The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-10
g The Honorable Francis. .

GJ ShANCu III DCW4A0NkAl4S u CdoCo
which he tried by perpetual twitching
to straighten out, and his wearied ex-
preston proclaimed him the victim of
an intellect several sizes too large.
OF course, he represented Culture In
some form. He looked scarcely solid
enough for knowledge, and I judge it
would be Art or Music; in the next mo-
ment 1 knew it was Literature, because
auntie beckoned me. If it had been
otherwise. she would have signalled
Enid.
The Staurkrauts imported him. a pro-
fessor and his wife who grace the
evenings" as regularly as the waiter.
"A colleague for you, my dear" said
auntie, with the smile that has a hint in
the recesses; the Honorable Francis
Cranberry. My niece writes, too
Less risky If he had been told off to
the musical one" the professor muttered
irritably to his wife. 1 smiled a little
of the two of US Enid is generally re-
garded as the more seductive. His fears
were based on the fact that Mabel an
nexed an obscure artist last year, and
Mildred well connected Socialist the
year before.
Miss Milford writes, too?" the Honor
able Francis repeated as 1 steered him
away.
I try to-" I explained You couldn't
belong to a family like ours without
doing something ambitious; the seed is
sown in earliest infancy, and in due
course we sprout."
And the next process?" he inquired,
with polite interest.
TT varies" answered, vaguely;
"once or twice 1t has ended in trans
plantation"
"Genius-literary genius, that is" he
began, "fiourishes in all conditions, even
In the vale OF humiliation paved with the
rolling stock that continues to ROLL
1T is humiliating." I assented, land
there is such brutal brevity about the
printed slips, though l had one once
with a pen-and-ink sketch at the end
the EDITORS signature. Now I've started
a collection"
But stationery and stamps are
vital" he broke in, and I looked a lit
tie surprised. Scions of the pee. age are
not usually hard up for the something
under sixpence requisite to dispatch so
many thousand words and insure their
return.
Have you speciality" I asked,
rather curiously.
I don't believe in them" he retorted
brusquely. and dropped his voice mys-
teriously; they're all frauds. and one
is worried to death for no reason
whatever"
1 glanced round and observed the pro-
fessor just within ear-shot, watching US
intently while he devoured sandwiches;
Mrs. StaurlSraut, at a little distance,
was watching. too, over the edge of
wine glass. We have often told auntie
she should set that couple to a good
square meal in the diningroom when
tive of famine in the havoc they make
among the sandwiches. That night,
however, after remarking that the ca
Ware was Incompatible. their apprecia-
ton was obviously less heart-whole, in
stead, they seemed engrossed in watch
ing myself and the honorable, in evil
dent fear that he would be led astray-
With intent to justify the assumption,
/ beamed on the Honorable Francis
DO tell me what you writel" l said
eagerly. Il am really interested
The honorable smiled on me with
sort of a ponderous playfulness; his ex-
preston showed that he was pleased.
1--WE written various odes and
oweds..' he retorted,. humorously TO
editors and creditors"
/ pouted inimitably Il thought you
were going to be confdential-
The honorable became suddenly
grave.
Auntie who happened to pass at the
moment. conveyed by her approving
expression that she thought me intel
ligent also
please" I pursued. in a supplicating
whisper to the honorable
TITS fiction" he rejoined, with
burst of gratified enthusiasm; always
fiction and eternal fiction, to obvlate
the consequences of fact.
l looked puzzled and it pleased him.
His hand wandered to a bulkiness in his
tail-pocket. There must have been sew
eral quires of the inky fOolscap he pro
duced. and the professor looked dis
tinctlv ANNOYED.
put that away and come into the next
room for music he suggested; you are
boring Miss Milford"
Thank you, professor" 1 said with
aarr 49,.
fer to stay here"
The honorable gave me a look of in
effable gratitude and smoothed the
manuscript on his knees.
The Complete Fictionist.' he said;
"my masterpiece-life work"
An immense subject" 1 remarked,
intelli2ently.
immense" he echoed. call it over
whelming. But l am dividing it into
heads and subdividing those-Art,
Craft. Style. and so on. Listen to this.
under the heading Meteorological
Effects:
Never speak Of the sun as shining.
Let 1t blaze, slant CLINT. or CLEAN.
Shine being commonplace, is me
diocre; mediocrity terminates in obliv-
Then the wind would not blow" 1
suggested: lit would"
Depend entirely on the season and
Local Color. Local Color is page 49,"
He turned It up after infinite research
and read aloud:
. "PresuDpose a farm. Farm hands,
dairymaids. dogs, horses, cows are es-
sentials; calves, optional; speckled hens
and children. Still-lfe effects: hay
ricks. pump. rustic bridge ripping or
limDid stream
Stream! There you have your key
note. Choose something in wind to CO.
incide. That's lucid enough"
quite" 1 acduiesced. But why
should the children be speckled. and
would the rest live in unity "
The honorable entered quite into the
humor of the suggestion, though affect
ing to take II seriously:
Subtract the hens and the adjective"
he said; make the dairymaids singular,
then look up 'Spectalties in Heroines,'
page rs. think. Exactly. Now, your
attention. please:
The country heroine is identified by
fresh complexion, blue eyes. brown hair
and smiling lips"
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