Evening journal., 1899-08-08
JUST A W0MAN'S WAY.
ncNHE SAID. observed romlin, a. hg

day, ana ehOuld Malt until you caale IN.
The editsr wheeled about in his chair
with an impatient gesture OF annoyance.
Why should the rabble annoy him at time
when he was interested in book, one Of the
few really interesting ones of his library.
Ii was more than anyone should expect OF
him to see him at such a time, and he was
on the point Of bidding her wait, if she
chose but with the assurance that the de.
lay would be long one, when be noticed the
card
The lady-in-waiting had written on hei
card: about a story. Urgent"
She hasn't got the copy With heri"
"Not unless ils in her pocket"
"Wel, said the editor, with an air of
sanity resignation, tell her that I'm very
busy, but it she can say what she wants in
five minutes. III see her.
YEARLY he removed his feet from the Ia
bic, put on his coat, threw the remainder
Of his cigarette into the fireplace, opened
the window, secreted the copy OF Notre
Campagne that he had been reading, and
set to work on a pile Of proofs. BY that time
Tomlin had returned, announcing Miss
Sands.
She was 80, and she was plain. Moreover.
she was as nervous as o cat in a new home
From the handwriting on the card he had
really expected something better, and he
was mad at himself for permitting her TO
bother him. She was nothing more than
the ordinary woman who came to him day
after DAY with their stories and their poetry,
none Of which he wanted. Wouldn't this
class Of females ever learn that they were
only wasting their time and his by their
callsy He was afraid they wouldn't.
- ...ff -. l~al
whisper.
pray be seated" said the editor He
pushed over a basket piled with manuscripts
to Tomlin. "Send all those back Then he
turned 10 Miss Sands again, and asked what
he could do for her
Il wanted to ask what you would think Of
a story Of Japanese life"
"I'm afraid that sort Of thing is a good
deal overdone nowadays. They've got a Jap
series running in Busters Magazine, aud Of
course we've had Sir Edwin and 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"
"Oh, not at ALL I'm glad"
Il don't quite understand"
"You see, i want the story to be refused
It's my sister Caroline. Thanks so much
IOI IIoihrlhb ~ rrnA ~ hn'n'
"But wait a 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
I disappointedf'
"You see, you don't know her Her be
setting sin is conceit. She's younger than
/ am. and-well, she's rather good looking
She's been spoit by having too much fssi
made about her. II you could hear hel
Dragging sometimes I'm sure you'd agree
with me. Really, it's often difficult enougl
for me to live with her as it is, and il 50
had q story accepted by the Latest Light sh'
would become quite intolerable.'
'sBut really" said the editor, with SUPER
GRITTY, "these family disputes have nothini
to do with me. I'm simply here to-
ooh, yes, of counsel / only mention il I
explain why want you to refuse her sill
rubbish"
"How do you know it's silly rubbish"
'Tve read il. and it wouldn't dofor you
all1
''Really Miss Sands, said the editor, wit
growing severity, you must leave me to ,
the Judge Of that. ] cannot permit anybod
TO dictate to me what ! am to accept o
what am 10 refuse. Have you any specia
training which entities you TO critcise you
sisters work at all? It's remarkable-tha
belief which almost every woman seems 1
have, that she is qualified to judge hterar
work. Are you quite sure that you know %
difference between silly rubbish and Wor
) of geniusT
"Anyhow, it shows that she has no imol
ination-her having made 1t a Japanes
story"
II don't follow that argument"
"No. hadn't told YOU My sister Caroliu
lived in Japan with a japanese family ie
some years She's only using up what si
: saw and heard there, and that's not imal
! nation"
"At any rate it makes it the more probab
that the story viii be interesting.
Il can't see that. She got to know thini
about the Japanese women-well, realiyl
q CAS- bad as thatg
Miss Sands wriggled uneasily. "ld rath'
not talk about it. All / want is Just yo'
promise that you won't accept the stor
You know the public don't care about Ja
anese things"
"Once for all" said the editor, "will ys
! give up trying to teach me my buNnes
What is the use of telling me that the publ
don't care for japanese topics when Bus
er's Magazine is going in for them hotf /
q you think they don't know the public tas
y through and through at Busters place
What about the success of the 'Geisha
What about--but. really, lose an patienc
Z The attempt to make an editor refuse a sto
e 10 satisfy some personal grudge OF your oN
% is. Of course, utterly useless; i Is also d
honest, and as the author happens TO
a your own sister. it is even werse than d
l. honest It's no good pleading I've nothn
h more TO say to you
a Woodworking, them" said Miss San,
~ looking doleful. 81 didn't know you'd tai
l. It like that
if When she got into the street the doleii
! ness passed off. She turned into the ne
u A. b. c. shop for bun and a glass Of mi
IT and looked as pleased as if she had aeco
y plished something.
q "Tomlin," said the editor, when mar
script comes from a Miss Caroline Sands
i it viii be a story on a japanese subject
S don't send it up with the rest for Mr.. earn
o to read, but let ne have it at once. "
read that one myself"
And in due course the story was hroug
L ! nd the editor noted with pleasure that
l. as Just about the right length.
. The story was neither too good TO lea
c ut nor too bad to put in. Il was mesioc