The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-29
III eeiterary Proposal.
BY D. H. TALMADGE.

anxious that everything shall go off well,
because ones girlhood friends are inclin-
ed to be hypercritical. Moreover, they
are subject to I-told-you-so spasms, es-
pecially in such instances as this, where
the heroine chances to be a young w'o-
man whose ambitions have been above
and beyond donesticity The day ar
rlves. The hours creep on apace. At
any moment guests may come The skies
above her are blue. The air about her
is sweet with the incense of joy. And
then-biffi A thunder-clap! The hired
girl appeared before her with grievance,
she is to depart at one; no lady could
stand what she has stood. She departs.
Woe! Despair! Horror! There is a
situation for you beside which the curd-
ingest situation of the historical dread
fuls shows pale and lustreless.'
1t is indeed agreed the girl, waVer-s
ing between gravity and mirth What
follows?"
The guests arrive and are greeted with
a smile of real pain The heroine ex-
cuses herself from their presence as
soon as the requirements of the scantiest
courtesy will permit, and they toss and
catch significant glances at one another.
They sniff the unmistakable odor Of
burned fowl. They almost laugh. In
the kitchen the heroine, panic-stricken,
is making an effort to save the dinner.
She is only making matters worse, for
the best cook on earth could do nothing
in such state of mind. Twice she has
fingered the handle of the carving knife,
vaguely. Indefinitely resolved to plunge
1t into her own wildly throbbing breast.
The door opens. Enter the hero dragging
the hired girl, whom he has met at the
railway station. He assumes an atti-
%,,d4 fi,,c Oh III p<ra ha hin nd
girl obeys meekly. The heroine falls
sobbing on his breast
''Too improbable commented the girl,
breathing again.
''It is not so convincing perhaps, adj
mitted Lionel, "as the story of the nero
who Stays nineteen men single handed to
save the woman he loves, and then after
he has been for something over a weak
without sleep; but it is perfectly reasons
able when the facts are revealed. He
simply offered the girl so much money
that she forgot her grievance for three
hours. 1t was a sacrifice on his part; but
what is a hero, for if he is not to make
sacrifices? All heroes do it. It is part OF
the business"
Suppose the hired girl would not have
accepted the money!?
you must not suppose when you are
reading novels; it destroys the flavor.
Suppose the hero of the nineteen men had
been kicked into a cooked hat by one
of his antagonists while he was engaged
in staying the initial nineteen? 1 am
not writing this book for supposers. Sup
posers may apply to Mr.. Meredith If they
would learn of something to their adj
vantage My hero is to appear success
fully at every crisis which arises in the
domestic establishment which came into
being when the heroine sweet1y falter-l
ing, confessed her love to him. tSee
chapter two.) Honestly, do you not rather
like the idea?"
Eyes, I do" The girl was frank. Pro-
coed, please
'Well, chapter five is to round up with
a stunning pudding, prepared by the her
ONES white hands. and a dazzling spat-
ter of repartee by the company. Chapter
six leads us again into the shadow. The
villainy of the comber of lawns ano
horses develops itself, and the fabric OF
domestic peace is rent and torn once
more. The comber of lawns and horses
has expressed himself at divers times
with much feeling to the hero upon the
subject of strong drink. He has sworn
great oaths as to his utter teetotalism.
And the hero. as heroes invariably do at
certain stages of story, reposes CONT
dence in him. The heroine, 1t may be
stated, Is d IdUiCdl lptIduCS-
Good for herr' murmured the girl
"And she has extracted a promise
from the hero that never will he indulge
his propensity for strong Swaters any.
where except at his own board. Her
method differs, you will observe, from
that of certain other radical temperance
women; who refuse to permit liquor. in
the house, and thereby drive their hus-
bands into bad company
~She is sensible .
Decidedly. In this she differs from
other heroines I might mention. It is
a very bold stroke on my part, for the
public, as rule. does not take to sens.-
Bile heroines. And not only is she sensi-
BILE, but she is beautiful. All the graces
are in her combined; the art of witcher.
and the depth OF mind. Her imperrec-
tons
'sShe has imperfections?"
.sOf course. being human; but they
serve to bring into greater relief the low
able. enhancing qualities of her charac-
ter. In this chapter she discovers a