The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-13
OVER LOST IDEALS
By EPEs w. SARGENT.

The next afternoon, trues to his word Mr..
Hooper called to inquire for the invalid and
slipped quite naturally into the Norris choir.
Drinking tea and munchng thin bread and
| butter, he changed the very aspect of the
room. He sounded the masculine note their
den had lacked before.
Alice, whose bump of curiosity had grown
in journalistic circles, was frankly inquisi-
! tive.
I'VE have often noticed you across thu
way she said. You arc at your machine
| so constantly that Miss Morton declared you
must be writing the coming novel;
Hooper laughed frankly, boyishly.
Eyes, I write novels" he admitted, ''ths
kind my readers pronounce bully l am
under contract to grind out a dime novel a
| week.
(! This was worse than railway guides. Fran
ces fell to studying the wall paper pattern.
| You see, he ran on, 81 need the money.
| It's easy work and we'll paid
| wouldn't you rather write real novels?"
! persisted Alice.
well, yes. if it would pay as well, but
/ when man has to make money literature
is classed with -luxuries''
3.If one has invalid mother to support
or sister to educate" suggested Alice
musingly, but he interrupted briskly:
Nothing of the sort. I'm alone in the
world; haven't even first cousins. But when
l came to town 1 had a fine stock Of ideals
which gradually melted. I wrote verse that
was pronounced fair and for which l got
as high as $5-when l sold it. Likewise I
| wrote essays, which l never sold. / had
| the manuscript OF historical romance too
| l have that yet. Then man for whom 1
| had done a little work asked me to substi-
tute for his dime novelist, who was ill.
wrote my first tale. and he liked it, The
regular writer died, and I stepped into his
| literary shoes. 1t is big pay, steady work
| and no trouble after you get the hang Of
| the thing. It's not exactly idealistic. but
| 1t means a good restaurant, good clothes
| and a den of my own.
! When he had gone, Alice looked quiz
| zically at Frances.
Well said the latter with just tinge
| of bitterness in her voice, Il guess you came
| close enough the truth to take the cake. .
Il don't care asserted Alice loyalty. Il
like him, and I hope he'll come again.
! And he did, first bearing flowers and small
delicacies for the invalid and, when her in
jured foot no longer served as excuse for
this coming, calling apparently in a spirit
Of pure camaraderie In many ways he was
a boy despite his thirty-five years. and his
l visits acted like tonic to the overworked,
high strung girls Occasionally he brought
| with him the script of his latest story and
set them laughing with his frank, criti-
cisms.
But it was always the careless Alice who
made him most welcome. Frances, the arts
| tic, still smarted under the crash of her all
castles He had no right to disappoint her
thus. The dea-a dime novel a week at Sd
so much per!
u On this particular evening, however, she
welcomed him more cordially than usual
Perhaps she really felt the need of his
presence Alice was working late on the
Christmas edition. The twilight without
hung in misty pail, and her own heart was
heavy. Two book covers and series OF
, margins in Japanese effects had been returned
with thanks He glanced at some pen anc
/ ink sketches she had been making.
This is rather good,' he said appre-
ciatively. You are getting along famously
Frances looked up quickly. searching fol-
sarcasm, but sh. found nothing Of the sor
: in his frank, aGmiring eyes,
'They are to illustrate some advertising
> matter" she replied simply 'You zee. like
yourself, I'm losing my Ideals
'sNot losing them, he answered quickly
'just putting them aside for better days
Some day will write the coming novel, ant
you will be doing great things in oils il
the meantime both of us are doing ths
sensible thing"
There was a new tenderness in his voice
and unconsciously she reached out her hand
2 He had read her disappointment and under
stood He took not only the proffered hand
but the other also, all marked, as it was
e with ink from the despised drawings.
LET US make 1t common cause, he SAT-
gently eve have both overthrown ou
e idols for awhile to face it out together
a NO" she murmured. wondering how sh
$ had ever misjudged him so. LET viii
| over lost Ideals