The daily Alaskan., 1905-10-04
HOW I WORKED
 OUT MY STORY


 "The author Is the person who sends things In, and the editor Is the person who sends them back" After finding that l could not make a living by scribbling I secured a position at q small salary to pass on what other people wrote. supposed that my ap- polntment 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 1 had pleasant plausible way with me and had en- gagged me on that account. I was In this view of the case a very successful editor. received manuscripts with a smile and turned them down" with a smile.
 One morning young girl called with q story, and 1 went into the anteroom to see her. We never admitted callers into the sanctum, not that we were very busy, but because 1t was more impressive to make them think we were. We wished them to fancy dog ems of intellectual looking readers DOT Ing over manuscripts hunting for some thing worthy of our magazine. l ad- 7anced with my usual smile to meet a girl whose smile was anything but usual. It was unusually sweet. She handed me the manuscript of a story, apologlzed for its not being typewrit- ten on the ground that inspiration did not come mingled with mechanical means, and she never worked with a typewriter. In my own hCart-my au- thor heart, not my editorial heart-I felt the tcuth of her words. 1 was in- terested in her pretty face and thought 1t possible I might find a gem in her story. She secured my promise that would read 1t myself, and 1 told her would take 1t home for the purpose.
 A month passed. l 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 1t suddenly oc, cured to me that l had taken her story home, and it was now doubtless a part of the oblivion of my own works. gathered my wits and, put ting on my smile-I made special effort-rushed up to her with out stretched hands. Her own smile was more charming than ever.
 "I have been delighted with your story" l said, but have missed the last page, which you must have omit ted to put in. Besides, some parts are llleglble. Have you another cOpy2'
 l asked the question with a quaking heart and was paralyzed when she re piled that she had given me the only copy in existence. Then she began to talk to me about the plot and the char. acters. Did I like Douglas Chichester, the hero? Was the climax properly handled? How about the love pas. sages? She kept up fire of questions, and I, having admitted that had read her story, must needs give opinions on a work that I had never seen. While I was doing so I was trying to form some plan by which to eXtricate myself from the perilous position. My very bread and butter was in her keeping I determined that l must win her kindliest feelings, and when confident that she thought too much of me to in- form my employer of the injury l had done her 1 would confess all. In order to see her more familiarly than was possible at the office I asked her to come to my house in a few days and l would tell her of some changes that thought would add to the beauty of her otherwise beautiful novel
 She kept the appointment, and l, hay ing instructed my mother after short stay with US for propriety's sake to leave us alone, had a whole evening with the girl to myself. l made nu- merous blunders in discussing situa- tions and characters I knew nothing about. but congratulated myself that my masterly retreats from the entan- gling positions 1 fell into were sue cessful, and when she went away l told her there were chapters l must read over before making final recon mendations. She thanked me again and again for my kindness and de- parted to come again that day week.
 I had now got enough knowledge of her plan and familiarity with her char acters to talk about them with tolera- ble accuracy. l observed q downcast look about her when her eyes met mine that encouraged me. l was hope ful that when the denouement to my own little story came she would suffer the wrong I had done her without at least reporting the matter at the office.
 We'll, after basking in the sunshine of each others smiles for some months, I, all the while keeping up my willy deception, made a discovery. That was that she was a dear, amiable crea- ture, not very smart, but just the girl I would like to make a pet of for life. I determined to handle the love part the 'heart interest" is the professional term-of my story first, and if l was accepted the "complication" would