The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1895-09-19

slRucu mOuFnIul requiem through inc
tree tops. and il was at that bcwitching
hour when graveyards yawn and ghosts
stalk forth The reader paused TO
mark the effect on her hearer. He sat I'M
moved by the startling beginning, and she
asked HIM how he liked it. Very well, he
thought, and said ''go on" She went on.
1t was a crude story, full Of improbable in
cdents, and gush ng over with tear-stained
love scenes. The heroine was such tender
hearted creature, and had such a tendency
10 burst into tears, that the reader soon be-
came Disguised with such imbecility, and
was in constant dread of another explosion.
| The funny man was strained character at
| best. He was constantly at his wits end to
be witty. In fact, the story was fat and in
sipid, and while the editor knew he could
not use 1t, he had great delicacy in ex-
| pressing his real opinion of IL.
what do you think OF it, Mr.. Grayi" she
finally asked.
Allen was at a critical point There sat
the authoress before him, holding the dear
ly beloved creature of her Imagination in
her hand He would as soon think of tell
ing doting mother that her child was ugly
as to express his real opinion of this story
to Miss Hopkins She had influential
friends, persons of great depth and acumen,
who had long since discovered wonderful
! embryonic genius in Miss Leethy. To re-
ect her story was to insult their intelli-
gence and influence, while to publish it was
to make himself the butt of ridicule by all
thinking people. 1t would require skillful
management to steer clear of his many
complications. but Allen was equal to the
emergency.
ave couldn't publish serial story in the
Western Republic now, Miss Hopkins" he
said. wouldn't it be better to send it to
Harper's"
The reader may ask what harm the Har-
per's had done him that Ne should wish to
| inflict this punishment on them. But we
must remember that Allen was only O hu-
man being in great strait Drowning men
will catch at straws, and Allen, like all
other men, was anxious to shift the load he
bore upon the shoulders of some one else.
Moving uneasily in her seat, Miss Hopkins
replied:
~ don't think it worth while TO send this
20 the Harper's, Mr.. Gray, they are too old
fogyish to even discover true genius, you
know. Like all the established publishers,
they have got to going in lines and ruts,
which new genius struggles to break away
from. One can't do it with those publishers.
None Of the large magazines ever develop
any thing; they are simply able to buy the
Jewels which some poor miner has dug up.
All Of our successful authors make their
start on obscure publications"
81 believe you are mistaken, Miss Hop
kins. Harper's would read your manuscript
and decide fairly upon it."
/ 81 am sure they would not" she per-
sisted. "If they don't find this out of their
rut, they have some special favorte whose
manuscripts just ahead of mine, and they'll
send it back with printed apology that its
rejection is not necessarily a lack OF literary
merit, but because they have something
like it on hand. Those New York publishers
are not in sympathy with new authors"
Miss Hopkins was woman Of literary ex-
perience, and was not to be induced to give
Harper's the infinite pleasure Of rejecting
her manuscript
81 am sorry; but II really have not
space for your story at present, Miss Hop
kins," said Allen. Being able to put but one
Interpretation on his refusal, she asked
"Arc you going to commence one OF Mr..
Barnes storiesi"
"No, we can not possibly use serial at
present." he answered.
"WhyP
"Because our people think that in order
to build up this town all space possible
should be devoted to it, Besides, the fall
election is coming on, and the canvass will
necessarily demand great deal of space
Miss Hopkins looked very much disap
, pointed, but after few moments she said
"Can you use poem occasionally"
81 think l can"
This only partially repaired her disap
pointment. She declared the people of Tur
eys Point must be very ignorant to refuse
such novel as "The Mystery of the Rocl
House on the Hill," and bewailed the fate
, Of struggling genus, held down by the iror
hand of prejudice.
She took her manuscript and left thu
Office with "a look of disappointment and {
heavy heart We console ourselves tina
Miss Hopkins is not the only author VIII
has met with disappointments.
Her visit had temporarily led Allel
, Grays mind from the subject which hat
become so painful, but when she was gon,
returned with double force, and all hi
|
usiness, were unavailing That beautiful
being who had grown so dear to his hear
was always present.
"Oh, Bertha, Bertha! will this crushing
! weight never be removedp he asked him
J self.
His reveries were interrupted by tn
abrupt opening Of his sanctum door MI
Tom Simmons, with face innamcd wit
: anger, boldly entered
"See herer' he cried, with the air Of a
cnraged master, whats this hearw
Allen told him that he had no idea wha
be had heard.
"Ihear yer goin' to play me fouli''
"What do you mean by playing FOUL
Allen asked
| YOU'RE goin' back on me-"
"In what wayl"
"You amt agoin' to support me-"
I "Who told you was mott"
II heer'd it. It's the gineral rumor."
J General rumor is false, then" was tn
" arm answer
~ want it understood, Mr.. Allen Gray,
reared the enraged Simmons, bringing h
list down with emphasis on the desk, . tn;
!. If you go back on NEEDN'T support me .
yc promised we would III fling every thin
kin in your way. | made ye what We ar
he Kissed through his teeth. "Ies, sir,
, TUX you from nuthin'-iifted We right up o,
O. the dlrt, and jist as | git somethin' mao
out o. we, by the Lord We re goin' back c
me. won't stand it. Why, if it hadn't
been Cor me what would you beenl-nuthli
~
1t is not pleasant to be reminded that "
{ are under obligations to some person fl