The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-07
S&St~s~ !. THE ADVERTISERS DAILY SHORT STORY

When Burke Phillips left college ht said to himself, T will be writer" Sc ne obtained rooms near one of the great publishing centers and provided himself with books and periodicals bearing or the subject. and began what he intended should he a/life of work.
 He was a good scholar. and had all easy way of putting words together. and ne wrote upon almost every conceivable subject. If his knowledge was some. times superficial. his felicity of exprcs' sion was such that the ordinary reader never suspected it. Presently sketch was accepted and years subscription placed to his credit, then a check for :, came; then an editor wrote that he would use several of his stories and pay him upon publication.
 But in the meantime there was an in. creasinR host of vagrants. returning manuscripts clamoring for more postage stamps. Burke had several hundred dol. bridge over to the time when his per would be strong enough to earn a iiv- ing. But in spite of hard work and close economy the end of his first year found his reserve decreased by nearly one-half
 But by this time he had established himself as a writer. Friends congratu- lated hiri and spoke of his future as being assured. Every few days he saw his name at the head of short story or poem or essay, and occasionally his pfcOu dt HUuinB nlS dItiClt COpicu from ona paper to another. Then came one of those marvellous showers that ent- CTS Into the experience sf nearly every young writer. He received several checks by one mail. and with these in his pos session he felt nc misgivings for the fu- ture. He Was already stepping over the threshho.d oe success, he told himself and the very next day he went to the young girl who had watched his work with suca loving interest and apprecia- ,.A f-tA l. L.A tx even stronger and more assured than his own.
 A cosy tenement was secured near his former boa.dipg place. and they went to housekeeping in a simple unostenta- tious manaer. Burke worked harder than she could. She had read a good deal and was good critic, and she assumed most of his copying. They had little company. and that was just as they would have 1t. simple breakfast. and then writing and. copying; substantial dinner and then walk in the park, 1T visit 10 on, of the great libraries. or an excursion down the river; then back to ten. and after that more writing and copying. and then a long delightful talk about their plans and hopes.
 The free subscriptions increased. and their tables generally looked like the counters ef country periodical store Some editors gave their papers. and extra cOplCS or the nuIlDeTS CoIlt6iili'iS articles; others offered free subscriptions for the writer's friends; and still others intimated that. their papers were gradu- ing schools for young writers. and that 1t was not necessary for them to pay. They liked the papers and magazines and the letters from the editors were reiigiously preserved. And whenever one of their stories or poems or sketches ap- peared. th,y forgot for the time being that it might not have brought them enough to pay for the postage 1t had consumed. But there were grocery bills and coal bils. and rent; and at last Burke courteously intimated to the editors that he would prefer money to subscriptions But occasionally the mall brought check, and the wife would siege 1t and dance triumphantly about the room while the husband watched her from his desk, pen In hand. and his face glowing with her appreciation and his renewed hopes. But, alas! the time came wher they could only retain the check long enough for him to sign his name across the back. And it generally happened that there was a pressing claim for ter or fifteen dollars when the check was for only five or six.
 All the money was withdrawn from eah,rday,s story "A WRESTLING WO