Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-06
A PRIZE VENTU IL f..
A Realistic Sketch by a Newspaper Man
II. II. Kennedy in Chicago Currentl

~. II. Kennedy in Chicago Current.l
When one is newly married and has
commenced life in small rooms on q Sec
ond floor there are no long halls and high
stairways to traverse between the cooking
and sleeping apartments. Therefore,
trhCn heard Mary fill the kettle and stir
the fire and the next instant saw her be-
side my bed, took her sudden advent as
Il matter of course But it is confessed
that her opening salutation came weight.
ed with an atom of surprise.
"You know that vacant bedroom, dear :?
Well, we can furnish it now."
''''an we?" asked meekly. "Have
you been taking risk il stocks -
''Here it is" she said, with sudden
tremor in her voice and iutter in her
hands. "a thousand dollars for forty
three stories \ hundred dollars for one,
fifty ior another, nnd so on down. And
newspaper men are especially invited 10
try. You must take day off, and when
we get the 800 we can fit up the spare
room. Let me see-$i0 for chamber
set, $40 for a carpet so for pictures
and then we will send SO more to father
and mother to pay their fare here and
make us that Compromised visit. Only
SloO, Jack, and see what happiness it
brings" And the dear girl threw her
}ti1ns about MY neck, and gaze me tous.
ing kiss
Well, when she settled down to cold
facts, produced copy of the paper, and
showed me the tempting offer in plain
slack ard White, 7 grew interested. J
knew that newspaper men, and especially
young reporters, had little time for liter
ary work, but imagined that with an in
fehtive to spur me Oh | could gain an odd
half day or 30 in the rext two weeks, and
wrue o,., bol.4e {. tlo t..CDsntattT 'de''
that had hoated through my minds fol
several years, in patient waiting for cloth
ing and babitation. We had no diff.
Guilty III agreeing that the attempt should
be made, and none whatever as to the
use to which the prize money should be
put Mary had disposed of that without
nd from me, The only question that
fonfrohted us was the character OF the
story, its location, tone and treatment
We gave the whole noon hour to its dis
cussion.
"You must be CAREFUL said Mary,
18th the air Of cre who 20. years had fill
ed professorship in college for the edu
cation of fiction writer's, to give it a con
yersational form. Long paragraphs don
look we'll and readers are tempted tC
skip. Put in little love-making-"
"Thats trite," l said.
'[s it? Well, people never grow tire,
Of it. Make it end happily, whateve
you do. Bret Harte's school may sui
the Bret Hartes, but one doesn't like t.
be sent away from a story with a suicid
or hanging as the finale, and, above al
things, Jack, choose subject abou
which you know something. Don't floun
der around in a mystic or far-away regio
on which you have never set eyes. :"
Glow would Alaska doP" / asked
5olemnly.
"What do you know about Alaska, O
the desert of Sahara, or Patagonia? Kee
inside of Ohio. Make it short, terse, an
put into it not only what might easil
happen, but something that has happer
ed"
J. left her clearing off the table an
bingng softly to her r , Is due
the nrh re- vi ,Ae DUy -,,l'.t.tc at 2 I
m, to receive my assignment of loci
work. | had left hope blossoming
home that the day might be light of wor
and that | might return soon and give
few hours to the opening of my priz
story. The plot formed itself on m
walk to the street cars and the scenes III
folded and fitted into each other as I'll
slow steeds covered the three miles b,
tween my house and the Office. woul
be back by 4 three hours of good wor
would help me along | could close it Il
on Sunday Mary could copy it at he
leisure the 500 would really be n 90,
send
''You must get a rig Immediately, :" sal
the city editor 'and drive out to the ri,
Mile Lock. There has been powd
mill explosion, and several men kille,
Throw yourself, Smithy, on this, as it III
the making of sensation" "
The newspaper instinct was alive an
at work. forgot all about the story, IL
prize money, and had time for only OF
tender regret for the disappointed lit
wife at home. The day was cold, Il
rain changed to snow, the distance WI
long, the roads heavy and the pursuit
information difficult amid the chaos th
relgned all about the lock. But nv not
book was eventually loaded, and / deci
ed to stop at home for a hurried lunch {
my way to the office.
Supper had been waiting. The wi
was cordial and kind, but a trace of tea
on her cheeks showed the disappoin
ment she was too good to voice. In o,
cosy sitting room stood my table, draw
close to the grate, my chair and slippe
beside 1T and pens and paper in place.
Il nave looked for you since A." W