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

fare, and was standing TITS entrancell
to the sidewalk on Beacon street. DEL
batting which publisher he would cali
on first, whensa CHEEKY voice said,1
Hello, Sawyer" When h elooked up
he saw an old Latin s~chooEAands col
lege chum, named Leopptd& Ernst.
Ernst was a. JewsSbut.h he hadbeen one
of the smartest and most popular of
the boys in school and of the men at
Harvard.
what are you up top asked Ernst.
Living on my small fortune and
my fathers bounty" said Quincy.
mot a very creditable record, I know,
but my health has not been very good,
and / have been resting for a couple
of months in the country
mot much going Oh in the country
at this time of the year l fancy" re-
marked Ernst.
That's where you are wrong" said
Quincy. aThere has been the devil to
pay ever since l landed in the town
and I've got mixed up in so many COM
plications that / don't expect to get
back to town before next Christmas.
But what are you doing, Ernst?"
ooh, l am in for literature; not the
kind that consists in going round with
a notebook and prying into peoples
business, with a hope n day OF be-
coming an editor, and working twenty
hours out of the twenty-four each day.
Not a bit of it, / am reader for -"
and he mentioned the name of a large
publishing house. 81 have my W
hours and a comfortable salary. | sit
like Solomon upon the efforts of cal
low authors and the productions of
ripened genius. Sometimes discover
a diamond in the rough, and Introduce
a new star to the literary armament;
and at other times I cut up some ego
~tistical old writer, who thinks anything
he turns out will be sure to please the.
public"
"How fortunate that l have, met
you?" said Quincy. 81 have in this
little carpet bag the first effusions of
one of those callow authors of whom
you spoke. She is poor, beautiful and
blind
Don't try to trade on my sympa-
a thies, old boy" said Ernst. mo per-
son who is poor has any right to be-
come an author. 1t takes too long in
these days to make a hit, and the poor
author is bound to die before the hit
comes. The beautiful gag don't work
with me at all. The best authors are
homlier than sin and it's a pity that
their pictures are eve published. As
regards the blind part, that may be
an advantage, for debating relieves
t one of the drudgery of writing ones
self, and gives I'M a chance for a full
/ er play of ones fancies than If tied to
t a piece of wood. a scratchy pen, and
g a bottle of thick ink I
"Then you won't look'at them, " said
Quincy.
al didn't say so. replied Ernst. "oi
5 course, / can't look anthem in a bust
e ness way, unlessgthey are duly submit
u ted to my house, but Thave been read
Il ing a very badly written, but mightil!
q interesting manuscript, for the pas
two days and a half, and want
!, change of work or diversion. to brusl
u up my wits. Now, old fellow" sale
! he, taking Quincy by the arm, IF yol
4 will come up to the club with me. ant
II have a good dinner with some Chianti
n and q glass or two of champagne, AM
a pousse cafe to finish up with. then W,
e. will go up to my rooms on Chestnu
f. street, have a whole top floor to my
t. self-we will light up our cigars, an
ID you may read to me till tomorrow
is morning and I won't murmur. But
lie mind you, if the stories are might,
n poor l may go to sleep, and if I do thai
you might as well go to bed too, 70
when | once go to sleep ] never wax
up till I get good and ready"
Quincy had intended after seeing
IS publisher to leave the manuscripts fo
examination, then to take tea with hi
mother and sisters, and go back
Marlborough on the five minutes pas
lg six express. But he was prone t
l yield to fate, which is simply circun
"a stances, and he accepted his old co
MT lege chum's invitation with .~alacrit,
lg He could get the opinion OF. an eXpel
lie speedily, and that fact carried the da
with him.
a When they were comfortably el
ny sconced in their easy-chairs on the to
Sc floor, and the cigars lighted. Quinc
commenced reading. Leopold had pr
in viously shown him his suite, whi6
oil consisted of a parlor, or rather a 81
*. lting-room, a library, which include
principally the works of standard a
DID, thors and reference books, his sleepir
at, apartment, and a bathroom.
81 There was a large bed lounge
the sitting-room, and Quincy dete
mined to read every story in his carp
cir bag, if it took him all night. He col
Ar menced with the series of detective
ng, mystery stories. He had read the
he over before and was able to bring o
their strong points oratorically. for,
IS; it has been said before, he was a fl
| speaker.
I'd; Quincy eyed Ernst over the corn
Is OF the manuscript he was reading, b
the latter understood his business. c
lty, ~casionally he was betrayed into a m
ce, OF approval and several times sho'
vas his head in u negative way, but he
in tered no word or commentator on d
me approval.
Of After several of the stories had be
read, Ernst called a halt, and going
his a cupboard brought out some eracke,
the cake, and a decanter of wine. WI
ate glasses, which he put upon a table, a
ac- placed within comfortable reach
5 a both reader and listener. Then
but said, eco ahead" munched a crack
var slipped his Wine. and then lighted
tie fresh cigar 49, NM =
opy When the series seas finished. L.
1iit mild said "Now,i ppe- Htl1 h3ye cd,