Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-12-31
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Phyllis has written q story, and am
IN tell her what to call it.

and fail to see why should be both.
cred with the christening. tried to OK
plain this view to Phyllis, but she could
not grasp it. She said it sounded selfish.
If there is one thing in the world Phyl-
lis detests, it is selfishness, so she in.
vaded my smoking room this morning,
took away the book that was reading
and altogether made herself obnoxious
until agreed to give her the benefit OF
my advice. That means that l am to
make suggestions which she negatives
The moment l yielded Phyllis became
her own self again. ohe assured me
there was no one in the world whose
literary opinion she valued more than
mine, and she lit mo cigarette.
II don't want to read you my story
Just ut present., si,o commenced, mot
till it s typewriter, but I'll give you
an idea of what it's auout, 50 that you
may krow wh;.s sort OF name is re-
quircd.
"Tl1lnk you very much,' l said.
"It's very kind of you to take SO much
trouble.
cit hasn't very much plot contin-
ued Phyllis inmovably. lit goes i'll
more for being Il bit CT character paint
ing 1t is the picture Of i young, very
innocent country girl. She is very beau
tiful and-and all that'-Phyllis waved
her hand conprehensively-''and there
nre six men who are madly in love with
her She, however, hardly knows what
the word means '-Phyllis looked at me
for approbation-''aEd is absolutely ig-
norant of the true state Of affairs In
some ways" she added III an explain
atory tone. ''she is rather childish"
"She must be. >" l assentcd, and tap
ped my forehead significantly.
1.-The men are obviously drawn from
life" Phil went on, land may be taken
as types off,
"Hello!" l interrupted. "Have you
written the critique too?"
Phyllis had the grace to blush.
1.-THE story ends, " she concluded hur-
riedly, with the girl acquiring the
knowledge that transforms her from a
child into woman.
"Oh, it ends there, does it," I said
pleasantly. "Well, now about the title. !"
Phyllis looked disappointed, but. l
was not going to criticise the story till
l had read it. AS she herself admitted.
the plot wasn't much.
"What do you say to Miranda, a
Myth?'" suggested.
"But her name isn't Miranda, " ex-
postulated Phil.
"That, I admit, is All objection, said
l. "You couldn't make her Miranda, l
SUPPOSE"
Il could, of course" replied Phyllis
sensibly enough, "if I wished, but l
DON'T
Twas silent My mind was blank.
II don't want the name to anticipate
the story" said Phyllis. II should like
something that didn't commit one too
much. Don't you think quotations are
rather nice?"
Every nice," l agreed, for once start
ed on quotations feel on safe ground.
"You might call it oh, the Pity Of
It!'" I said on the spur Of the moment.
Phyllis looked at me obviously.
"Does that refer to the men falling
in lover" she asked.
dear, mol" said reassuringly. 1T
refers to the girls ignorance of the
fact"
Phyllis shook her head. 1T won't
do" she said.
"After Long Grief and Pain," I
hazarded on the off chance that there
was something in the story that would
bear out the title, but I could see by
Pills face that there wasn't
Then grew desperate.
I suggested "Flower o. the Glove
"Life's Flower and half dozen 9TH
ers, all equally inappropriate, from the
same author. Phyllis knew her Brown
ing and asked for no explanations, for
which l felt grateful, but her silence
was discouraging. At last she spoke.
"Chey are NIL very nice, 10, and
and very CLEVER" she said, with studi-
Gus politeness, ''but they none Of them
seem quite to fit my story"
II cannot, Of course, guarantee q per-
feet it," said. without reading it, ="
Then had one more inspiration.
Call it "A Plethora Of Lovers, ,"
said l. ID
"What does that mean?" asked Phyl-
lis.
1T means too many" answered.
This afforded Phyllis much food for
thought.
Il don't think six too many" she
said impartially.
For q quiet country girl" I ex-
claimed.
Phyllis took up her heroine's cause
IF a girl is very pretty and-and
very attractive" she said, ''she is
bound to have y lot Of lovers and lot
Of proposals.
''She is bound to have some," cor
rected, mot lot. A girl who lets her
proposals run into-well, say double
figures, proves that she is neither more
nor less than flirt."
Phyllis did not seem inclined to ar
que the point further.
Il don't like any Of your titles" she
Baid aggressively. II think I'll find one
for myself"
"Do." said I. with genuine relief, |