The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-04-06
blot For
The Story
BY ~. y. Phillips
Copyright. fsas, BY 7. Q. necla,...,

1t was an ideal June morning. A
chorus Of bird songs aroused Cart
eight at sunup, and, yawning, he walk
- to the window. From some prehis-
tsric ancestor, who killed his food with
q stone ak while the grass was still vet,
Oartright had inherited passion for
eamping through the dew. He dress
II quickly and started out for a brisk
walk
Cartright was 4 literary free lance
who was slowly winning his way. He
had awakened that morning with
feeling known to all who lisfigure good
white paper with pen or typewriter
the desire to write and joy in the pow
er to write. A certain great magazine
editor in kindly letter had asked
Cartright for a story. His request was
the magic password that admitted one,
clad in purple and fine linen, to the
society of the truly elect Of the liter
airy world.
But inspiration refused to come at
Cartrights bidding. With an instinc
tive grasp Of the magazines style he
had sketched the principal characters
Of his story. There must be two-a
man and woman. The former must
be fine and sincere and honorable, a
gentleman in every respect, who had
made place in the world by his own
efforts. The girl must be sweet and
true, with softly curling hair and wide,
frank, innocent blue eyes. The char
acters must be ideal companions, warm
friends, but not lovers. Cruel circum-
stances and their own ideals of honor
must send them through the world
apart, even though their very souls, as
If alone in the wilderness, cried each
unto the other.
He could get no further. Plan as he
would, Cartright could find no reason
to separate the children OF his brain.
The characters became almost as real
to him as living personages. A regret
grew up within him at the necessity of
parting them, but to preserve the value
Of the story separation was inevitable.
He had been mistaken in his feeling
that morning that the plot was about
to disclose itself, for after break fast
It still eluded him. He could not think
effectively in his study. The free,
wind swept porch and his easy chair
and pipe were not the solaces and aids
to thought he usually found them. In
despair lie seized a fishing rod and
started for the river, half mile away
There, sprawled on a grassy bank, the
noon sunshine filtering through the
trees and dappling the velvety carpet
about him, he set himself anew to his
task. Situation after situation, plot OF
plot, passed through his brain, each tt
be rejected in turn us impracticable
At the end of an hour the obstinat.
characters were still together and hap
py in their companionship.
A log bridge for the accommodation o
the rare pedestrians and the rarer We
hicles crossed the stream few yards
from where he. lay. Squirrels chatter
ed in the trees, birds fitted overhead
Only faint hum from the bustling lit
tie city reached him. 1t was an idea
spot.
A splash in the water and little or.
awakened Cartright from the reverie II
which he had fallen A girl was stand
ing on the bridge. Her sailor hat ha,
blown into the river and was floatin
lazily toward him. The fishing rod wa
brought into requisition, and momen
later, bowling, he was presenting tn
dripping hat to it's owner.
She was the girl of his story person
~,
with wavy hair curled softly about he
temples, just az this young lady's die
She was very young, and in her wild
blue eyes were the fearlessness Of
child and the soul of woman. He
lips were scarlet, and In the cream
cheeks the color came and went.
slight details perhaps she was dine
emit Yet SO quickly did his brain chill
merge with the charming personalit
before him that on the instant they b.
came one TO Cartrlght thereafter Oh
was the "girl Of the story"
A single glance and she knew him *
a gentleman. Soon they were seate
side by side talking like old friends.
He discovered that her name We
Ruth Broadhurst and that she was vi
iting at Banker Lawton's. Miss BrOa,
hurst knew of John Cartright-ha
read some of his stories. The your
mans character and achievements la
been highly spoken of by the Lawton
and although the irregularity Of the
meeting at first troubled her the lat
Of formal introduction soon ceased
make itself felt.
That will ever be golden afternot
In Cartright's memory. AT times
read aloud from the book of poem
With which Miss Broadhurst had pla
ned to while away an hour alone by Il
river. More often they chatted of mar
things plays, books, mutual acquair
ances, themselves. And then long
lences would fall-silence more el
Quent than words-in which each seel
ed to read the others unspoken though
It was wonderful to the girl this pc
feet sympathy and companionship wi
man whom she had not seen until
fA~ hours before Two little clOu