendIng spend spend- In ing my time on or So 50 I ha have 0 decided to up all attempts for tor the moment an and ana accept a position offered me mc that will VIII keep mo me bus busy day lay and evenings for or some time Tho The position however at the tho endor end of or a n year ear will put me in a n. most Independent ent financial condition I am more mora than willing to work worle even as a slave j if it at the end of that time you will give me the honor of your your friendship friendship we will say I want you ou to be perfectly free tree to write during durin the next year when you will have built a firm foundation for yourself in literary lit literary lit ut- field fields After that I Intend to build a R. foundation for myself In your our life lifo I feel sure you will love lova mo rae because this love of mine has come como in a most unlikely wa way and something perhaps tho the thing wo we call a hunch tells me we wo were born to meet and go o our way together tog I 1 will work ork for you vou during the thA mean mean- time Please let me hear from you Sir Sin SIn yours our TOMMY DEANE Mary Alary lar Anne felt slightly hysterical after read reading In the tho letter Her cheeks h bed bloomed Into scarlet carlot roses and her ey eyes held dreams i After Arter all she mused I 1 think lie he haf i b not tho the only peron who can feel things things- that are destined to tn take t. place SI sul Sli gazed wistfully at nt Tommys Tommy's writing ar arthen and then at his poem A whole year ear af h sighed 1 |