The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-08-22
81 AM ESTHER LINDSAY"
men live and that you and have met them
ard can mint them ont "

men live, and that you and I have met them
and can point them out"
He shook his head III quiet controversion
Of ber theory. She waited moment fol
him to speak, then exclaimed impatienty:
We'll, why don't you say something?"
Because" he answered leaning far back
in his creaking chair and clasping his hands
behind his head, "I see quite plainly that
whatever argument / may present will
only antagonize you-- You may know such
men as you depict do not, and my expert
ence has been infinitely more varied than
yours. know you will rot heed me, but l
repeat that it VIII not pay you to live in a
world peopled only by ideals. You must
associate with the real. Take some man OF
your acquaintance, study him; take human
nature for your model, and you will be on
the right track"
you have one view, and though it may
be right, feel as though ] should be giving
up the best part Of myself TO sacrifice my
opinion TO yours" she said, with that touch
of wisdom she had lately assumed. But |
suppose" she continued, that if my stories
are up to the standard you will not decline
them on account of that one technicality !? "
He smiled again. "No," he said, mot on
that account"
To have one article printed even though
it be i'm tire Ironton Inland Weekly does not
give unQuestioned entree into the columns of
every other periodical in the country, and
for many months after the appearance of
her first story Esther Lindsay plodded
YEARLY over her literary way, which was an
uphill, sinuous path score of unfor-
tunate tales were added to the unpublished
library in the bureau drawer before she
found an outlet for her ideas second time.
Then followed five years of ups and downs.
No literary aspiran: ever had more jealous
guardian than she had in Jesse Arnold. He
exulted in every victory she achieved and
depiored every defeat she met as keeniy as
though it had been his own, and then one
day, when some unexpected turn of ill-luck
made her despair of trying to push on fur
ther in the course she had mapped out for
herself, he capped the climax of his SYM
pathy and interest by asking her to marry
him.
1t was surprise to her, and she promptly
refused him.
al never expected this from you," she
said, trying to temper her dismissal with
kind of an apology "you, who knew me so
well. You may call me dreamer, an idiot,
if you like, but have my ideal still, and
uDlcSS Il luu lllu III lCti AllC L ouail uoSCA
marry.
I'm afraid you will always stay single
then" he rejoined sharply. u thought,
Judging by your later writing, that you had
commenced to hold common-sense views on
some things, but 1 suppose / am mistaken.
You may change your mind yet"
"You shall never know it if / do," she
fared out angriIy, and that ended the first
chapter of their own romance.
The outcome of this pre-matrimonial ven-
ture had been bitt ter disappointment to Jesse
Arnold He went back to the Office of the
Ironton Inland Weekly and tried to deaden
his grief in the duties and responsibilities
devolving upon the editOr-in-chief of great
publication, and she, realizing some ething of
how deeply she had wounded him, tried TO
forget her pity for him and to work out her
own salvation and his as well, by writing
with renewed energy. Gradually her stories
took on tone of reality and broad sympathy
with humanity, and gradually her merit
began to receive general recognition. She
never sent any of her work to the Inland
Weekly for publication after that one un-
happy Incident which left the friendship