The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-11-16
My Checkered Luck
[Orio.inal.1
Z = y II - \
ats too bad

Il am Greadfully sorry, my dear
young lady. 1t could not be helped
81 have been counting on this story
to give me literary reputation. You
have ruined all these hopes"
This was ridiculous. The story was
below the average.
The truth is that Howkins, the edi-
tor and proprietor of the magazine,
had no business to go away and leave
me, & scatter Drained ,younGster. in
full control. | had hosts Of friends,
and my mind was absorbed with youth
full pleasures. As to my work at the
editorial rooms, Howkins had arrang
ed everything before his departure, 50
that there was nothing to DO but take
desk and send it to the composing
.oom. Among other copy | sent up
story called whats 1t All About = by
Miss Mildred Eaton | was locking
my desk one Friday aftarnooa prcpara
tory to going into the country till the
following Tuesday when Il message
came down from the composing room
that the story whats 1t All About?"
was incomplete. l called for the cory
and found the last two chapters miss
ing.
Here was a pretty kettle Of fish. |
ransacked the Office without success; (;
sent for the author and was informed
fhat e.l,n hoI trir
knew where. What was | to do? Give
up my outing to search for needle in
haystack? Not L. My resolution
was taken. 1t was then O'clock BY
/ could skim the manuscript, by 6 |
could write the last chapters and be
ready for the Z o'clock train instead of
the 3 o'clock, as had intended
Had l taken more time and put my
mind on my work instead of dwelling
Oh the outing | was to have afraid all
the while that | would miss the train
the last till the next morning. might
have done fairly well. AS it was l
made a frightful mess of the job. l
mistook the hero for the villain and
brought the story to a close by putting
in his mouth hign flown, virtuous
enunciation. The heroine | made to
take a back seat, but fortunately on
the same bench with the hero. l fin
ished the work at half past 6, gave it
to a composing room messenger who
was waiting for it. and made a dash
for the train.
Well, the story came out, and with
1t came the author, pretty girl of
twenty, who sought me in my office
with tears in her eyes. Had she storm
ed l could have stood up against her
manfully. AS it was, l could only pre-
tend to weep. not at the position my
blunder had placed me in. but that |
should have ruined her hopes Of liter
ary fame. | told her that l seriously
meditated drowning myself. Since l
made the threat with my head buried
In my arms, both head and arms rest
ing on my desk my whole body shak-
Ing conyulsively, she feared l would
carry it out. When she raised my face
with her own soft hands and l looked
into her tear /dimmed but forgiving
eyes, | was filled with shame
"My dear Miss Eaton" sobbed. "let
US hope that out Of this misfortune
may come some reparation for you
which, taken at the food, will lead to
fortune. l am one of those fellows
whose lives are chain Of lucky and
unlucky incidents. l am constantly
meeting with misfortune-my own
fault, l dare say-but l always come
out ahead in the game. Write a new
story, and | will use all my influence
with Mr.. Howllins to have it published
as special feature Now tell me
that you forgive me-"
She put out her hand, smiling through
her tears and went away, leaving me
to go on repenting my carelessness.
When the first batch of criticisms for
the story Of the magazine came in |
braced myself to bear the references to
the tale l had ruined as one about to
be executed nerves himself for the or
deal. With the first l caught a faint
gleam Of hope. Here it is
The story by Miss Eaton, whats 1t
All About?' is, Judging from it's name,
what 1t is doubtless intended to be-a
puzzle. What principles are covered un-
der the strange ending probably only
students of the retrospective school will
be able to explain satisfactorily. In this
respect the story will excite great inter-
est
The next was evidently a criticism
by some critic who was possibly hurry
ing, as | had done, to the country and
had only skinned the early part of
the story, for he pronounced the end
Ing ''just what might be expected in
this inferior class Of work" The
third spoke of the pleasant style in
which Whats 1t All AboutY' was
written-an easy way Of criticising