The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-12

had it in YOU do you really and truly
thing it's worth printing Teds
Z should say it was. frSt-rate. Ny
sister, the well known autnoreSSi w on I
the fellows rubber 1 tell you, sis, 1 m
glad there is one genius in. the family
and Ted does cake walk across the
room.
Don't talk such nonsense, Ted. There
is a long distance between writing one
story and being famous" But privately,
she doesn't think the distance VIII be so
very great after all
She swears him TO secrecy, but she Is
just dying to see what her sister VIII
She opens the subject warily one rainy
day in this way. "Oh, dear. what
stupid day this is I believe I'll write q
particular You write a story. snins
Bell Il think l see the story you could
write Why, it takes years and years
to write anything decent, unless you are
Bess temper is ruf1ed by the rain. She
wanted TO wear her new hat to the matt
nee. SO Alice does not feel this sarcasm
deeply. But when her mother says,
thoughtfuIly: They say there are only
thirty-seVen plots for stories in the World,
and every one is obliged to use some one
of them, only dressed in d different style,
and l think amateur stories are rather
tedious. ANYWAY Then Alice's citation
vanisheS, and she decides II IS not an
suspicious moment for condolences and
retires to her room with: We'll, am
going to try it some day.
Before Sending the beloved MSS. she
reads il once more. The rain beats
against the window, and her spirits sink
lower and lower. How could she ever
have seen anything funny in that incident
on the third page! When she wrote Il
she imagined the editor sitting in his
chair and laughing till the tears ran
down his cheeks.
Now she thought she would just as soon
laugh at funeral
Presently she gets up courage enough
to seal the envelope. and mourntuIly
affiXes five 2-cent stamps. II Is better 10
waste stamps, she thinks, than 10 have
1t returned from the dead letter Office.
By this time she is perfectly sure II WILL
come back, and life possesses the hue OF
Indigo.
Her DAYS for the next two weeks alter
nate between hope and despair Every
time the postman appears she manages 10
be within hearing distance
At last she gives up all nope OF ever
hearing from the magazine to which she
has instructed her fiedglet, and that very
night her brother springs up the stairs,
exclaiming: "Alice, here's a letter from
the magazine. Hooray."
She hastily tears il open and reads:
Madam: We are in receipt of MSS,
marked SO. We can use 1t at Sl-oo. Pie9se
let US hear from yoH by return mall. he
spectfully Blank & Blank.
She sees nothing but the bliSSful words:
eve can use it, That is enough to I'LL
her heart with joy She masks her de
light and Immediately assumes little airs
of IMPORTANCE, and says 10 Ted: Oh
course, I did not expect TO get my own
price at first, but I've always read that
they, meaning editors in general, never
give more than half what anything is
worth.
she posts her glad acceptance, then
wonders whether she will get the check
before or after the story is published
When the next copy of the magazine Is
due she haunts the newsstand II happens
TO be three days late When u ooss come
of her story, she wonders what can De
Ted saws: "oh. probably they have got
q dozen ahead Of yours" and so she mas
to be content for another long month
AT last it appears 1t looks very much
nicer in print; but so short, and she had
written thousands of words.
She buys half dozen copies 10 SEND 70
her friends, and returns home 10 threw
the announcement Of her success Ike a
bounb-sheH into the bosom OF her family.
She receives c0ngratu mutations and praise
tempered with criticism from Bess, 50
that she won't be too pulled up Bess
Ted exuIts. because he knew all about il
beforehand When do l set the sllk
umbrella you promised me-! ne ASKS
and Bess demands a new belt buckle
Alice had omitted TO mention the sum
she was to receive for her story, but Ted
had privately distributed the Information
that She had got a good price for it..
Ry this time they are so impressed with
her cleVerneSS that they think any
amount probable and Alice does not unde-
ceiVe then
She writes to her dearest friend mex
day as follows: Dear Sue: send yoI
by this same. mail a story that NAYS
written. of course il does not amount
to much; and pray do not think hav'
an enlarged Uranium in consequence, bu
I knew you would be greatly interested
of course. etc
eP. S.EThe magazine paid me quite
WELL
She sends something of the same sor
! to four or five other friends, and JheI
waits for her first check to arrive