The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-24
BY MERE CHANCE.

With gesture of annoyance, he flung
his pen upon the table.
SIT is useless! I shall never succeed
In describing this scene until have &C.
tually experienced it," he said to him
self.
An ordinary, common or garden writ
en- of short stories would never have
taken the matter SO to heart. But he,
Paulus Frank, the apostle Of realism,
could never allow story with descrip-
ton in it that was not true to life go
into the ruthless hands of the critics.
The plot of his novel was certainly
simple enough. Two jealous, spiteful
women had entered into plot against
the noble, innocent heroine of the tale
By every possible means they sought
to destroy her position i'll the eyes Of
her husband and those of the world
They finally agreed upon the plan Of
sending an anonymous letter to her hus-
band, wherein they accused the wife of
faithleSsness.
Paulus Frank cultivated close rela-
tions with n man whom he had selected
as the model for this hero and often in
vited him for that reason to his house.
He had just reached the point where
he had to describe how this man, who
was naturally cold blooded, stands be-
fore his wife with deadly pallor on
his face and confronts her with the let
ter, threatening to shoot her unless she
makes q frank confession of the whole
transaction.
And it was just this scene that Paulus
Frank felt himself powerlesS to describe.
Would the wife defend herself with
vigor and spirit against such an attack.
or would she merely allow herself n
contemptuous little laugh when brought
face to face with the calumny:
Would her insultcd and innocent
heart rise in indignant protest against
such gross accusation, or would she
merely let the matter drift on and make
no further explanation than qui9
denial?
What expression would her face wear?
Would she turn deadly pale or wear the
flush of shame? Would her hands pluck
neryously at her little lace handkerchief,
or would she stand motionless and erect
Z before him as if turned into stone under
his very eyes:
And the answer TO all these questions
he did not find readily in his mind. In
SEPARATION had left him in the lurch.
Twenty times and more he strove to put
ON the paper the powerful scene which
was to be the climax Of his story.
But 1t was i'll vain, for success did not
shine upon him, and he became moro
and more certain that he would ONLY be
able to portray the scene with Justice
and power when he had actually been
through it himself and felt every phase
of emotion recorded in lines of fire on
his heart.
Once this peculiar thought had taken
possession of him he was unable to rest
until he saw it realized
1t came to him one morning with
such force that he let his fist fail upon
the table with bang that almost .at-
tered the glasses.
Have you gone crazy?' cried lis
pretty young wife, raising her clear blue
eye to his face. whats the matter?
Ever since you began that wrctchcd
novel of yours you seem to he quite Il
different man"
And as he only stared ut her and made
no answer she went on to rcproach him
soundly for his conduct
1T cannot continue like this" she
concluded st must stop before long. -
and then buried herself again in her
work
at the same moment the servant APP
peared on the scene with the announce
ment that the apothccary was at the
door.
a young man entered and greeted the
7 husband and wife with the familiarity
OF an old acquaintance. Frank returned
Z his greeting then looked vacantly be-
fore him and appeared to interest him
3 self deeply in the pattern of the table
] cloth.
The young man looked at him inuuir.
angly for few minutes, and then, APP
preaching the young wife, pressed her
hand and asked her in low voice what
was SO occupying her husbands mind
Zach, how do know" she replied,
with "a gesture of Impotence. II only
know that for whole week he has not
4 been fit to live with
a deep drawn breath, shrug Of her
shoulders, and Mrs. Frank went with
her guest OH the veranda to look out
into the street
Meanwhile Frank had gone to his
Atudy with pleasure written all over his
face. At length he seemed to have
found way out Of his difficulty. He
Tavered, however, undecided for lit
Tile while. But why not? What harm
was there?
81 Besides it was not possible in any
either way. He would be obliged to
MMts. p plain, eccusatory letter to his