The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-02-24
Old S1ouch's
Dilemma

pTlOeu himself On DclnR the champion
author of the world. 1t
was his proud boast that he had once
written two complete and hair raising
novels of about 100000 words each
within the space of six working days,
and he was wont to aver with conf
dence that he could repeat the per-
Torrance with one hand tied behind
him.
He was known to tens of thousands
of youthful readers of red, yellow and
pink fiction as "Old Slouch," and he
wrote of strange and weird happen
ings in strange and weird places in a
manner yet more strange and weird.
Old SLOUGH had started life as
printers devil" in the Office of the
Fireside Reflector, but he was am
bilious and soon became an Office boy.
Then he took to night school and made
such progress in the three RS" that
his culture was recognized in due time
by an advance to the position of copy
reader, in which capacity he was called
upon to read several million words
from the accomplished pen of Cali
AOA NAldi llE3 WIZ was az tAAdb bihAC
the mainstay of the fiction department
of the Reflector.
His chance came one night when a
messenger arrived in hot haste from
the lodgings of California Charlie" to
report that the gifted author was I'M
able to finish the concluding install
ment of his thrilling novelette, en-
titled: "Three-Fingered Steve; or,
The Cowboys Curse" for the reason
that he was greatly incommoded by
the presence in his room of three pink
and-blue zebras with yellow polka
dots and six old-gold lizards with
purple tails.
The editor was in despair, for the
Reflector must go to press in six hours,
until the new copy reader volunteered
to finish the story from the point
where the lizards had so incontinently
interrupted it. This he was allowed to
do, and he accomplished his task with
such success that when, few months
later, California Charles acquaint-
anceship with reptiles and such land
ed him in the incurable ward the fu-
ture Old SLOUGH stepped easily and
gracefully into his place.
Probabilities never hampered Old
SLOUGH. What his readers wanted were
improbabilities nor would they even
balk at an occasional impossibility,
which was just as well. In the most
successful of his works, tale of ro-
nance and adventure entitled: wick
I'd Bill; or, The Dauntless Hero of
Bloody Gulch," the talented author
landed his people on the rocky shores
Of one of the Fiji islands, shipwrecked,
starving, and defenseless. Up rushed
band of cannibals bent on a good
meal. Did they get it? "Over my dead
body" said Old SLOUGH to himself and
he wrote:
1T so CHANGED that our hero had
,nce known a FIJI islander in San
| Francisco and from him had learned
| the language of those parts. He there
fore addressed the leader of the band
in the vernacular. Amusement seized
the savage cannibals. They dropped
their cruel weapons, grasped Bills
horny hand, and hailed him as broth
er. They were saved!"
But with assured success languor
overlook Old SLOUGH. Only when he
was penniless could he be induced to
write, and that was why he sat one May
morning with his feet upon the win
dow sill, looking. out over the neigh
boring chimney pots, although he had
Just received an urgent demand for the
irst chapters of "Shivering Sara; or,
The Counterfeiter's Stratagem." He
had SO cents in his pocket. Why should
he toll? Why, indeed?
1t was at this moment that he had a
call from his friend Jake Mosenthal
whose father ran a pawnshop around
the corner. He often took delight in
inquiring of the guile,ess how it could
be that Jake's father was his uncle, al.
though he himself was not related tc
Jake. Jake had holiday and he was
planning a sailing party. A friend OF
his had loaned him catboat that lay
some few miles up the sound, ant
Jake and his sister were going to take
a sail. Wouldn't Old SLOUGH join them
Old SLOUGH thought of the Sc cents ant
guessed he'd better not.
"Oh, come on" coaxed Jake. at
fine day and Tim Monahan's goinl
and Sally Paterson, too. What's tn,
matter with you, anyhow" Had i
been anybody but Jake Cd Sloucl
would have had no computations abou
borrowing, but he did not care to Dor
row from Tilly's brother because
well, there were reasons.
At the mention of Tins name, how
ever, Old SLOUGH pricked up his ears
He shrewdly suspected that Tim wa
not far behind him in his appreciation
of the good points of Jake's sister
\ Moreover, he was quite sure he eoull
: borrow from Tim certain coin of tn
realm. At length he decided to &c
and Jake departed with an injunction
\ to be sure and meet the others at tn
Long Island City station at ten O'Clock
One cent for a morning paper, fiv
] cents for an elevated ticket, and tire
1 cents for a ferry ticket landed o.
S,ouch at Long Island City with 2
cents in his pocket. He had take
y good care not to be on hand first, in tn
hope that somebody might buy hi
"A