Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-18
Van VaIkenberg in Literature 9 D I Dy HAYDEN cARRUrls

NoUNG Mr. Schermerhorn Van Yak.
 enberg's attention was first attract ed to literature when . melanchol, yonng novelist superseded him in the esteem of certain lady. Young MT Van valkenberg survived the defec. tion of the lady, but 1t set him to think. ing.
 "A follow doesn't seem to be worth 30 cents nowadays" he observed to his friend, Fitzmorris, unless he writes"
 Going to try It." asked Fitz.
 Not much. 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 oi those printed slips saying how good the story Is, but how awfully sorry they are that they can't print 1t! Well. hardly"
 By which Fitz knew that Van Yak. enberg had tried 1t, or how did he know about the beautiful slips! But Fita kept still: he was sort of pension. CT on Van valkenberg, and had learned discretion.
 No" continued the other. T know : better way than that. t's the name of writing that commissioning 1t doesn't mattar. Somsthing like What's-his- name-that fellow in What-do-you-call. him's book-who said that 1t isn't heat but the appearance of heat that you're after"
 Going to hire some clever chap te do your writipg!"
 No; though I thought of that at flrst. Clever chap would build me up . nice reputation, and then blackmail me for the rest of my life. know these clever chaps. No: my plan ia this: I'll go around to two or three of the leading magazine ofnces. and just exchange checks with the cashiers. and then, you know. 1t might happen that some folks would just chance to sec the checks got and that would be pretty good proof that was writing for the magazines. wouldn't it?"
 Best ip the world. should say" re turned Fitz But aren't you going to have trouble ip getting the cashiers to make the exchanse!"
 "Oh. I'll Ax that-somehow." an- swered Van valkenberg cheerfully. You just lie low and don't say word about 1t and you'll see"
 Young Mir. Van valksnberg found 1t rather more difncult to carry out his plan than he had expected But through . slight scquaintance with | clerk In one ofice. and with substantial bribe to an assistant in another, he managed to get hold of two checks. The cashier of third leading publisher remained impregnable to frontal attack. 50 the ingenious Van yalkenberg executed flank movement by arranging with the advertising department. for 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 % could not draw another check for the correct amount. % wouldn't they please give him the firms check for the difference. which the obliging advertising manager did. and the young man with the desire for the appearance of authorship departed happy.
 The next day st the club young Mir. Van valkenberg took some letters from his pocket, and . little slip of paper flutetred to the floor. quite by chance The friend with whom he was dining picked 1t up and caught the name of the publishins firm as he did %.
 Hello. Van" be commented. as be returned it; ''sot . Job with these peo- ple."
 -oh. no.- answered Van valkenbers. slightly embarrassed: no. not . job exactly. If you'll keep it edet. though. | dout mind telling you that I'm going in for writing . little. just to pass away the time, you know. That's for little story threw of the other evening"
 You don't cay co, didn't think you had it in you" said the other. ffaakly.
 -oh. its nothing Easiest thing in the world By the wsy. here are . couple of others-rve felt that ought not to cornne ny work to one masa- sine, you knov. No more than right to give 'sm all . chance
 s-certaisly-be fair so then all. vsn-- ssid the friend. evidently much im- presssd T suppose the nsxt fhirg - knov you'll have out . bock
 70. tine erezsh fW tAAs-sins enough for that ansvsred Van vaiksr besV- easily ~Dul say-sos . vor q this. remember nb thing of vris fnG is aIl risht y0u kDow. in c vay- exoaf eun esl aII thsf-eat 6sa1 van b puss e sn ssthof. JuR think vhs ths 1sIDovs vos;1 ~ K they e {.