The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-01
A FAIR EXCHANGE.

falnng. Youngsters were initiating MS
style, but could not succeed without his
name, while he was passing out for want
of his pristine freshness. He sailed forth
to find one of the aforesaid youngsters.
At tho Office of The Illustrated Blade n
portly gentleman said TO clerk impris
II wish to sec the editor"
A few minutes later Mr.. Canning him
self came cut barchcaded and exclaimed:
"Mr Give, this is, indeed, pleasure.
Come in. Nothing wrong, hope. You
haven't como to tell me 1 am to be disap.
pointed about the storys'
"No," said the novelist, taking the seat
the editor bowed him into. MAY beg
you to violate editorial secrecy for once
and allow rae to see some of the stories
that arc limitations of my OWN"
Certainly" said Mr.. Canning, "that
Is, if they have not been returned"
When the novelist reached his waiting
carriage, he handed slip of paper to the
coachman.
"Drive to that address, he said, "and
wait for me-"
1t was now dark and the coachman had
some difficulty in finding the correct num-
ber. There was even more difficulty In
finding the room Of any particular tenant,
for no neighbor seemed to know another
by name; but ut last Mr.. Lawrence Give,
somewhat out OF breath with the steep
climb and dark ascent, stood at the land
ing of the top back room and raped ut
the door.
After some delay and inside shuffling
fxur, hos
and Mr.. Give caught a glimpse of the hag-
gard face OF u young man with unkempt
hair, coat buttoned tight to the throat, and
mouth.
81 wish to SEQ Mr.. Stafford
"That's my name, " said the young man.
"Wait moment and will come out to
you on the landing"
"No," said Give, "I will go inside. We
will shut the door"
The elegantly dressed Mr.. Give stepped
into the room-and room more squalid
even than he had anticipated. On n small,
rough table, a candle stuck in a bottle
burned. There were pen and ink beside II
and some sheets of manuscript. A bed
stood in q corner and square box beside
the table.
1.-THE box or the bcda' asked tho host
airily.
81 shall sit down on the box If may, -
answered Mr.. Give.
"Then I'll sit on the bed," said the
young man. 81 take it this is not social
visit. So, may ask again what is your
business with me?'
May first have the pleasure of offer.
ing you cigarg" said the novelist, reach.
ing out his case.
"Thanks" he said shortly, as if he could
not trust himself TO further speech. He
lit the cigar at the sputtcring candle and
drew deep breath of satisfaction us h,
tasted its quality.
''It is WE'LL" said the novelist, "to be
gin our negotiations with a burnt offer
ing, for / believe the suggestion which
caused me to make this visit came from
tho father of fire himself, whom 1 invoked
this afternoon.
"You mean the devil. wish he would
come and make an offer to me-"
He has come for that purpose, replied
the novelist.
81 say. You look more like Lawrence
Give, tho novelist, than you do like sa.
TAM
"My friends tell me there is a likeness.
may return the compliment, il 1t be one,
by venturing the opinion that if you do
not look like Lawrence Give, you write
like him."
"Ah," replied the young man coloring,
"you have seen some of my work, then.
Are you an editorP No such luck, sup
pose"
''No such luck, echoed the novelist,
"but am acquainted with some members
of the profession, and one of them allowed
me to read a manuscript of yours. was
struck by the remarkable limitations of the
writings to Mr. Give"
Yes" cried the young man, springine
to his feet and pacing up and down She
room as the other had done a short time
before, shifting his hands together. Eyes.
OF the Give Of 80 years ago. Once Law.
renee Give was u writer. Today he is a
cumberer of the ground, pouring forth
trash that no sane man would care to read,
a stumbling block at the feet of better
men,"
"Clive has a name," continued the nov
elist, (which doubtless he docs not value
and would gladly exchange it for tho quail.
itics you possess, taking the risk Of the
starvation. So that you may say nothing
further about Mr.. Give which might EN-.
barrass you afterward, will now admit
that am hc."
Good heavcns!' cried the young man
aghast, stopping short in his walk.
"Do not let us fiatter each other the
novelist said. II am a man with name
which cannot now justify, and yet with
q vain dishonesty that leads me to attempt
1t. You are u convicted plagiarist through
necessity. lam the devil tempting you,
and you succumb. You are the devil
tempting me, and i succumb.
81 ask you to leave this wretched hole
and be nominally my private secretary.
From now on till the day die you shall
write my stories and shall put my name
to them. We will share the profits equally,
as honest devils should. have no fam.
ing pen to put signatures to contract, so
our compact must be verbal one. My
carriage Is at the door. Will you conner"
The literary critics shortly after were de.
lighted to record their opinion that the
veteran Lawrence Give had quite returned
to his old form again.-Luke Sharp in De.
troit Free Press.