The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-17
THE EVENING STORY
How 1 Worked Out MY story.

began my literary career as an au-
thor and soon after became an editor.
When friend once asked me the diff
ference between the two I replied,
The author is the person who sends
Things IN. and the editor is the person
who sends them back" After finding
tnaI could not make a living by
scr1Dbling / secured a position at q
small salary to pass on what other
people wrote I supposed that my APP
pofntment came on account OF my
literary taste, but my employer told
me that was wanted to get rid of per-
sons whose manuscripts the concern
didn't want without offending them.
He had noticed that I had pleasant,
plausible way with me and had en-
gagged me on that account. / was In
this view of the case very successful
editor. I received manuscripts with a
smile and turned them down" with
smile.
One morning young girl called
with a story, and went into the ante
callers into the sanctum, not that we
were very busy, but because it was
more impressive to make them think
we were. We wished them to fancy
dozens of intellectual looking readers
porting over manuscripts hunting for
something worthy of our magazine.
advanced with my usual smile to meet
a girl whose smile was anything but
usual AZ was UNUSUALLY SWELL 0AtC
handed me the manuscript of story,
apologized for its not being typewriter
on the ground that inspiration did
not come mingled with mechanical
typewriter. In my own heart-rny au-
thor heart, not my editorial heart--l
felt the truth of her words. was in
terested in her pretty face and thought
1t possible might find a gem in her
story She secured my promise that
would read It myself, and told her I
would take it home for the purpose.
A month passed. I had not only
abandoned authorship, but had direct
ed my mother to clear my closet of my
old unavailable" manuscripts and
burn them. One morning the girl with
the pleasant smile called, and before
going out to see her it suddenly oc-
CURED to me that L had taken her
a part of the oblivion of my own
works. 1 gathered my wits and, put
ting on my smile-I made a spec!a.
effort-rushed UP to her with out
more charming than ever.
| II have been delighted with your
story" I said. 'but have missed the
| last page, which you must have omit
ted to put in. Besides, some parts are
illegible. Have you another copy?"
| I asked the question with quaking
heart and was paralyzed when she
| replied that she had given me the only
| copy III existence. Inc Sne Dogan TO
talk to me about the plot and the
characters. Did I like Douglas Chi
chester, the hero? Was the climax
properly handled? How about the
love passages? She kept UP a fire OF
questions, and 1, having admitted that
1 had read her story, must needs give
opinions on a work that I had never
seen. While I was doing so was try
| ing to form some plan by which to
extrieate myself from the perilous po-
| sitiOn. My very bread and butter was
| in her keeping. 1 determined that
must win her kindliest feelings, and
when confident that she thought toe
much of me to inform my employer
| of the injury I had done her I would
| confess all. In order to see her more
| Familiarity than was possible at the
Office I asked her to come to my
/ house in d few days and I would tell
| her of some changes that I thought
would add to the beauty of her other
wise beautiful novel.
| She kept the appointment, and I
having instructed my mother after q
short stay with us for propriety's sake
/ to leave us alone, had q whole evening
with the girl to myself 1 made nu-
merous blunders in discussing situa-
| lions and characters I knew nothing
about, but congratulated myself that
my mastery retreats from the entan-
Cling positions 1 fell into were sue.
cessful, and when she went away
told her there were chapters 1 mus
read over before making final recon-
mendations. She thanked me agar
and again for my kindness and de-
parted to come again that day week
1 had now got enough knowledge Of
her plan and familiarity with hel
characters to talk about them with
tolerable accuracy. I observed g
| downcast look about her when hel
eyes met mine that encouraged me.
was hopeful that when the denoue-
ment to my own little story came she
would suffer the wrong I had done hel
without at least reporting the matter
at the office.
Well, after basking in the sunshine
of each others smiles for some
months, I, all the while keeping up my
willy deception, made discovery. Thai
was that she was a dear, amiable crea-
ture, not very smart, but Just the CIR
would like to make a pet of for life
I determined to handle the love part
the heart interest" is the profesiona
term-of my story first, and if 1 was
Iaccepted the complication would
work itself out in delightful climax
My proposal was accepted, but my
confession seemed to pierce the poor
girl to the heart. She assured me tha
she could forgive such an injury only
to an accepted lover.
The day of our wedding, when we
were speeding along on a train, she
/ startled me with a confession. She
had seen me before I had ever seer
her and had determined to win me
The pasteboard box which was sup
posed to contain a story had been filled
with waste paper. All it was intended
for was an excuse to make my &C
quaintance.-Arthur D. Berwick,
"As Prolific as a Brady"