The Delawarean., 1900-09-15
TIE Pfot THAT Failed
Showing How the Plan of Novel
May Be Too Intricate.
o~o~o~o~o~~o~o~o~o

Aui Lace SOOu uedl lfOIu the IeNlIy
club of late, and the idea took posses
sion of us that he must be i'll or in love.
AS his especial friend l was commits
stoned to investigate. To this end
called upon him at his chambers in the
Temple.
/ knocked, but received no reply, so
pushed open the door and entered.
1 expected to find the room empty;
but, to my surprise, right before me as
1 entered sat Dick Graham at a writ
ing table which was strewn with man.
uscripts and odd scraps of paper
"Dick, old chap" said 1, stepping
forward to his desk and laying my
hand upon his shoulder, whats up?
Turned deaf all of a sudden?"
"Good heavensr' he cried. I'll
you gave me fright, Harold. l didn't
know any one was in the room"
81 beg your pardon" replied. "But
I knocked several times, and as re-
ceiyed no invitation to come in I en-
tered
''The fact is he began apologetical-
ly, with glance at his desk.
Eyes, yes," l interrupted, 81 see
your confounded old yarns. Well;
you've simply got to turn them up for
spell. Now, come"
81 would" replied Dick, were l en-
gagged upon any ordinary story, but
this one l am working at now is my
masterpiece"
"H'm" coughed slightly.
"Really," said Dick, ''I'm liz earnest
this time. Look here. I've just conceiv-
ed the idea for a plot which when
worked into story will startle the
world with its brilliancy. Just have
squint at the outline. Perhaps a sug-
gestion might help me-"
Eagerly he razed together about
dozen scraps of paper covered with dia-
grams and sheet of paper closely
written upon.
"My idea." he began, sis this: Two
fellows, named respectively Dick and
Harry, sre in love with two girls, Lucy
and Mabel. Now, Dick loves Lucy,
while Harry's affections are centered
) upon Mabel. Very we'll. But there is
trouble. e., Mabel doesn't care a
Dick. And the object of Lucy's tender
passion is Harry. D'you see?"'
'Yes," rather family.
"Well,' he continued ''there is to be
a masked ball in their town, and my
four characters will be present. Dick
intends to go as Chinaman and Harry
as Mr.. Answers. Mabel is going as
Queen Mary and Lucy as Mrs. Kruger.
By some means they all get to know
what the disguises of the others will
be. But at the last moment each
couple exchange their dresses, revers-
ing the characters. D'you seeT
I'll think l grasp it," l muttered
between my set teeth.
- "Well," tlFued Dick, "the con-
sequence is tlf!S Harry, who was going
as Mr.. Answers, but who has really
gone as Chinaman, proposes to Lucy,
who is made up as Queen Mary, taking
her to be Mabel, who as q matter of
fact is masquerading as Mrs. Kruger"
A cold sweat was beginning to break
out all over me, and l believe / must
have worn that same kind of hunted
expression which was now increasing
on poor Dicks face. He had gathered
two or three scraps of paper, and was
Illustrating the 'idea" to me by means
pf rough sketches of the characters
rom one to the other of whom he drew
rrows to point his meaning.
$50 on" 1 said desperately.
"You see," he said, in compliance.
ere is an arrow pointing from Dick
Lucy, showing he loves her; here is
other from Lucy to Harry, showing
loves Harry" l fairly trembled
Y, and Graham's hair was assuming
gid perpendicular. 'Then here is a
ved line from Harry to Lucy in the
gram, showing them at the ball.
ch points to the fact
Ieavens, manp 1 broke out, "drop
b I'll go mad"
20 have little patiencep' he cried
ledly. ''It's getting quite simple
sure you. There are only a few
$ to clear up, and it'll be as simple
B c."
Sipped his pen in the ink, and
another diagram representing
ur characters.
see by this" he said, pointing
that Dick, who ought to be a
aan, is really Mr.. Answers;
the girl he-that is, her-and
has changed his disguise from
swers to a Chinaman. Well
Fes Lucy-Queen Mary, really
takes Mrs. Kruger to be She
IN me, Dick, old fellow" I in
"It may be that am very
lt must confess that I can't
u"
because you're a foolp' he
"This is the grandest, most