The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-22
Eg there is to be said in the INIT

NAA y OoA AAiIsCIdDlG luCG. L OnlV
"seo]to get thrcc-and-six q story, half
"-cgown for editing the whole number.
ann had to pay sixpcnce to contrib
tors for every misspclt word they
found when the lucky Tub came out.
: onr pay was princoly compared with
Ininc.''
Wed better drop the subject" said
bunconnbc, shortly. II suppose one
man has the right to starve another. if
he can do it, but the starved man
doesn't sec it, somehow"
ITS really doing him Il favor. if we
would look ut it in the right light
said dodgers, with the cheeriness born
OF success; 'b,;t l didn't ask YOU to
come here to discuss that. I'm rich
man, now, and mean to be richer. I've
hit upon new thing, and want you to
help me-"
= ''IIow much?"
Halves. My! how you have got on, )"
said dodgers, admiringly. you're
twice the man of business YOU were
when you used to come to the slice-of-
pudding shop to dine"
How do you know that?"
"Oh, used to dine there, too" said
dodgers, until l married the propri-
ctor's daughter I've often heard you
swearing at me under your breath as
you bolted your slice of pudding, and
couldn't afford another"
This is growing unpleasant" said
Buncombe. My appetite isn't nearly
SO good as it was in those days. Come
to business, or must be Off"
~ We'll" said dodgers, 1--WE invented
new business, and it's paying hugely
well; but l can't get it without col
laborateurs."
Go on. I'm listening"
you've got an order from the Me
gathcrium Magazine to do an article
for 1t about your first book. I've seen
the proofs"
How the dickens did you manage
that?"
That's my business" said dodgers.
Now, you've mentioned in that article
a book called She Wasn't to Blame"
Yes" said Bunconbe, uncasily;
'what then?'
did you ever see ito"
Buncombe turned very red.
You know there never was such u
hook, continued Dodgers rs'You wrote
story for the Lucky Tub of that
name, but no publisher would ever take
IL IN book form; it wasn't long enough
What d. you think of this?"
This" was a small book in a dirty.
dog Scared paper cover, with sketch
OF a prcsumptive murderer on the
cover which Buncombe, after O min
ute's dismayed scrutiny, recognized as
himself. The book was blank inside;
in short, what is technically known as
dummy"
:" There's nothing in it just yet" said
dodgers, affably; but there soon will
be-" lie whistled down tube. MIR.
Patterson, 1 want YOU"
MIR. Patterson" was long. lanl.
man, with big feet, and brought with
him an odor of gin which penetrated
all over the room.
You want me, sir?" asked Patter-
son, obsequiously.
Yes" said Dodgers. "IIave you re-
written Mr.. Duncom bc's first book veto"
YES" answered Patterson, ''iust got
it done, sir. Five pounds amt much,
but soon mastered his style, and I've
got his first. second, and third periods
all done to t."
What on earth is the meaning of it
all?" Buncombc asked, furiously.
1T mcans," said dodgers, proudly,
I've invented anewlinc, and I'm going
to start with you. Directly your arti-
Gle appears, I've arranged for para
graphs in two hundred and ninety
seven papers, saying I've got four hun
drcd copies left of the original edition
OF She Wasn't to Blame. I'm going
to multiply those four hundred copies
like the widows cruise, and float em all
over the universe. You're very popular
just now, and the book will 90 like
wildiire. Mr.. Patterson, have you done
the paragraph which Mr.. Buncombe is
going to insert in the article which he
has written?'
Yes" said Patterson; its Judi
cious blend of all Mr.. Buncombe's
periods-just like they mix tca-with
a gentle geniality tempered by regret
that he hasn't done moro for YOU"
Here it is" said dodgers, proudly.
Now, I'll read it. It's your colloquial
style to a dot
. OF course l have had literary vicis-
situdes, gentle reader. and have gone
about hungry and footsorc. without
the provcrbial shilling in nv pocket;
but have always had one unfailine
refuge under those distressing circum-
stances, and that was my dear old
friend Bpdgers, 6 otter Lane, who
has since blossomcd out into a flourish
ing publisher. Many's the time and
oft | have stood with dodgers, as we
rubbed our hungry noses against the
stcaming windows of pudding shop
in Fcttcr Lane, and vainly felt in my
empty pockets for the necessary coin
whcrcwith to purchase surccase from
hunger. 1t was generally Dodgers who
produced the required coins from some