Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-06-24

4
the author of Scared Hearts is to b
found"
For shame. Charlton r we fame
chorus of feminine voices crying
If you suspect the book to be fror
a woman's hand, have you the hear
to cut it up2 You, so gallant, SO dc
voted TO us. so popular squire o
famesr
All, ladiesl He has his answe
ready for you.
Nonsense. my dear girlsl NJ
man is more devuted to women thai
| hut when you come before me ~
novelists you cease to be women
and when ! poise my critical scalpe
in hand cease to be a man -voyei
vousi Introduce gallantry and chiv
dry into the arts and there is an emo
Df all honest criticism.
And taking up his pen again he
toes for that unfortunate novel.
THE hero of Scared Hearts,
probably the most absurd creation
that ever walked the world of fiction
even of ladies' fiction Possesses, we
ire informed. 'darllling, fateful, in
satiable eyes What does this meaui
Hugh Ellis should have appended a
glossary to his work And a mouth
hat kept its owners secret well -
his is easier to understand; the man
aad evidently lost his teeth"
And so on to the bitter end, heer-
ng and sneering, with now and then
a deep, sharp thrust, ran Charlton's s
zen, until he concluded his review
with these words:
" Scared Hearts is undoubtedly
The worst novel Of the season "a sea
son fruitful of poor novels. To that
bad eininence' has Hugh Ellis at
tained, and it is to be hoped that,
finding himself there, he VIII see iii
10 lay aside the pen which he wields
20 ILL.,"
Il can't help it if the fellow or
girl whichever it isis cut up,
nuttered Charlton, as he rose from
his writing table in his sanctuin al
The Censor's Office. Il must do my
duty. It's the wretchedest stuff eveI
nut between covers. We critics are
literary policemen, and it is our duty
70 move on or run in the crowd OF
ounces that choke up the avenues OF
fame"
And emerging a few minutes later
from the office OF The Censor, George
Charlton mounted into a passing
hanson and was whisked away to
his club. If the young critic had fell
any slight touch Of compunction re
garding the severe treatment he had
meted out to the author of Scared
Hearts, " and the probable nsations
with which that literary aspirant
would read the review which would
appear in the course of two or three
days, the feeling did not remain long
with him, and he had quite forgotten
it when, as the evening wore on, he
found himself in beauty's circle,
proudly gay" at small and early
at his Gerties home.
1t was an unpretentious affair, but
very pleasant-music and singing "a
distinction, be it observed, which in
some drawing rooms is most wise
and necessary one), a little carpet
dance and supper. At one hour
past midnight George Charlton and
his fiancee were taking a tender fare
well in the hall 1t was difficult
business parting. Five goodbys
had been said and the sixth was now
in progress.
is my boy very tired3 Has he
been working very, very hard today2''
How adorable she was, he thought,
in her crimson silk frock, with its
square cut bodice and short sleeves
her auburn hair curling round her
brow and knotted at the back of her
head; the dimples coming and going
in her fair checks; her little hands
reaching upward to turn up the col
lar of his overcoat as a defense
against the night wind. Has my
boy been working very, very hard
today2'
'Tolerably hard, my sweet Gertie.
| have to make my way, you know"
And how well are you making it,
you dear, clever old boy. what with
your play and writing for the news
Have you been writing arti
cles today, George3"
What does a little fairy like you
care to know about newspapers and
articles1 Your little curly head was
never meant to think of anything
but love and kissesl"
No; but really, love" the curly
head lay against his shoulder now
and the rosy mouth was just set free
again for speech-''l do take the
greatest interest in your work.
George" i'll a mysterious whisper,
suppose | We're to tell you a little
Secretf
And suppose" in a like mysteri-
ous whisper, that ! were to tell you
\ little secretH | think | can guess
he gist of both little secrets--that
we love each otherl"
"Yes, dear George; but | shouldn't
nave called that secret, because we
zach know that well, don't wei My
'ecret is one that you don't know
me that shares my heart and my
thoughts with you-one that would
you very much, and that, if
you knew it, would, | think, do away
With your notion that am a silly,
mpty little thing"