Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-13
THE PLAGIARIST.

his Is u Ual6 OF love, pure anu Simple,
which shows how my brother Herbert
nearly won the privilege of providing for
the keep of Miss Mary Ashton, our cousin,
for the term OF her unnatural life. She,
however, now ornaments another's home,
and Herbert's heart is dead. My brother
had heart in those days, though he was
old enough to know better. 1t was kind
of hobby with him.
Herbert had long loved Miss Ashton,
literally from affair." she being sublimely
long and he more than common squat.
However, this defect he shared with Cupid
himself, who is always represented as di-
minutlve and podgy, and Mary, really
think, was not averse to my brothers suit,
for she frequently dropped smiles on the
top Of his tall hat, much to its wearer's
content She also said she would not hear
word against him. This was generally
whom there was nothing more to say.
Even bishop could find something funny
to say of a short man. New 3rtheless Her
bert was happy under the smiles of his be-
loved.
But, alas, there came day when tho
smiles were directed elsewhere and Her
bert found that Mary could never be more
than sister to him. 1t was astonishing
to hear him TeCite this declaration of hers
as a choice specimen of feminine feeling
and originality. Young as l was knew
that remark, having taken to myself sew
eral such voluntary relations, whose exist
ence l had Immediately forgotten. But
Herbert derived goomy consolation from
this promise of sisterly affection, and even
quoted the length of his neither garments
as al $le justification for Mary's decision.
He was certainly petite and magnaninity
was strong within him.
The wreCker of my brothers. hopes was
none other than Eric Frodsham, whom
you may recognize as the author of certain
chaotic pieces of literary composition. We
had known Frodsham as u distant ao-
quaintance for long time and had
watched the tortuous trouble of his liter
airy career. In the beginning when the
world was young Frodsham wrote plain,
clear novels, which were lasting joy to
his stationer, to whom the selling of pa
pers was a high mission in life. These
works for the most part blushed unseen
on Frodsham's table till their author sue
ceeded them with a weary work, the title
of which, "A Secret Vow" was the only
Ineligible part of the volume. Probably
for this reason the book was an instan-
taneous success, and Frodsham was &C.
lebrity. He was interviewed, and we all
recognized in his conversation the good
things we had said to him in times past.
Mary then fell in love with him and joined
our family as sister to Herbert. We ap
preciated her kindness.
My brother at this time was eminently
depressing as companion, and gloom
in, kn ,,fh IL,
brow.
One day he came to me in state of
virtuous wrath, waving a daily paper
| round his head. He was speechless with
Indignation, SO relieved him of the jour
nal and discovered tho cause of his excite
ment. Some clever person had read "a
Secret Vow" and in n letter to The Her
aid had pointed out that that work was an
unblushing plagiarism of an unknown
novel, published anonymously some years
previously under tho title of "On His
Oath" FrodshaIn had evidently been
guilty of literary theft.
1.-THE scroundrel, said my brother at
| length. Hes stolen somebody olses
brains and my love. He's nothing more
than thief I'll expose him to Mary"
"Where is Frodsham2" l asked.
"On his way to New York. But can't
| let that high minded girl remain fettered
to such villain, can l? I'll tell her at
once, in case she hasn't heard the news"
"Bcttor not" l remarked. "If she
loves Frodsham she won't thank you. Let
things take their course"
But Herbert didn't. He told Miss Ash
ton thore and then, and that young lady
listened to the tale. She expressed herself
as being greatly shaken and unable to de-
eide what to do. She also wondered about
the deceit of man, which impressed Her
bert Finally she told my brother he might
call and SEQ her. and he returned to me
beaming. Incidentally he referred to
| Fordsham as 'poor devil" Herbert was
magnanimity itself
Mary smiled sweetly, but sadly, as an
angel whose wing had been broken by q
brick. Her grief was picturesque, and peo-
pie pitied her, Herbert especially, who
lured her to take an interest in the world
by going to theaters with him. had for
gotten to mention that my brother was
well to do, though short.
For broken hearted girl Mary was
fairly jolly, and 1 commented upon the
fact. Herbert explained that he was tax
her into places of amusement.
One fatal day fatal to my brothers love
story in its second and enlarged edition)
bought Tho Hegald to read the daily in
stallment of indignant correspondence on
the subject of the now famous plagiarism.
And this is what l read:
SIR have on my return to New York Just
received various copies Of your widely read
journal, which have been awaiting me. am
! much astonished to become acquainted for the
first time with the storm which has blown up
in my absence apropos of my work, ga Secret
| Vow" Permit me to make tardy apology
to the public through the medium of your ex
tensively circulated columns by stating that
in celebrating the story con His Oath, " which
appeared some years ago, into my successful
book l should have acknowledged my indebt
edness to the former novel and have avowed
myself, as 1 do now, your obedient servant,
| its author, ERIC FRoDsuAM.
Poor Herbert! He is still single-Bos-
| ton Post.