Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-08-26
A WONAN9lsp tTs
-i,A on g q.
AND . wlaa
AN EDITOR.

"She said," observed Tomlin = ms he
handed the card, that If you were out
she had nothing much to dogt today and
should wait until you came In"
The lady in waiting had written on
her card: about story. Urgent"
"She hasn't got the copy with herw
'Not unless it's in her pocket
"Well,"" said the editor, with an air of
very busy, but if. she can, say what she
wants in Ave minutes, III see her"
YEARLY he removed his feet from the
mainder of his cigarette Into the FIRE
copy of Notre Champagne, that he had
of proofs. By that time Tomlin had re-
turned, announcing Miss Sands. M
She was 35, and she was; plain More
over, she was as nervous as a cat in a
new home. ,us 57r,Tr
She said Good morning" in a choked
whisper. en vu nr,
"Pray be seated" said the editor. He
pushed over a basket piled with manu-
Then he turned to Miss Sands again and
II want to ask what would think
of a story of japanese life. sr,e r,ct
"I'm afraid that sort Of thing is a
good deal overdone nowadays. They've
got a Jap series running in Busters
Magazine, and of course we've had Sir
Edwin and a whole lot more. No; the
public's sick of it. don't think we
should care to see it. Sorry you've had
the trouble ..v
ooh, not at all! I'm glad"
81 don't quite understand" ~
you see, l want the story, to be re-
fused. It's my sister Caroline. Thanks
SO much for promising to send it back"
But wait minute. l gave no such
promise. 1t is part of an editors duty to
consider carefully everything that is sub
mitted-everything Besides, why should
you be SO anxious that your sister should
be disappointed 2"
"You see, you don't know her. Her be-
setting sin is conceit. She's younger than
I am, and-well, she's rather good look
ing. She's been spoiled by having too
much fuss made about her. If you could
hear her bra gging sometimes I'm sure
you'd agree with me. Really, it's often
difficult enough for me to live with her as
it is, and if she had story accepted by
The Latest Light she would become quite
intolerabl
"But really" said the editor with supe-
riority, these family disputes have moth
ing to do with me. I'm simply here to-
"Oh. yes, OF course! l only mention it
to explain why l want you to refuse her
silly rubbish"
How do you know it's silly rubbish"
"I've read it, and it wouldn't do for you
at ALL" -
Really, Miss Sands" said the editor
with growing severity, you must leave
me to be the judge of that. l cannot per-
NIT anybody to dictate to me what l am
to accept or what l am to refuse. Have
you any special training which entities
you to criticise your sisters work at all ?
It's remarka ble-that belief which almost
every woman seems to have that she is
qualified to judge literary work! Are you
quite sure that you know the difference
between silly rubbish and work Of gen.
ius|
anyhow it shows that she has no i'm
agination-her having made it Japanese
story"
II don't follow that argument"
"No, I hadn't told you. My sister Caro-
line lived in Japan with Japanese fami-
ly for some years. She's only using up
what she saw and heard there, and that's
not imagination" -, ar sr.7s
"At any rate it makes 1t the more prob
able that the story will be, Interesting"
81 can't see that. She got to know
things about the japanese 1women-well,
really" h., ~, r,,o,e
Miss Sands wriggled runeasily, I'D
rather not talk about it. All want is
just your promise that you won't accept
the story. You know the public don't
care about Japanese things eos
"Once for ALL" said the editor, will
you give up trying to teach me my bust
ness? What is the use Of telling me that
the public don't care for Japanese topics
when Busters Magazine is going in for
them hot? Do you think they don't know
the public taste through and through at
Busters place? What. about the success
Of the 'Geisha?' What, about-but really
lose all patience. The attempt to make
an editor refuse a story to satisfy some
personal grudge Of your own is, of course,
utterly useless It is also dishonest, and
as the author happens to be your own sis
ter it is even worse than dishonest. It's
no good pleading. Ike nothing more to
say to you" ms ua6 .
Good morning. then said Miss
Sands, looking dolefuI. 70 II didn't know
you'd take it like that" -
When she got into the street, the dole
fulness passed off. She turned into the
next A. B. G. shop for a bunEand glass
of milk and looked as pleased as if she
had accomplished somethipgs -
.'Tomlin," said the editor, ssewhen O
manuscript comes from Miss Caroline
Sands-it will be story on a japanese
subject-don't send it UP with the rest for
Mr.. Garner to read, but let me have it at
once. l will read that one myself"
And in due course -the-Sstory was
brought. and the editor noted with pleas
ure that it was just about the right
length.
The story was neither too good to leave
out nor too bad to put inl 1t was medic
ere, and as a rule that editor did not love
mediocrity. However, he accepted it at
once and wrote TO Miss Caroline Sands to
say that he had done so. II he had been
told that he had practically made up his
mind to accept the story even before he
read it. he would have been angry.
And all this was a great joy to that
Miss Sands who had called at the office.
For she had no sister. and her own name
was Caroline, and she was the author of
japanese story which was founded on
somebody's book OF travels and an article