The times., 1899-05-24
A Blue PENCIL STORY.

Court Reporter Dawson ,wooed and won
her-stin showed that her early training
was not of an ephemeral type. 1t was
nice supper in nice cozy room, with
remarkably nice young woman on the op-
posite side of the table, and yet Aleck
wore a discontented look.
Same Old ogre. dear" asked Rose, as
she slowly filed his second cup.
Yes" growled Aleck, and more ogre
ish than ever Stoneman was terribly out
of sorts today. Brixton had been Haying
him for something. and he cut and slashed
the copy like Malay running amuck
And I had such a beautiful story
Yes, dear" said Rose, as she 9ympa-
theticaIly put another muffin on his plate.
Less than a column. 100, continued
AIeck, "and how mach do you suppose
Stoneman cut it down? To just twelve
lines, l tell you it knocks every flicker
of ambition clear out of man
Too bad" sighed Rose.
1t was an old grievance with Aleck, and
she knew it would do him good to talk
himself out
Yes" he went on, Il felt like Soing
in to Brixton and saying; Here's an inde-
pendent soul you cant put through your
condemned old condensng icrusher.' but of
course | didrrt do it 1t would have been
too expensive a luxury. Old Stoneman
can't help his share in it. He called me
over TO his desk this afternoon and said,
'Sandow--' -"
"Sandow?" echoed Rose.
That's Tommy Gregg's invention. Tom
my is the office christener It's Sandie
Dawson condensed, you see"
ITS a shame"
.Oh. it doesn't bother me a bit" laughed
Aleck. Rather appropriate, too, ! think.
That's the beauty of Tommy's christening
scheme. Everything goes by extreme con-
traries. Well, Stoneman said, why do you
throw away your time and your talent ella
borating these stories? You ought TO know
by this time that they can't go. That stuff
| of yours today about the old man was ciey-
er but the actual news in it was all con-
tanned in the few lines | left. Stone.
answered you remember that story of
Poes where the ceiling slowly but surely
descends upon the doomed wretch? Well,
that's just the way ! feel now. Condens-
| ing is squeezing all the ambition out OF
me-. Stoneman laughed. Cheer up. said
he. Maybe. some day, you'll have paper
of your own If do, l said. 'there'll not
be blue pencil within a mile of it But
! it's the same way every day. l can't throt-
| tie my fancy. / can't nail myself down TO
| the cut-snd- dried facts
There was a brief pause. Aleck finished
! his tea. shook out his napkin and pushed
| back his chair
Let us sit In the parlor little while
said Rose we don't need any light. 1t
will be 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 little 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.
well we must be thankful for one
thing" Rose said with a restful little
sigh. land that is that you are not on a
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, u
want TO hear that good story that was so
( sadly disfgured by the naughty blue PEN
ell. Tell it to me just as you wrote it,
word for word II mustn't be entirely
wasted
Aleck was used to obeying, and besides
he was rather proud of his unmistakable
storytelling talent. So ont of the depths
of the Sleepy Hollow his voice proudly
arose.
1t was a 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 the
tale in the fathers own words, giving the
very intonations of voice and the peculiar
dialect of the somewhat illiterate old man.
It was not an unusual story by any means,
but Alefk told 1t so we'll that he seemed
to invest it with an original dignity.
The white-h haired father stood in the
doorway" he said. ''and with his hand
shading his eyes. looked anxiously up and
down the street Perhaps he slowly said
what you're a-goin' to put in the paper
will be read by Mandy. II tbs, she'll
know that the hands that took her from
the arms of a dyin' mother are still
stretched to take her agin-but not with
him, not with him
As Aleck paused he noticed that the
little rocker was still.
And Stoneman cut that down TO twelve
lines" he Querulously said.
He arose as he spoke and struck match
and lighted the big lamp on the centre
table Rose was standing by the desk with
her face in the shadow. Then she turned
and came forward.
Why Rose" said Aleck. with swift ten.
derness, you've been crying"
Tits the sudden glare Of the lamp
she lamely explained. And Aleck wonder
ed afterward what could have so depressed
her.
That was the beginning of a long serie.
of in-the gloaming conversations, as ROs,
called them. Every evening of the waning
summer and early fall they would sit il
the cozy parlor for half hour or so. anC
Rose would draw Aleck into talking owe
the events of the day. Sometimes ther,
would be only a grist Of trivial incidents
And while he talked Rose sat in the sew
ing rocker by the little desk drumming
lightly with her pencil and taking goo,
care not to interrupt Aleck as he lost him
i self in whatever he happened TO be tell
ing. 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" he said with boyis
, laugh.
And he improved, too. as reconteur
He recognized the improvement. and SO di
Rose. They were no longer aimless lttl
, happenings that he told. They were dra
matte sketches, fun of strength and feel
, ing.
Rose met him one afternoon as he cam
, from the Office
oh" she cried. that was a beautiful
story you told me last night It was eve
better than thought 1t was"
i "Eh," cried Aleck. with puzzled IOoE
You must have been brooding over il
|, What a memory you have"
There was heightened color in Rose
cheeks as she led the way to the tabl,
= bnt Aleck didn't notice it. He was full c
I a new idea.
'Ruggles called 10 me today as passe
his ROOM he said. and asked me why
" didn't go in for short story writing NJ
sketches showed | had talent that way.
was a good deal for Ruggles to say.