Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-15

brought IN a / Win q pot OF Tea anu
h ,ingredients of a light repast, which
she placed upon another table near a
window.
There is always enough for two"
said Leopold. Reading is mighty tire
some work, and listening is too, and
a cup of good strong tea will brighten
us both up immensely. You a come
back for the tray in fifteen minutes,
Jennie" said Ernst.
The supper was finished, the tray re.
moved, and the critic sat in Judgment
ice more upon the words that fell
from the readers lips. Leopold's face
lighted up during the reading of "Her
Native Land" He started to speak,
and the word That's escaped him,
but he recovered himself and said no
more, though he listened intently.
Quincy took a glass of wine and a
cracker before starting upon the story
which had been dictated to him. Leo
pold gave no sign of falling asleep, but
patted his hands lightly together at
certain points in the story, whether
contemplatively or approvingly Quincy
could not determine. AS he read the
closing lines of the last manuscript
the cuckoo clock struck IL, midnight.
"You L a mighty good reader,
Quincy" said Leopold, "and barring
fifteen minutes for refreshments, you
have been at it ten hours. Now you
want my opinion of those stories, II
what's more, you want my advice as to
the best place to put them to secure
their approval and early publication,
Now / am going to smoke a cigar quiet
ly and think the whole thing over, and
l - - hale ,~@-f &-,11x,o 4 will rive VnlJ "
opinion in writing. l am going into
my library for half an hour to write
down what I hatestto say. You take a
nap on the Lounge there.9and you will
he refreshed whenSI come back after
having made mince meat Of your poor,
beautiful, Blind protege.D
Leopold disappeared into the library,
and Quincy stretching himself on the
lounge, rested, but did not, sleep. Be-
fore he realized that ten minutes had
passed, Leopold STOOD beside him with
a letter sheet in his hand, and said,
Nov, Quincy, read this to me, and |
will see if / have got it down straight"
Quincy's hand trembled %nervously as
The seated himself in his old position
and turning the sheet SO that the light
would fall up omit, he read the fol-
lowing:
Opinion of Leopold Ernst, Literary
Critic. OF certain manuscripts submit
l ted for examination by Quincy A. Saw
yer, with some advice gratis.
L. Series of eight stories. Mighty
clever general idea; good stories we'll
written. Same style maintained
throughout; good plots. Our house
licould not handle them-not OF u line,
Send to -. s(Here followed the
name. of a New York publisher.) ]
will write Cooper, one of their readers,
He, is. a friend of mine, and will secure
quick decision which. r prophesy, vii
Ebe favorable
Z. "Her Native Land is a fine sto
: Try. I can get il into$a weekly literary
.5paper that our house publishes.
: !, know Jameson, the reader, will take it
!, sespecially If, youswould giveshim, thu
= fright to- dranatize it. HE'S hand sant
q glove with all thestheatra manager:
and -has&had several SUCCESSES.
: 3. That story about the Duke.
!, want for our magazine. 1t is capital
and has enough meat in it to make
= full-blown novel. All it wants is oys
tiers. soup, fish. entrees, and a ,desser
i prefixed to and Joined on to the SOLE
! roast and game which the story a
/. now written itself supplies.
I'm Witness Whereof, have hereur
L to set my hand, this Gath day of Eel
!, ruary, 1876"
II Leopold Ernst, Literary Critic.
y Quincy remained all night with Lee
u pold, sleeping on the bed lounge in tn
a sitting-room. He was up at 6 o'cloc
n the next morning, but found that hi
q friend was also an early riser, for o
u entering the library he saw the latte
a seated at his desk regarding the pill
!, of manuscript which Quincy had rea
o to him.
e Leopold looked up with a peculia
II expression or his face.
What's the matter" asked Quinc,
~ changing your mind?'
" NO" said Leopold. 81 never do tina
y, it would spoil my value as a reader
l did. My decisions are as fixed as til
~ laws of the Modes and Persians, an
u are regarded by literary aspirants {
sc being quite as severe as the statute
of Draco; but the fact is, Quincy, yc
a and your protege-you see / consid'
Or you equally culpable-have neglecte
is to put any real name or pseudonym
to these interesting stories. or course
~ Call dlilA ll6 dLlSFoletlS Hlpot PoPul'
to author that the world has ever know
M Mr.. Anonymous,-but you two pro
ably have some pet name that "
" wish immortalized.''
'rt "By George!!" cried Quincy, I'VE d
ay forget that. l will talk it over wi
her, and send you the nom de plum
m by mail"
OPP "Very WELL" said Leopold, risin
cy "And 10Y let uss go and have sor
re- breakfast" 4
oh My dear fellow, you must eXcu
ut me. have not seen my parents II
ed trip, and / ought to go up to the hon
lu- and take breakfast with the famil,
ng ""All right" said leopold, rush tn
p%seudonym right along, S l car Sc
in the manuscripts to Cooper, And do
err forget to drop in and see me next, tn
Jet you come to the city"
M On his way to Beacon street Quin
or suddenly stopped and regarded "a ST
EN- that read, Paul Culver, NJ. D., ply
,ut clan and surgeon. He knew Gully
as but hadn't seen him for eight yea
Inc They were in the Latin school toge
or under pater Gardner. Me rang [