The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-20
REJECTED AND ACCEPTED
Why StenogracEer Lost Faith in
the Worlds Hone s1y.

something phenomenal No man was
more sought after by publ fers and
the editors of magazines ldr- Flipp
had been somewhat prolific It the be
ginning, but now that he could. get
practically any price he asked FOR his
MSS, he became more careful 1t was
more and more difficult for magazine
to get story by this now cele b-ated
author.
One day there came to his room q
man whom the world apparently had
not used generously.
81 have come" said he to Ne. Flipp,
ito sec you without any letter o intro
duction, CT without any preliminary an
nouncement. / was afraid to let You
know / intended 20 come. as so busy a
man as you might well have refused TO
see stranger"
81 am not a busy man." SAIL Mr..
Flipp. II doubt if anyone in the town
has more leisure than l. Sit down.
What can do for for yozl?'
MY name" said the strange,., sis
CROSBY. ara shorthand writer and
| want to work for you
My dear SIR" replied Flipp, II have
no use for shorthand writer l have
never dictated in my life, and I doubt
if could. Everything l write / do with
my own hand. DO not even use type
writer"
Il 90" said Crosby. 81 have type
writer at home, and if you will try die
tation for awhile it will occupy but
little of your time and you may find il:
extremely useful If, on the other
hand, you conclude that it is Of no adj
vantage to you, no harm will be done"
Il know, before we Begin" said
Flipp. that it wouldn't work. ] an
sure of that
How can YOU be sure" asked CroS-
by, about something you have never
tried? Letme ask you a question: Have
you ever forgotten any good idea that
you ever had?'
Hundreds of them" answered Flipp.
Then does not that strike yCra as
tremendous waste OF brain power9 Have
you never felt annoyed to think that
some good idea that had occurred to
you had slipped into oblivion
Flipp. who had been walking nd and
down the room with some Impotence,
stopped AMI looked at his visitor.
81 presume" he said at last, every
body has hal that annoying experience.
The fish that gets away is always bigger
than those we CATCH
'Precisely,: answered Crosby. Then
why let them get away? You are
lO,1t ,p1.a will q
time when You waill regret the waste
that probably now seems tri vial. -
What salary do you wa ut?' asked
the writer abruptly.
Il don't want any salary" replied
Crosby. 4 shall be-very plea sed to give
YOU an hour a day for nothing At
least" he said, seeing Flipp wave his
hand impatiently, Until you find
whether or not the proposal rs of value
to you. Once down on paper an idea is
fixed, and forever under your control.
Merely floating cn your brain it may
sink and never rise to the surface
again"
There is something in that" said
Flipp meditatively. AT least it will
do no harm to try. AS YOU came in
was thinking of a story that l ought to
work out reasonably we'll Have you
your notebook with you?''
Crosby produced it.
Flipp walked up and down the room
for few moments in silence.
Suppose we head it," he said, 1.-THE
Parting of the Ways.
Crosby was evidently an expert short
hand writer, for when Flipp became in
terested in the story he talked very rap
idly, but Crosby, without apparent
checking the speaker.
There" said Flipp, when he had
finished, what do you think of that
story?"
Really" said Crosby, Il canno. tell
you. | have not heard it,
Not heard itr' exclaimed the novel
ist. Have not l just dictated it to
you?"
You have dictated it," said Crosby, !
"to machine. l shall give you my
opinion upon it when l have read the
typewriter Ms. That is" he added, !
If you care for the opinion Of no.
body. When shall l call again?"
oh, am in no hurry said Flipp.
This hour tomorrow
''Yes. if that suits your convenience"
The stranger snapped the elastic band !
around his notebook, put the cap upon
the .stylographic pen, and, without
word, departed.
"He is n queer fish" said the writer I
to himself when his visitor had gone !
Il don't more than half like the looks .
of him"
Next day the stenographer called at /
the same hour, and placed before the 4
novelist ten pages of typewriter Ms. /
headed The Parting of the Ways"
1T is one of the best stories you have :
yet written" said Crosby, If you want
my opinion
Reginald laughed. IF you were after
q large salary that would be the kind
of remark one might expect you to
make
Il am not after n salary at all" an
svered Crosby. You asked my opin-
ion, and give it. It may be worth
less.
''Whieh-the opinion or the story?"
-"If one is said Crosby, the other
naturally must be. Shall l take down
another
Not to-day. Some days ! have no
ideas IN my head This Is one OF them
shall go over this Ms. carefully, AID
then we will have it typewriter again.
What IS your address? When ! feel in
the mood for debating l viii send 2
for you
~. !. ~, -v,,.,7,y -, 40 - said C-o=1--