The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-09-13
4. neutrality-suspicious.
! a BLUE PENCIL
! STORY.
BY
W. R. ROSE.
s's*#*s'*'s

Same old ogre, dear?" asked Rose, as
she slowly filled his second cup.
Eyes" growled Aleck, ''and more og-
relish than ever. Stoneman was terribly
out of sorts today. Brixton had been flay-
ing him for something and he cut and
slashed the copy like Malay running
amuck. And had such a beautiful story"
Eyes, dear" said Rose, and she sylnpa-
thetically put another muffin on his plate
"Less than d column, too" continued
Aleek, land how, much do you suppose
Stoneman cut 1t DOWN TO just IL linesl
tell you 1t KNOCKS every flicker of ainbi-
ton clear ont of a man."
"Too bad" sighed Rose.
II was an old grievance with Aleck,
and she knew it would do him good to
talk himself out.
eyes" he went on, II felt like going
in to Brixotn and saying Here's an indie
pendent soul you can't put through your
condemned old condensing crusher, but
Of course I didn't do 1t. 1t would have
been too expensive a luxury. Old Stone
man can't help his share in IT, He called
mo over to his desk this afternoon and
said, 'Sandow u
"Sandow2" echoed Rose.
"That's Tommy Gregg's invention.
Tommy Is the office chrjstener It's San
die Dawson condensed, you SET"
cts shamel'
"Oh, 1t doesn't bother mo bit, f" laugh.
Cd Aleck. Rather appropriate, too,
think. That's the beauty Of Tommy's
christening scheme. Everything goes by
extreme oontrarles. Well, Stoneman said:
tWhv 1n vn,Y tbrnxu ou,uv vo,,r ti,po md
your talent celebrating these storiesp You
ought to know by this time that they can't
60 That stuff Of yours today about the
old man was clever, but the actual news
in 1t was all contained In the few lines
left Stone answered, you remem-
Der that story Of Poe's where the ceiling
slowly but surely dcscends upon the DOOM
ed wretch? Well, that's just the way feel
now. Condensing Is squeezing all the
ambition out of me- Stoneman laughed.
Cheer up said he. Maybe some day
you'll have a paper of your own If do
said, 'therell not be blue pencil within
o mile Of It,. But it's the same way every
day. Ican't throttle my fancy, can't
nail myself down to the cut and dried
facts
There was brief pause. Aleck finished
his tea, shook out his napkin and pushed
back his chair.
''Let us sit in the parlor a little WHILE"
said Rose. "Wo'don't need any light. 1t
will DO sort Of cleaning seance." And
she laughed as she touched the button that
would presently bring up the janitor's
daughter, who helped Rose in her modest
housekeeping.
So they sat in the littlo parlor; Aleck
in the Sleepy Hollow chair that Rose had
given him on his last birthday and Rose
herself in her sewing rocker by the big
bay window.
swell, we must be thankful for ono
thing" Rose said with restful little
sigh, land that is that you arc not on
morning paper"
Aleck heard her rummaging in her desk
for moment or two, and then the squeak
of the little rocker began again.
"And now, DEAR" she continued, II
want to hear that good story that WAS 20
sadly disfgured by the naughty blue PEN
Gil. Tell it to me just as you wrote it,
word for word. 1t mustn't DO entirely
wasted"
Aleck was used to obeying, and besides
lie was rather proud of his unmistakable
story telling talent. So out of the depths
of the Sleepy Hollow his voice proudly
arose.
1t was touching little story-the story
of man whose idolized daughter had run
away from her fine home to marry vain
and worthless fellow Aleck had inter-
viewed her father, and now he told tho
tale in tho fathers own words, giving the
very intonations Of voice and the peculiar
dialect of the somewhat illitcratc old man.
1t was not an unusual story by any means,
but Aleck told 1t SO we'll that no seemed to
invest it with an original dignity.
"rho white haired father stood IN the
doorway" he said, land, with his hand
shading his eyes, looked anxiously up and
down the street. Perhaps, he slowly
said, what yon'ro a-goin to put in the
paper will DO read by Mandy. II It's,
she'll know that tho hands that took her
from the arms of u dyin mother arc still
stretched to take her ag In, but not with
him, not with him.
AS Aleck paused he noticed that the lit
tie rocker was still.
"And Stoneman cut that down to 10 !
lines" he ENORMOUSLY said
He arose as he spoke and struck match |
and lighted the big lamp on tho center
table Rose was standing by the desk |
with her face in tho shadow; then she |
turned and came forward.
"Why, Rose" said Aleck with swift ten
derncss, you've been crying"
''lt-it's the sudden glare of the lamp"
she lamely explained, and Aleok wondered
afterward what could have SO depressed
her.
That was the beginning of a long series
OF In the cleaning conversations, rs Rose !
called them. Every evening of the wan
ting summer and early fall they would sit ,
In tho coy parlor for half hour or 30, |
and Rose would draw Alock into talking
over the events Of the day. Sometimes
there would be only grlst Of trivial incl
dents, and while he talked Rose sat In the
sewing rocker by the little desk drum
ming lightly with her pencil and taking
good care not to Interrupt Alcck as he lost
hinisslf In whatever no happened to be
telling. They were great relaxation for
him, these half hour talks. They restored
for brief while his crushed vanity
"I'm always sure Of select and sym
pathetic audience" be said, with u boyish
laugh
And he improved, too, rs a rnoontour.
He recognized the improvement, and SO
did Rose They were no longer aimlcss
little happenings that he told. They were
dramatic sketches, full Of strength and
feeling
Rose met him one afternoon as he cams
from the Office
"Oh," she cried, "'hat was II beautiful
story you told last night. 1t was even
better than thought 1t WAS"
''Eh?" cried Alcok with puzzled look
"You must have been brooding over 1t
What memory you havoN'
There WAS heightened color In Rosc :
cheeks as she led the way to the table, but
Aleck didn't notice It, lilo was full Of n
new idea
"Rugglca called to INC today as passed
his room,' he said "anl asked Inc why
didn't 80 In for short story writing. My
sketches showed had talent that way II
was a good deal for Huqgles to say. l.
tatd BIN lad mover thouSht OF 1t. Ally