The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-03

sLOTg
title of "Huldah.'' was published a few
months ago and the simplicity and
strength of its leading character at
Once made it popular.
The Chattanooga News published the
following interesting picture of the two
authors:
Both authors of 'eFIuIdah'' were found
It their home on Mission Ridge, Mrs
Cooke occupies the old MACEDONIAN
place, and Miss MACEDONIAN owns the
Cooke cottage, which was built seven
years ago in the same lawn. ana wnlcn
she has fitted UP for her own occupancy
and the accommodation Of The liter
airy shop" as she says.
The cottage has a good deal of the
bungalow" air about tia friend one
day burst out after a deep silence in
which she seemed to be meditating on
high and solemn matters-t'F'Or mercyis
sake. Do you know. you've got IA front
ooors?"
"Oh. come now; I've only got four
front ones" urged Miss MACEDONIAN
''only four front ones"
Wei, there are II outside ones-and
they're all just like the front ones.
rejoined the critic triumphantly. To
this the owner made the settling re-
Spouse. well, that's what makes a
bungalow of II. If il had only two or
three outside doors. it would be merely
a house" However this may be, the
places most striking feature is great
porch in the turn of the L, and facing
Eoutheastward, which is 80 by 80 feet in
size, It is walled solidly up, about two
and a half or three feet, and above
that the roof is supported on slender
pillars, which rest on the broad slab
that tops this low wall This construc-
tion gives a good deal of seclusion, for
q porch, and makes of this one an ideal
place for summer literary work.
One room of the cottage contains the
two typewriters. desks and office para |
phernalia. where all the work of both |
sisters. having been dictated to stenOg- |
raphers, is typed out. Beyond this, and /
looking out over the eastern valley 4
back of the ridge. is Miss MacGowan's |
own study. The walls are crowded with I
pictures and souvenirs of her sojourn- |
ings in western cattle country and in
dictate the direction her literary labors /
have largely taken for some years past
One snapshot shows a bunch OF patti /
ent ewe-necked little cow-ponies hitch
ed to a rack in front Of a shanty on
whose shop front one reads the sign
loon" Readers of ''Huldah'' will rec
ognize this as the sign on Troy Gil
bert's saloon Miss MACEDONIAN made
the snapshot years ago. and called ii
Waiting for the Boys
The little parlor-aH in a light, sun
shiny yellow-is not suffered to be Bo-
hemian or literary, or unconventional;
the only knowledge it displays of its
owners activities being some charming
paintings, originals of illustrations. and
the big plaster portrait medallion of
two sisters modelled by Miss Zerelda
Rains. one of our Chattanooga artists,
article.
The tiny hall. an artistic bit. is fair
" bursting with cattle-country souve-
nirs-Navajo blankets are on floor and
couch; great spreading Steer-horns,
deer and antelope antlers are among
the pictures of cow-punchers. bucking
hronchos, rOundups and chuck-wagons,
upon the walls; sombreros Mexican |
quirts. handforged steel spurs and
bridle-bits, Mexican monte cards-it is
plainly the collection Cminus the horned
toads and prairie-dogs. that the cow
poyS presented to Miss Darlington West
on her leaving the Panhandle of Texas
10 seek fame and fortune in New York
Is the story of Miss MACEDONIAN ad-
Nertlsed by the Century to appear in
their June issue, a cattle-country
story the visitor asked.
= No. responded Miss MACEDONIAN. cit
IS story of the Tennessee mountains
UheSe mOuntaineer stories seem to be
the favorite thing-at least so far as
we are COncerned-with the great mag
szine- sold my first one to Harper's.
2 nd II appeared a year ago last March !
IT was laid in an imaginary nefgbbor
hood in the mountains which I called ,
The Turkey Tracks," consisting of the
wo mountains. Big and Little Tur-
key Track. dominated by Yellow ola {
Bald. the little village at the foot of | ]
the mountain being called Herzibah |
and the larger mountain town-their
ms ,I TsiIroad pointIGaryville: In
cooke and have, since then located a |
oozen or so Of these mountaineer stories
harper have bought probably half |
dozen from me-'The Facing Down of
Polk Dillard' which was the first one |
loiiowed by The Perfidy of Mr. Ebless 4
Frazee.' then Par Overholt' which an
peared last March Cand which has
brought to me several requests from, -,
other magazine editors and one from !
oook house1 and Mrs. Cookies story, :
me Taking Of Andy Proudfoot.' comes q
put In the June Harper abreast of nv a
story in the Century. The Despera tion
of Mr. Boone Spivey.' Each of these
magazines have others of these Turkey
! rack stories, and Munsey also has one :
% mine which is appearing in its June Z
ssue and several others to follow. The n
Dellneator Il believe) the NationaIand
think one or two other minor mag
J une issue. o
'Huldah" is in some ways a radical 8
lepar lure rom the work of either sis (
Ier. When asked for some little his
-ory OF Its beginnings. Mrs. Cooke said.
Ny sister and I have been doing v
western work for some years We are II
nearly admirers of the strenuous school y
~ western fiction illustrated by The .
Virginian;' but we have both felt for
some time that the domestic life of the
vest particularly child life in those
.rontler localities. held much of interest o
Hhfcn mas never been exploited This r
vas discussed between us one morning g
ma said that there was a place for a | 2
book which should deal with the do d
---A -AAAAA AAAG VI TIE Cdllle-GOun- !
~ My sister-who describes herself
IS the steam engine of the partnership .
immediately inquired. Why don't we Il Il
write II then2 1 think know that life !,
Is well as the next person. and il al 4
ways greatly appealed to me- f,
hadn't thought of letting myself in | b
or SO big contract when I spoke but ii
agreed. Well, I don't see why we Should | Il
Tot And that very day 'Huldah' was
planned In the midst of debating the
lrst chapter our senior stenOErapher- | s
who was not a resident of Chattanooga y
vas called to her home The weather T
Nas eNtrernely warm-it was in June-l "