Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-08-16
BY MERE CHANCE.

With gesture of annoyance, he flung
his pen upon the table.
SIT is useless! I shall never succeed
il describing this scene until have &C.
tually experienced it," he said to him
self.
An ordinary, common or garden writ
er 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-
tion 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 a plot against
the noble, innocent heroine of the tale.
By every possible means they sought
to destroy her position in 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-
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 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 a
contemptuous little laugh when brought
face to face with the calumny?
Would her insulted 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 quiet
denial?
What expression would her face V e.-ss
Would she turn deadly pale or wear 5i,e
nervously at her little lace handkerchief.
or would she stand motionless and erect
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
spiration 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 it was in vain, for success did not
shine upon him, and he became more
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.
It came to him one morning with
such force that he let his fist fall upon
the table with bang that almost shat
tered the glasses.
''Have you gone crazy?" cried his
pretty young wife, raising her clear blus
eye to his face. whats the matter
Ever since you began that wretched
novel Of yours you seem to be quite q
different man."
And as he only stared at her and made
no answer she went on to reproach him
soundly for his conduct.
'It cannot continue like this" she
concluded. ''It must stop before long, %
and then buried herself again in hel
work.
At the same moment the servant ap.
peared on the scene with the announce.
ment that the apothecary was at the
door.
A young man entered and greeted the
husband and wife with the familiarity
of an old acquaintance. Frank returned
his greeting, then looked vacantly be
fore him and appeared to interest him
self deeply in the pattern of the table
cloth.
The young man looked at him inquir
ingly for few minutes, and then, ap
preaching the young wife, pressed hel
hand and asked her in a low voice wha
was so occrnying her husband 8 mind.