Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-08-08
My Checkered Luck
IOriginal.]

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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 edl-
tor and proprietor Of the magazine,
had no business to go away and leave
me, a 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, so
that there was nothing to do but take
the copy for the next issue out OF bis
desk and send 1t to the composing
room. Among other copy / sent up
story called whats 1t All AboutT by
Miss Mildred Eaton. l was locking
my desk one Friday afternoon prepare
tory to going into the country till the
following Tuesday when a message
came down from the composing room
that the story whats 1t All About?"
was incomplete / called for the copy
and found the last two chapters miss
Ing.
Here was a pretty kettle Of fish. 1
ransacked the Office without success;
sent for the author and was Informed
that she had gone on trip, no one
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
4 l could skim the manuscript, by 9 l
could write the last chapters and be
ready for the z o'clock train instead OF
the 8 o'clock, as had intended.
Had I taken more time and put my
mind ON my work instead Of dwelling
on the outing l was to have, afraid all
the while that 1 would miss the train
the last till the next morning-I might
have done fairly well. AS it was
made q frightful mess Of the job. l
mistook the hero for the villain and
brought the story to close by putting
In his mouth high flown, virtuous
enunciation. The heroine l made to
take a back seat, but fortunately on
the same bench with the hero. / fin
ished the work at half past 6, gave 1t
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, 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
airy fame. told her that | seriously
meditated drowning myself. Since ]
made the threat with my head buried
in my arms, both head and arms rest
ing on my desk, my whole body shak-
ing convulsively, she feared | 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 filed 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 flood, will lead to
fortune / am one of those fellows
whose lives are q chain of lucky and
unlucky incidents. 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 l will use all my influence
with Mr.. Howkins to have 1t published
as a 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
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 | caught faint
The story by Miss Eaton. Whats 1t
All AboutT' Is. judging from Its name,
what 1t Is doubtless intended to be-a
puzzle. What principles are covered I'M
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 l 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 AboutT was
wrltten-an easy way Of crlticising
story the critic is too busy to read.
Seven critics gave but pathetical ex-
plantations of the mystery attending
the closing chapters. In the whole
batch Of criticisms there was not one
which Indicated that the story had
been slaughtered by a graceless scamp
In hurry to get away on a pleasure
trip.
In view of the attention these criti-
cisms called to the story the author
found no difficulty in securing pub
Usher for it In book form. 1t was con-
sidered too deep to have large sale
except among critical, analytical, phllo-
sophical and skeptical people, but it
made name for the author, and she
has made fortune.
suppose / should have had the
modesty to consider myself well out
of bad scrape and acknowledge my
fault. To Howkins l did; to Miss
Eaton l did not. l threw out a hint
that seeing the story as she had writ
ten 1t was doomed to failure l had con-
cocted a scheme to make it success
and make her famous. Her gratitude
gave me not only her for wife, but
6e management of her fortune.
EMERY FORSYTHE.