Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-12-03
660OS0OOOOOOO
CALL OF THE
RED GODS"
By ELSIE CARMICHAEL
Copyright, 1903, by I. c. Mcclure


. Copyright, 1903. by +. c. Mcclure .
ssssssssssssse
| The editor leaned back in his chair
and sighed. The roar of the crowded
street down below rose eternally, wea-
rily. He got up and closed the window.
Then he read the story again.
1t brought great breaths of fragrant
| air into the stuffy room. He could see
i the open meadows and woodlands; the
dashing, overfowing brooks, where the
trout We're rising; the throbbing new
life bursting out into the sunshine.
He felt it all keenly, for he had spent
most of that happy boyhood of his up
among the hills of Connecticut Yes,
the busiest editor in New York sat
there dreaming, while below in the
general Office people with important
business were being turned away by
| the dozen.
The story was signed simply NJ. B.
| Turner, with an address somewhere
up in Connecticut. IL never saw any
one catch the real spring feeling as
that man does" the editor said to him
self. "He must be good angler and
| general sportsman"
Instead Of sending the usual printed
slip accepting the article, he picked up
his pen and wrote the following note:
Mr.. M. B. Turner:
| Dear Sir-I have just read your manu-
script. THE Call Of the Red Gods" and I
| like 1t so much that I shall try to make
room for 1t in the May number which Is
already made up. want to tell you per-
Bonally how much have enjoyed reading
| 1t and how 1t took me back to my boy
| hood home. I. too. am an angler by
choice. though an editor by necessity. II
| you have other stories should be glad to
read them. Very truly yours.
JOHN MoNTE1TH.
The editor of the Twentieth Century
was still young and genial, and his
outer shell had not yet hardened.
Then he went back to his work and
forgot the story. But sometimes in
the midst of the rush and confusion of
the great magazine Office there came
a faint, sweet scent of violets and
damp, spring earth, and the roar Of
rush and roar of the brooks overflow
ing with the spring floods. 1t was then
that the story was uppermost in his
mind.
One or two other manuscripts came
| from the same writer, but none was
equal to the first.
HE ought to stick to nature" unused
the editor one day in a leisure mo-
ment. 81 wish l could see him and
have talk on the subject"
| He wrote a little note to Mr. M. B.
Turner and told him that when he was
In town he should be glad to have him
call at the office of the Twentieth Cen
fury. In reply came little typewrit-
ten note thanking him for the invita-
ton, but as M. B. Turner was setting
out for long summer trip through
! Canada he could not be in New York
until the early fall 1t made the office
seem very hot and stufy-the thought
Of that Canadian trip.
The last of August Monteith man
aged to get a two weeks vacation.
When he returned from the Maine
woods the city looked dirtier and more
| dingy than ever. 1t was refreshing to
find note from Mr.. Turner stating
that he would call at the Office on
Wednesday morning at half past 10 if
that would be convenient to the editor
That was Ionteith's busiest day, but
without hesitation he sent cordial
invitation to the young author to come
at the specified time.
When he went to the Office or
Wednesday he had strange feeling
of expectation which he could not ex
plain until he remembered that this
was the day that the disciple of Isaal
Walton was to call. Even while die
tating letters to his typewriter hi:
mind was wandering off to the wood:
and fields he loved so we'll. Hi
thoughts were called back by Mis-
Jones and the cessation Of the click O
the typewriter. II did not catch tina
last sentence, Mr.. Monteith," she said
looking up; something about pine
and brook"
Monteith sat up, and flush deep
ened on his face even through his tan
ooh, no." he said politely. You mus
have misunderstood me. But that vii
do for this morning, Miss Jones, thanl
you" He had left word downstair
that, although he was busy, he woul
see Mr.. Turner if he called.
1t was quarter before II when tn
office boy, with most perplexed an
worried expression, threw open tn
door and announced, Miss Turner"
!. Monteith rose to his feet. There o
n the threshold, hesitating, flushed, stoo
] slight girl in trim tailor gown. Th
: faint perfume of violets hoated int
0 the room.
S 81 am Miss Turner sb~ said. 81
4 really should have told you before.
d only realized it was quite wrong whe
Z, they almost refused to let me see 70
:. and would not believe that I was tt
It expected person."
a She looked so much embarrasse
) that Monteith recovered himself soon!
than he could have done otherwise
Is order to put her at ease. But he, to
!. finished