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Show I her Lost poem - . ---"'"- --f --j Abigail U&xter, then, was an old mold Sho was thirty-six. Sho had had no romance In her life and as far as hor closest friends knew she didn't want one. Thcro were no weak spots In her character. Sho wroto poems and sent them aray to publishers, but as they were always rejected that didn't weaken hor caso. Ono particular poem composed on a rainy, dreary day, when all nature wept and sobbed nnd old maids could sit In tho house with their hair down and bo suro thcro would bo no callers call-ers wns a poem on lovo. It wasn't such a poem as Is usually written, telling of tho Joyousncss of tho sentiment senti-ment nnd tho delights of rambles with Cupid, but It was a satire a damp, chilly malarial satire. It was meant to reduco the market price of love by 30 per cent It was meant to warn tho young man of twenty and scare the old man of seventy. It took up tho sentiment of love In sixteen verses and showed beyond cavil that there was a heap more money In raising squabs or running a boarding! house. So far as Miss Abigail went that poem was a success. She enveloped, envel-oped, put In return postago and mailed It to a magazine Tv.o weeks. No answer. Four weeks. No answer. Then Miss Abigail Abi-gail Baxter sat down as she had dono on soveral previous occasions and berated be-rated tho mngaztno map. If he hadn't read that poem and made up his mind to accept or reject by ths tlmo then he was no hustler. Ho had no right to keop people waiting. He needn't think ho was a tin god becauso ho was a magazlno man. Tho letter was a satire as well as the poem. Tho editor answered back that ho had rejected the poem after reading tho first versp on the day of Its arrival and had at once remalled It. Ho could also wrlto satire. Miss Abigail Ilaxter was aroused. Sho was determined to have It back at any cost of blood and treasure. Sho wroto to that editor again as only a strong woman thirty-five years old can write. If he had remalled tho poem It would havo reached her. If that poem, which hadn't one single fault, and the man who said it had was not a respector of truth, was not In her hands at tho end of two weeks suit for damages would be begun. be-gun. Sho was no worm of the dust to be walked on, and so that editor would discover. Ho replied that tho suit would have to como, but warned her ' that sho would surely be beaten. The red-heuded red-heuded offlco boy clearly rememborcd taking that rejected poem to tho post-offlco post-offlco on a certain day nnd hour. Miss Abigail's answer to this was brief. Sho simply took hor pen In hand to say that sho would at once put tho case In tho hands of a lawyer law-yer who could not bo bluffed nor bribed and instruct him to carry It clear to tho Supremo court nt Washington, Wash-ington, If necessary. The worm had been patient. Tho worm had suffered. Tho Worm had asked only for Justice Now the worm had turned, nnd If a certain man ended his days behind the cold Iron bars sho must bo held blameless that Is, tho worm must. Few poets In this world can bluff a magazlno editor. They are ongaged becauso they are good at bluffing other folks. Mr. Nicholson, tho editor edi-tor In this case, had turned down poets po-ets by tho score and never got a knockout In return. In this case, however, how-ever, he became alarmed. His curiosity curi-osity was also aroused. He was an old bachelor of thirty-eight and "something "some-thing seemed to tell him that thlB was the crucial point In his llfo. He was served with a legal summons to appear ap-pear In court and he put on his hat and went down to floseland to seo Miss Ilaxter. Ho oxpocted asperity, acidity, aggression and lots, of other things, but at tho samo ttmb hoped agajnst tt. As soon ns Miss Daxter learned Who hor caller was she expected denials, de-nials, assertions, protestations, defl anco and other things belonging to tho profession of magazlno editing, but wished It might not bo so "1 nm sorry that this has como about," began tho editor In puclflo tones. "And so am I." "I must beg your pardon for tho way 1 wrote you." "And I said more than I should." "Anger drovo mo to crltlclsn vour poem. I did It nn Injustice. Tho trouble with It was that It was too lengthy." "1 wns afraid of tha.t when I sent it." "Miss Ilaxter. I bellovo you can wrlto a poem on lovo as It is. I wish you would. I should bo glad to publish pub-lish It. Mako It tho most holy and blessed sentiment of tho human heart." "I will try." That law suit never came off, but a poem was written and published. Mr, Nicholson nlso frequently found his way down to Ttoseland. Poems nnd lovo were discussed. Tho lost poem didn't turn up, but It was novor oven mentioned. Within a year Miss Abigail Ilaxter was Mrs. Nicholson and Independent of all postofllces. |