The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-13

Copyright. 1906. by Joseph b. BowiesD 1
It was my first allowance" You see,
that was why / thought so much about
1t. / know now it is impossible to make !
an allowance do, and nobody expects
it, either.
| was only ten pounds short at the
end Of the quarter: and, really. hadn't
been bit extravagant, except perhaps
for that lovely jewcled muff-chain, which
cost--but there. tbnt doesn't matter.
Dad scoldcd me little. the old dear,
and. OF course. gave me some more
money: but 1t seemed to me ought TO
save 1t myself. yet somehow | couldn't.
However, one day all of n sudden i
had splendid idea l would write u
book! II looked so easy and paid so
we'll. a knew, because Mr.. Iiingswcli,
dads friend. wrote hooks for which he
got heaps of money---thousands OF pounds,
somebody told me.
IT proved to be very much more trou-
BILE than you would think. / had rend
/ somewhere that one ought to parse every
word one writes. didn't see why. Yet
] did it. for. of course, an author mus.
expect TO put up with n little incon-
/ venience. though am afraid the pars-
/ Ing would have made dear old Miss
Howard shudder. for always hated pars-
Ing Mt school.
book. And indeed, why should I trouble
to writc long story to bring in hun
| dreds when l only wanted ten pounds.
| or perhaps twenty?
! tale would he quite enough and far
less bother. So burnt the other stuff.
| parsing and all and started on the tale
/ 1t WIS easy to decide what 1t should be
| about. All the tales I've read have been
| about girl, man and n wedding. SO
/ | soon got II done. II was rather u
| rush to get 1t copied by post time, but
( I managed IL and sent ii OF TO the
/ editor in whose paper wished it to.
| appear, and then waited for him to send
| me the check.
About two days later n big envelope
| came up with my letters. and / couldn't
think what it might be: but when
| opened 1t I was indeed surprised. 1t
/ was my tale. The editor didn't want
/ After breakfast went into the library
| and sat down tn read the manuscript
/ over. I picked up the printed slip which
came with IT. Marked on 1t We're two
or three words about the tale having
mo plot and being too crude 1t
was so absurd. because there was ~
plot know what, plot is. We studied
/ the plots Of Shakespeare at school. The
\ plot is the tale, and my tale was about
man who met a girl and married her.
1 was thinking this out wheE Mr..
! .Kingswell was announced. After he had
1 shaken hands he went and stood on
the hearthrug with one elbow on the
/ chimney piece, looking at me at the
/ writing table. surrounded by all my pa
/ pers.
1 whatever documents have you there?
] Are you auditing the household ac-
counts?" he asked.
mo" i said. 81 don't have anything
to do with the accounts yet: don't
/ think could manage them" (Of course
\ l couldn't. Hadn't I made middle OF
my own nllowance?)
Il "Ah! Then you are perhaps calcuat-
Ing your personal liabilities? But. no. I
see you arc not dealing with figures
He was laughing. could tell: but 1
didn't mind that. some people laugh 50
nicely. and determined to tell him all
about 1t.
~ am writing u story said. cor
rather | have written one, and would
You believe. the editor posted 1t to has
sent it back"
Its a habit. am told. editors have"
Mr.. Kingswel replied. quite seriously,
though / fancied his eyes were laush-
4 Ing.
cts very silly habit asserted.
and editors must be very stupid u
d they are all like this one. Why he says
there is no plot in my tale; could any
thing be more rldiculous?
What is the story? Tell me all abont
4 It," returned Mr. Kingswell, "and shall
be able to sympathze more completely
So l told him briefly, Of course, for
there wasn't much to tell, and when ]
had finished:
Indeed, Miss March," he said, tho
editor must be mistaken. Given man
and woman there's bound to be {.
tale. But let me read It.. Perhaps you
haven't worked it out properly You
are inexperienced, you know"
gave him the manuscript and watch
ed while he sat in dads armchair "a
read 1t. He Is what you would call
fine man. withtsuchr strong shoulders and
lovely brown hair with little tips 81
gray like silver dust on It, was Just
thinking how nice he looked sitting thera'
and what a firm nose and mouth ne
had when suddenly he glanced. up ana
said abruptly:&"So your hero Is young
and handsome--p real Apollo. You adj
mire handsome men?"
"Oh, no. said. II admire strong
men not that sort at ALL But l$thoug.s
ii was the usual thing in books
didn't say any more till the Whole
of the sheets had been reaa. i, ~ ~. .poM
some time. for I scribble awfuly Whel
try to write fast. And then asked
him what he thought was the matter
| with it.s Il told him that the editor slo
II<it was too crude, and lie agreed.
sihI was offcndca, and I expect he saw
| III for, he went on rs quickly rs pos %
sil,lcl 10 explain what he meant. ~.
sah, 4, great deal, sSbut, MS far ms I car
remember the meaning of It all WIS W.. ~,
/ n mad had no superintendent gettins eil,
| orapel md that sort Of thing, ana wv ~
| Tia tnle showed this weakness, -
| said il had much to learn, hna nsio !.
1 / corrected tho story ousht ~ w ~
/ I'D Vol, Seve, hear ANYTHING so SHY
l INV cnuIas 1 gain experience M clay