Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-11-09
Opportunity 5
Bald lead
copynshi, 1905. by K. A. Whitehead
BY MARGARET RICHARDS

With a weary little sigh Margaret
Huston pushed aside the closely writ
ten pages. 1t was no use. The story
would not go.
For six months now she had written
stories-clever, harmless little things
which her friends easily could have
forgiven her had she not insisted upon
regarding them all as legitimate ma
terial.' She moved in a world of fic.
ton; she revealed in situations; incipi-
ent plots ran riot III her brain.
But today as she pushed back her
chair and walked with graceful, Inn
patient movement to the open window,
she found no solution to her problem.
The story was at standstill Up to
| this point it had progressed smoothly
enough. After a series of vicissitudes
of the kind peculiar to young authors
the hero had boarded an eastern bound
express at San Francisco. The heroine,
q victim of diverse and equally salts
flying misfortunes, had unwittingly
taken this same express at Denver.
What the result would be was obvious,
but it was right here that the hero
failed to rise to the occasion with his
customary alacrity
1T all sounds so oGt Of j,..ee some
how, on a train nuls iia fair
author, wrinkling her read
perplexedly. HE co.. the
usual way she c3nsa ont
", as various pics saiit
porches and palm lers
fitted across her a
situation that woul it
self out. A sudden ,ned
the white skin scag., no,
never could do that So lsspered
while the soft breeze f,snlsed her hot
cheeks. 'But it would only be in the
interest of art. insinuated the tempter
ARTISTS must sacrifice themselves to
their work And John sherwoods
doom was sealed.
Short, sharp pufs Of escaping steam,
a jolt, a faint vibration, and the New
York train steamed slowly out of Ards
ley-on-Hudson.
All unaware that he was but q pawn
in his fair lady's game, John Sherwood
leaned forward in his seat and regard
ed her with wondering, delighted eyes.
This sudden graciousness, this mex
plainable nervousness, the flushed. half
ayerted face bore but one interpreta-
ton to his eager lovers heart. She was
inexpressibly dear to him, this slender,
capricious maiden; how dear he had
never before quite dared to say, but
now
They had found seats ON the river
side. The setting sun shot a qufvering
crimson shaft across the water and
crowned the opposite mountains with
soft golden light she made mental
note of the yellow splendor. OF course
there was no river in her story, but
western mountain ridges bathed in
sunset glory would be fitting back
ground for her hero's imprisoned ap-
peal
John leaned toward her Margaret, T"
he said impulslyely, did you ever hear
why Opportunity is supposed to have
a bald head2'
She turned her head with a resentful
little gesture. He was beginning bad
". No bald head, even that Of Oppor-
tunity, had place in her picture of
youth and shifting golden lights and
passionate appeal; then, remembering
her role of heroine, she nodded with a
forced little smile.
With a faint, grinding protest the
train stopped at Dobbs Ferry A girl
with two small children in tow entered
the car; behind her traiIed a woman
in somber Widows weeds Margaret
rejected the children as being too
sticky, but the sunset, the widows
garb of woe in sharp contrast to the
hero's impassioned declaration
Because Opportunities head is
bald. went on Johns logged voice,
mo one can grab him from behind
after he has passed, you know-but in
front his hair IS long
"Oh!' she cried family Would he
never have done with that head!' AL
her artistic sense arose i'll mute rebel
ltOl1 SNtll tiiS uiA1PAS ~ ttNA >AeAAA : =
treated in Sweet disdain.
Hastings shouted the conductor.
The train slowed down gently stopped
-puffed slowly on again. John, too
deep in his struggle with Opportunity
to heed the signs of gathering storm on
his fair lady's face rushed on to his
impending doom
is long" be repeated so the
only way to get hold Of him is to grab
him when you meet him"
Absence of the sweet graciousness OF
an hour ago in the fair face beside him
warned him of the fatal fntility of his
words, but he blundered on, red and
embarrassed, to his unhappy end And
So this today being with you-is my
opportunity and want to grasp it
and you" he finished hoarsely
..yonkers. All aboard. Next stop
f+f,