The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-02-24
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A VERY STUPID EDITOR.
TY HE editor Of the Clubland
Chronicle had had a busy'
day In the morning he had

sion adyisedly-a huge pile Of letter
from readers Of the Clubland Chroni-
eia all over the world who were either
in trouble, in love, or both. Dur
ing the hour when he should have
sunched he had been interviewed by
1owager with an imaginary grievance,
dog trainer with savage blood
aound and a literary agent with
cold In the head Having disposed
bf these visitors and stayed the panA
Of hunger with a stick Of plain choc-
plate-an effective IL somewhat in
advisable method Of saving time-he
had spent an hour in scheming out
brilliant number of the Clnbland
Chronicle for the week after next,
drawn up a fetching advertisement
bf that number for the daily papers,
passed half n dozen pages for the
next issue, written three diplomatic
letters TO as many would-be contribu-
tors, cut down two articles in proof,
knocked of a dainty poem In place
of one that had not come up TO time
and dictated smashing leader on the
iniquities Of the fee system.
There had been lying on the editors
table all day story In manuscript
that he very much wanted 10 read.
The story was from the pen Of a
certain young lady in whom this edi-
tor took more than literary interest.
Let me hasten to add that he was only
thirty-two years Of age and a bachelor.
The young lady was clever and the
editor thought a good dead OF that
She was also pretty, and he thought
more OF that.
1t says a good deal for his strength
OF wiz and conscientiousness, there
fore, that the manuscript had lain on
his table all day long, unread. But he
had not been able to resist a hurried
glance over the little note that came
with it.
''You told me (it said TO write Of
things that had experienced myself,
to talk humanity Of human subjects.
to appeal to ahe sympathy Of the read
er. have tried to do that in this little
story. II is a fragment of my own
life. / know you won't print It unless
you really believe It is good, but /
could not deny myself the consolation
bf putting my thoughts on paper 1t
IS easier TO write than TO speak things
like this, and, TO me far more salts
flying"
And yet the story had waited on the
table all day.
But when the Office boy had brought
in cup OF hot liquid TINT the SUBJ
editor was pleased 10 call tea. the chief
Of the Clubland Chronicle found his
table tolerably clear. He. therefore.
after ais savage custom. filed and lit
n particularly foul brier pipe. rested
his feet on a pile Of patriotic. litera-
ture sent in for review. gulped down
two mouthfuls of the sub-editor's
brew. mathematical the sub-editor.
and began to read the story.
The scene Of the tale was laid in
clearinghouse at Brighton, and here
the reader began to get interested. for
he happened to know that the writer
had just returned from a visit to
Brighton. II was not very carefully
written; several stops had been left
out-a fault that always annoyed the
editor OF the Clubland Chronicle. and
he put them in mechanically with his
blue pencil Sometimes The writer re-
peated herself quite needlessly; he
crossed out the offending word and
substituted another But when the
story began TO unfold itself he forgot
to use his pencil For the incident
was, as the writer said In her letter.
fragment Of her own life. and
seemed likely to affect the life Of the
reader.
But It would have been better called
an episode than a story. For It mere
ly told Of girl who met man. Of the
love that sprang UP in her breast for
the man; OF the hopelessness, as II
seemed, Of that love; OF the subse-
quent meeting Of the pair at the sea-
side; OF the mans sudden proposal: Of
the girls genuine surprise and instinc-
tive refusal. Then the writer stuck
a more passionate note. The men 1t
would seem, had taken the girl her
word, and had allowed her to leave
the place at the time she had intended
without again putting forward his
plea. And the girl, too proud to make
advances, had hoped o. for a little
and then had left the boardinghouse
and all that she loved IN the world
forever.
The theme was old enough but the
editor found the tale an interest .ng
one. For the girl loved man In a
saaside boardlnghouse. Now, he him
self had been to the seailde, but he
had not met the girl there. Who, then.
was this other man? What sort Of a
creature was he that took a woman's
refusal for final answer, that threw
away the happiness of two lives, may
be, In q ht Of plquel But that was 70