Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-24

a day. 1t beats the books. But I'm
sorry for you If you've got nothing better
to depend on than buying that heel
turner. Even If you could raise the
money 1t would be a bad speculation.
Them al can't turn heels will never
knit"
As l walked away from John Broadly
[ could not help thinking of the amuse-
ment the recital of my difficulty had given
him. 1t was a good story; no doubt of
it. As my mind dwelt upon the matter a
queer idea came to me. Suppose 1 were
to write this story, and by selling it raise
money enough to get us out of II
troublesl There would be something de
lightfully fitting about that. To make
the story of our perplexities the cure of
the actual troubles would be an odd, but
glorious triumph. This idea now took
possession of my mind, and the more l
thought about it the better l liked it.
Horace and Belle might object to have
this story told, but l would not only keep
my own counsel about it, l would send it
somewhere where they would not see it,
and thus nobody interested would ever
be annoyed.
l had frequently written stories which
had been heard with apparent satisfaction
by my friends, but l had never published
anything, and knew nothing in regard to
the monetary value of manuscripts such as
| proposed to write.
1 determined to write the story. There
was nothing else that l could do, and IL
the train of circumstances on which our
fortunes depended should not be started
until my work was done, / myself might
do the starting, and l asked nothing bet
ter than that.
By day and by night, using every
minute l could spare from my practice
and necessary sleep, 1 worked at my
story. After what seemed to me a long
period of writing, rewriting, correction
and copying, the manuscript was finished
and ready to be sold. / will not recount
my experiences In %endeavoring to dis
pose of it to one periodical after another.
In every case l opened my correspon-
dence with au inquiry In regard to the
price L might expect in case of accept
lance, and the answers l received BON
vinced me that there was no hope of my
selling the story to any periodical for
enough money to carry out my inten.
tons. This very much surprised as we'll
as depressed me, but 1t 50 happened that
l wa suddenly obliged to make q bust
ness visit 10 nelghboring
city; and here 1 met a gentleman
whose business it was to
supply original stories and articles to a
combination or syndicate of newspapers
scattered all over the country, and who
was thus enabled to pay authors a very
good price for their work. To this
gentleman / submitted my story and in a
few days after my return home | received
an offer from him for it. The price pro
posed was not as high as l had hoped 1t
would be, but 1 accepted it. 1t might
not be enough to give the impetus to that
movement of my affairs which 1 desired,
but 1 would try what could be done with
it.
AS soon as my check arrived I had it
cashed and went to Horace to offer to
buy his heel-turner.
81 haven't enough to pay for it out and
out" l raid, "but 1 thought perhaps you
would let me have it and take this much
on account"
Horace was naturally surprised at both
my ability and wish to purchase his in
vention, but he was also very much
pleased. 81 would rather you should
own it than any one else," he cried. "If
you manage it properly it will make your
fortune. AS for the money, of course it
does not represent anything like the value
of the invention, but 1 will sell 1t to you
for a smaller cash payment than l would
take from anybody else in the world"
"Do you think this will be enough tc
enable you to buy the paper2'I asked.
have a little that 1 can add to it,
said Horace, ''and Mr.. Henley is SC
anxious to dispose of his paper that 1 be-
lieve he will take this, and let the rest q
on instsllments. If l can get a chance tt
carry out my journalistic plans I will give
the paper a boom that will enable me to
pay off everything in less time than he
will give me. l shall take the 10 O'Clock
train and see him before he goes to din
ner"
There was something about the msnnel
of Horace which did Lot exactly please
me. L had expected him to be wildly
grateful, but his manner seemed to imply
that, while he was greatly delighted
to get the money, he felt that ne hat
conferred a great favor on me by letting
me have his COMPOUNDED machine for 81
little cash. What he was going to charg'
me for it In the future l did not know
nor did l care. He might have 1t bacl
again whenever he liked. If thing
worked well, he had conferred the great
est favor upon me, but not in the way h
supposed.
That afternoon / went to see Belle
whom l found in a state of p~leasurabl
nervousness. Knowing how much | hat
the matter at heart, she had not beef
surprised at my being able to raise tn,
money, but she Persisted In conslderin.
it In the light of a personal gift to Hor
ace from an all too generous man.
"What do you want with a heel.turn
er2' she said. SIT will be of about q
much use to you as a planet-corsr."
"What is that" / exclaimed.
"Wby, o thing to take the core out o
worlds, so that the inhabitants on op
posite sides will not have to go wa,
round. You know that wouldn't be O
any value to you"
"But. my desr,"I said. "that mos
charming invention that 1 expect t
GET"
"Do you mean to soy that you bought
she cried, with sparkling eyes.
The necessity of an answer wal pre-
vented by the tempestuous entrance @
Horace. "Behold mel" he shouted
/ throwino his hat. nm tho Hnor and npuio,