Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-09-21
Domestic Difficulties

Copyright. 1905, by w. r. CALDWELL
whats that?" exclaimed Mrs. Blair
as a loud thud In the hall smote upon
her ears.
IT'S only the mail carrier throwing
in II of my rejected stories, of
course" replied her husband resigned
ly, springing up from the breakfast ta-
BILE and disappearing into the hall.
Presently he returned with a fat en-
velope, which he tossed beside his
plate, and a magazine, which he pro-
ceeded to open and glance through.
(which one is it this timer asked
his wife sympathetically.
"The mining story 1 sent of last
Thursday"
"only five days ago! 1 don't believe
they eve looked at it!'
"0h, yes, they did. They probably
saw at a glance that they didn't want
1t and were kind enough to ship it back
promptly. Perhaps 1t was too long or
too short Or Stay, let me see what
the editor does say" tearing open the
envelope and ~glanclng wei a printed
slip.
1--WE have read the inclosed manu-
script with interest and regret that it
does not seem precisely adapted to our
present needs and therefore return it.
HIM, h'ml This does not imply any
lack of merit No, of course not. In
fact, my dear, it's the same old story in
the same old way"
He slammed the condemned manu-
script upon the table and resumed his
study of the magazine.
"Yet plenty of writer's do get ill.," he
continued. Here are eight short sto-
ries in this number of Hampers, and
thousands of others are published ev-
cry month. 1t seems as If everybody
wrote for the press nowadays"
"Even the lawyers" said his wife
with a glimmer of fun in her eyes.
swell, ever a lawyer doesn't disdain
an occasional twenty or thirty dollars
| for u few hours spare work."
d "Twenty or thirty dollars! You are
coming down rapidly in your prices
Last year it was forty OIL fifty, and the
| year before 1t was a hundred or So"
'"The law of supply and demand, my
dear. If / had made a hit like the au,
thor of Mr.. Jiggs of the Oyster Bed,
my prices would be advancing at a cor
responding rate. But what | was go
ing to say Is this: How do all these
writers get in and why in the mischief
can't l get in too? Jerusalem!"
The expletive was addressed to the
maid, who in setting a cup Of coffee
beside his place had .splashed some OF
the hot contents over his hand and
upon the tablecloth. He glared at her
savagely while she tawkwardly apollo.
gized and mopped UP the fluid with n
napkin.
Mrs. Blair frowne1 at him, as If to
say, Don't scold herr and then OBJ.
served kindly to the maid: "Never
mind, Mary. The cloth would go in
the wash tomorrow, anyway. Now,
will you please set III finger bowl on
the table"
Mr.. Blair returned to the magazine
Here Is another story by that new
writer, NJ. Conway, and It'll seems t.
start off well. l wish,I couldlmeet him
or, more likely, her, for most of the
new writer's seem toibe IL
say to him, or her: Sir. ,or,madam, how
in the world did you.do Et? How die
you get in? Was 1t by influence o.
cheek or a observation-disclosures will
the editor? Won't tyou kindly inform
me how 1t was accomplished? Tell me
how to get In and Ill,promise to whacl
up half of my first years profits"
A loud crash interrupted his remarks
and, CHANGING up, he's beheld the maid
standing helplessly Wer the fragments
of n cut glass finger bowl.
'Well, what nexte7 he began, but
his wife hastily interposed. "Never
Dllllu, NluIys u llllit ftiCdh NulCI MOn
hurt the rug, and you can sweep up
the glass after breakfast"
When the maid had withdrawn Mrs.
Blair said to her husband, You must
be careful not to sT.eak 81 sharply or
Wen lose her, and Ikdon't know where
we could get any Zone to take her
place"
"All right" returned MI. Blair. But
there's one thing l will insist upon.
She must keep out ,of my den. She
was in there again this morning"
eyes. She asked my permission to
look at your dictionary"
'The dictionary! Now, what
AS if in answer to his unfinished
question the maid entered, ~blushingly
handed her mistress,a note and quietly
withdrew.
With a muttered exclamation of
amazement Mrs. ~Blairlglanced through
the note and then read II aloud: