Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-23

will return"
And he arose. hat in hand.
The girl smiled very pleasant smile
that lost itself in pair of charming
dimples.
"Oh, it isn't as bad as that" she said
You take it quite too serious. Pray
resume your seat. Colonel Bannister
considered me entirely capable OF hand :
ling this department. | merely meant
to pave the way to "a reference to your
manuscript
My manuscripts" repeated John
Denslow.
The girl opened drawer at the side
Of the table and drew out big en-
gelope.
Here it is" she said.
Sorry to have troubled you with 1t,
said John, as he reached out for the
package.
Wait, please" said the girl. as she
drew the manuscript back. L am not
offering it to you. You appear to be an
unusually impulsive person.. And she
laughed softly.
And John Denslow laughed, too.
Il have found my impulsiveness a
pretty useful trait at times" he said.
But will try to be as calm as pos
sible. Pray proceed"
I'VE like your sketch" said the CIR.
Il may even go SO far as to say that
We've like it very much. Our two
readers were delighted with 1t, and in
sisted upon my reading it. too. | will
add that / share their opinion OF its
merits. It is very good-in fact, too
good"
TOO good" echoed John Denslow,
and shrilly whistled. Il beg your par
DON" he hastily cried. Another Inn
pulse"
The girl laughed at his sudden con-
fusion.
Really" she said, you are quite
boyish."
I'm only twenty six" said John
Denslow, "and I'll get over it in time"
But unfortunately you continue to
add to my doubts said the girl.
John Denslow looked at her with a
comical air.
II am aattered to think that I en-
gross any part of your interest" he
said with a bow, 'but deeply regret to
find myself perplexing."
There it is again. said the girl.
There is nothing of the frontiersman
about sentence like that"
But this isn't the frontier" said
John Denslow, little amazed.
You don't quite understand" said
the girl, when I said your sketch OF
frontier life is too good / meant that it
is-pardon me-too good to be true
"Oh, that's it," laughed John. i GER
tainly can't take offense at that"
1T assumes to be the experience of a
plainsman, a cowboy" the girl went on.
1T is vivid and graphic and virile. 1t
may be true, but 1t sounds imaginative.
1t suggests that wonderfully realistic
description of the Rhine by Bulwer-
Lytton, who had never seen the river
1t is realism heightened by subtle
art"
rs it all that?" murmured John
Denslow. And l never expected 1t.
The subject is not new one" the
girl went on, but you have succeeded
in treating it in new way. You will
understand that am paying you a
compliment when I say that it seems
to me as il the sketch might have been
written by a man of trained imagina
ton and unusual command of words,
without ever seeing a cattle range or
hearing aacoyote howl"
That's strange" said John Denslow
Particularly as the ar
ticle is all true
The girl looked at him closely.
"And did those experiences happen
to you?"
yes"
And you endured all these hard
ships?"
eyes"
But you show no traces of what YOU
have gone thru"
John Denslow laughed.
well, you know, it wasn't like fight
ing grizzlies or getting scalped." he
said.
but you are young"
1--WE already admitted that" said
John. yet I'm old enough to have
it out there for three lively
years"
..But-but you are slender and you
don't look strong"
Il must apologize for that. too" said
John. "The fact is it is an inherited ten
5ency. If it hadn't been for my slender
appearance my dear old uncle wouldn't
have packed me off to the west to rough
It and get rugged, as soon as I fin
shed college
"a college man, too, dear, dear. You
are fast destroying my cowboy IDEAL
Mr.. Denslow."
John looked at her with a quick
twinkle in his eyes.
"Ef I'd knowed your feelin's on TIL
subjick, lady," he drawled, I'D o.
trapped into one o. these year town
shops an swopped o. bag o. dust fer a
yreaser hat an a pepper box gun"
At which the lady laughed until the
ears stood in her pretty eyes.
I'm glad" she said presently. that
Colonel Bannister is away He isn't
lsed to vaudeville at such short range.
And now to be serious, Mr.. Denslow
Have you done any other literary
work 2"
Nothing worth mentioning since
edited the college paper. The boys
seemed to like my work then At least
hey never compared it to Bulwer-Lyt-
on's."
oortance and responsibility between a
college paper and a famous and highly
magazine
1T is easy to see" said John Dens-
ow, that you never We're a city ed
tor"
and do you intend to take up liter
,ture as a profession?"
mo" replied John. II have some
-ather good mining claims that will re-