Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-06-12

editor msie the most of poor Joe's joke
and all the county stopped their sub
scriptions in consequence. But Joe
didn't care"
s'Didnt the city head-editor care7" I
asked.
"Dear mel / don't know. Joe didn' t
! tell me what he said. But, Millicert, do
try. know you could write sweet
love story, or yachting adventure.
s''Why, never was on yacht in my
life," demonstrated.
= "But assure you, dear, it isn't of any
consequence il you never were. Now, If
you'll never divuige my secret, III tell you
that I am writing a story myself, and am
doing just what I've advised you to do,
for my story is named IA Night with
Gamblers" and I've located it on the
Mississippi River steamer. It's thrill
ing tale, and I've got to place where
one man is just gong 60 stab another"
"Do read it to mel" begged; but
Madge would not unless would agree
to write one with her and so this was
the way my first attempt to write for the
press came about.
I took her advice. I not only wrote a
love story, but placed the lovers on a
yacht and set them afoat in Georgian
Bay-probablY because knew less of
that sheet of water than of most others.
That's all right" said Madge cheer
fully. ''Send it to some inland news
paper. The editor himself won't know
any more about it than you do. If he
sends you fifty dollars-which l think
would be fair price-for your story,
you won't care whether the yacht ills
bow on or stern first, and if you do hap
, en- to get it wrong, folks will. think the
..oat has got some new kind of rig on
her."
So got fresh block of paper, wrote
my title, "Love in Georgian Bay" and
began my story. BY night had two
pages written, and couldn't seem to think
of anything to say next. Madge, too,
still had her gambler "standing with up
lifted hand ready to plunge his dagger"
but some way she couldn't seem to end
the situation as she wished.
Day after day we wrestled with these
imaginary men. The girl of my tale
was all ready and willing--I had no
trouble with her; but I wanted my hero
to suffer some severe heart experiences,
and I found it no easy task to pull him
into and out of his various difficulties.
wrote and w1ote, and then would tear
up my writing and try again.
Madge, too, had her trials. Some
days she shot her gambler and then she
would revive him and stab him, and once
she poisoned him, but his style of death
never seemed to satisfy her. cit must
not seem melodramatic, she said; cit
must be a tale indicating great reserved
power"
Each day we asked each other with our
first waking breath:
''Will he propose to-day?" and evil
he be dead by night3'
Finally day came when we each re-
solved to end the suspense before night,
and in the recreation hour we took our
writing blocks and wandered off to a
quiet place under the Wellesley trees,
agreeing to make some sort OF an ending
before we went back; but che gambler
was still alive, and the willing maid was
still trying to lure on the reluctant lover,
when the sound Of distant thunder came
to our ears and dark cloud rising in the
west warned us to return to a shelter.
1t gave us both new idea, however,
and we each resolved to work a thunder
storm into our tales.
The result was better than our hopes.
The gambler was made to rush on deck
just as flash of lightning struck the
smoke stack of his steamer, and he was |
knocked senseless and then robbed by
his tiendish companions and cast over
board, where ''he sunk to rise no more"
Madge laid her tale aside with sigh.
sit will save sending for an under I
taker, anyhow" she said, ''if I drown
him instead of stabbing him; so, on the
whole, think it's the better way"
AS for my couple, they are idly drift
ing on an ebbing tide q didn't know .
then that there was no tide in Georgian .
Bay, when dark clouds began to roll :
up, and the muttering thunder began to
reverberate among the darkly wooded !
hills. They hastily rowed to the shore. i
ted their yacht to a tree, and began
climbing a rugged precipice, while the .
maid chung in terror to the soul-tossed .
lover. 1t was too suggestive. He begged !
to defend her through all life's pathway,
and in well-feigned surprise she MUIR
INJURED her assent just as the first drops /
Of the bursting storm fell and they
reached a shelter. "It was happy omen
of future days, were my closing words
''My maiden is ready to don her soil
tairo diamond rinr - 6ooIoro6 ~;