The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-06-02
Van Valkenbere
in Literature D 3
By HAYDEN CARRUTfI
NOUNG Mr.. Schermerhorn Van Walk

I enbergs attention was first attract
ID to literature when a melancholy
Young novelist superseded him in the
esteem of certain lady. Young Mr..
Van Valkenberg survived the defec-
ION of the lady, but it set him to think
ing
"A fellow doesn't seem to be worth
80 cents nowadays he observed to
his friend, Fitzmorris, unless he
writes.'
Going to try it," asked Fitz.
Not much. l can't. What do you
think I'm going to sit up nights and
grind out things and have these beastly
editors send them back with one Of
those printed slips saying how good the
story is, but how awfully sorry they
are that they can't print it? Well,
hardly"
BY which F'itz knew that Van Walk
snberg had tried it, or how did he know
about the beautiful slips? But Fitz
Kept still; he was a sort of a pension
rr on Van Valkenberg, and had learned
discretion
No." continued the other. Il know a
Il better way than that. is the name
IT writing that commissioning it doesn't
matter. Something like What's-his-
name-that fellow in What-do- YOU call
|im's book-who said that it isn't heat
but the appearance of heat that you're
after"
Going to hire some clever chap to
10 your writing?"
mo; though l thought of that at
first. Clever chap would build me up
a nice reputation, and then blackmail
me for the rest of my life. l know
these clever chaps. No; my plan is
this: I'll go around to two or three
of the leading magazine Offices, and
just exchange checks with the cashiers
and then, you know, it might happen
that some folks would just chance to
see the checks got and that would be
pretty good proof that I was writing
for the magazines, wouldn't it?"
Best in the world, should say re-
turned Fitz. But aren't you going to
have trouble in getting the cashiers to
make the exchange?"
"Oh, I'll fix that--somehow," an
swered Van Valkenberg cheerfully. "You
Just lie low and don't say a word about
it and you'll see.''
Young Mr.. Van Valkenberg found T.
rather more difficult to carry out his
plan than he had expected. But through
a slight acquaintance with clerk in
one Office, and with a substantial bride
TO an assistant in another, he managed
to get hold of two checks. The cashier
of third leading publisher remained
impregnable to frontal attack, so the
ingenious Van Valkenberg executed a
flank movement by arranging with the
advertising department, for a certain
amount of space, sending his check in
payment for an even hundred dollars
too much, and appearing an hour later
to apologize for the mistake, saying
that he had carelessly left his check
book at home, and SO could not draw
another check for the correct amount,
so wouldn't they please give him the
firms check for the difference, which
the obligng advertising manager did,
and the young man with the desire for
the appearance OF authorship departed
happy.
The next day at the club young Mr..
Van Valkenberg took some letters from
his pocket, and a little slip of paper
futetred to the floor, quite by chance.
The friend with whom he was dining
picked it up and caught the name of the
publishing firm as he did so.
Hello, Van,' he commented, as he
returned it; got job with these peo-
ple?"
"Oh, no." answered Van Valkenberg,
slightly embarrassed; mo, not q job
exactly. If you'll keep it quiet, though.
I don't mind telling you that I'm going
in for writing little, just to pass away
the time, you know. That's fora little
story threw off the other evening""
"You don't say so! didn't think
you had it in YOU" said the other.
frankly.
''Oh, it's nothing. Easiest thing in
the world. By the way, here are a
couple of others-I've felt that ought
not to confine my work to one maya
zine, you know. No more than right TO
give EN- all a chance
'*CertainlY-~be fair to them all, Van"
said the friend, evidently much i'm
pressed. Il suppose the next thing we
know you'll have out book"
oh, time enough foI that-time