Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-08-23
By KENNETH BROWN.

yves the Cnance that finally came to
MIN TO sheer Grass luck or coincidence
and he knows it. The roast pig of
the fairy story simply ran down his
throat. All he did was to open his
mouth, and to keep it tight shut there
after There was merit in the latter.
History proves that more men know
how to open their mouths at the pro-
per time, than to keep them shut af-
forwards.
The day after Dick had given his
story to the Sunday Editor, Cation, the
owner of the paper sent for him.
Cation swung around in his revolving
chair, when Dick came In, and looked
at the young man with a calculating
gaze, as If he were judge at a stock
show, and Dick an exhibit.
Take seat" he said. Then sud-
denly; Young man, you're wasted In
your present position"
Dicks heart bounded, not entirely
with Joy. Was this a sarcastic pre-
lude to discharging him? The look on
cations face was not pleasant, yet
why all this trouble of sending for
him If he was merely to be discharged.
Dick held his peace.
Cation turned back to his desk and
picked up an MS. With a much larger
bound of the heart, Dick recognized 1t
as his, and his hopes returned full
grown. Cation. looked it over slowly
and, as the pages dropped beneath his
hand, grin overspread his face.
Dick grinned in sympathy.
You rather rubbed it into Steven
son." Cation said, but you needn't
have made 1t any worse than it was.
He didn't scramble up by means of the
shutters. He just knocked at the
back door,"
Dick murmured vaguely. There
was no Stevenson in his story. At
the moment he could think of no Stew
enson at all. There was none on the
paper. The only Stevenson
Dick stiffened suddenly in his chair.
Stevenson was the name of the real
governor of the State If
why didn't you come straight to
me when you got hold of this story ?'
Cation interrupted his thoughts. How
did you know should see it anyway7
1t might have got into the paper with
my knowing anything about 1t. Or
that fool Sydney might have suspected
something" (Sydney was the Sunday
Editor)
Dick made no answer to Cations
hurried remarks. He hardly dared
breathe. In chaotic way he felt that
things were coming his way very fast.
If he only knew enough to seize them
when they came. Stevenson-and his
story-and Cation treating him like q
man, and not like a hired man-there
is world of difference between the
two. Did they all mean that his pre-
posterous story-and In a fash of in
sight he saw how preposterous it real
ly was-which. editors had only re-
warded with printed slips-would be
the making Of him, would give him a
chance, chance to do the good work
he was capable of (even If he could
write thrilling news stories), a chance
to marry Olive, to make his fortune,
to
Cation was looking at Dick. The
young fellows eyes were sparkling,
his mien confident and assured. He
did not speak, but there was no solace
to Cation in his silence Softly and un-
observed the owner of the paper swore
Catcn was a successful man, and one
element of his success was never to
let man see how much he had got
the better of him. Dick all unknowing
was treating him to the corrolary of
his own method; for he uttered no
word that might tell Cation how little
he actually knew of him and his af-
fairs
Cation grunted. you might as well
come into the business department with
me. You're not much of a reporter.
you know, but can always make room
for a bright young man somewhere
if he knows as much as
you do"
Cation looked back again at the MS.
Of Dicks story. Say, but you did
link 1t into old Stevenson" he chuckled.
I can't print the story, but I'd give a
hundred dollars If l could"
This is all Dick ever know of the
matter. He could draw his own con-
illusions, as the reader is at liberty to
draw his He was married soon af-
Ter, but he never told his wife about
1is one essay into literature, and she
still has sneaking feeling that If |
Dick had wanted to he might have |
written the best selling book of the
lay. Perhaps his story in the end was |
IS profitable as those works of fiction. |
.hough his audience was limited to |
,ne
A year later Cation said. to Dick:
VIII you tell me how you got onto |
hat story about the governor and |
ne?" but Dicks sense had not left |
lin. and he only shook his head. Still
le sometimes wonders just how much
ruth there was in his Governors Bar.
ain. "-Commereial Advertiser.