The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-08-16
Ey KENNETH BROWN.

Dick wrote his story. OH but it was
poor stuff. 1t was one of those stories
that make the magazine EDITORS lot an
unhappy one. The style was that of
an ordinary reporter, with a ferment
Of literary touches, and the plot was
SO bad that it could only have happen
ed in real life-in fiction, never! The
governor Of state, and the owner Of
a paper were the principal characters.
with the boss of city thrown in for
good measure, and to work out the
plot. The governor climbed over the
back fence of the editor in the dead
OF night for a mysterious interview,
and they bargained and laid nefariou3
plots against the boss OF the city, and
SO forth. Kipling, who wrote "A Mat
ter of Fact" and made the world see
sea serpents, might have made some
thing of the ridiculous plot, but neith-
er he nor any one else with the slight
est artistice sense would ever have
tried to.
Dick wasted thirty-two cents send
ing his rubbish around to all the mag
azines, even into darkest Philadelphia.
He did not tell Olive what he was
doing. He wanted to surprise her, at
first.
After each rejection the desire nor
to tell her became more and more
fixed. At last, when both the MS and
his aspirations were pretty we'll worn
out, he took it to the Sunday editor
Of his own paper, and sheepishly ask
ed him if he could use it. "If it's no
use to you, just fire it into the waste
basket Dick said with a glimmering
sense of the fitting place for it.
Some men believe that luck plays a
large part in success-p particularly Of
other men. In general it is your fail
ures who complain Of place and OPP
/ portunity. Dick Harmsworth, however
owes the chance that finally came to
him to sheer Grass luck or coincidence
and he knows it. The roast pig of
the fairy story simply ran down 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-
towards.
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 calculating
gaze, as if he were judge at a stock
show, and Dick an exhibit.
Take a 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-
Jude to discharging him? The look on
Caton's 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, a grin oyerspread his face.
Dick grinned in sympathy.
You rather rubbed it into Steven
son" Cation said, but you needn't
have made it any worse than it was.
! He didn't scramble up by means Of the
shutters. He just knocked at the
Back door"
Dicl. murmured vaguely There
was no Stevenson in his story. At
the mome4tha could think Of no Stew
eIson at all. There was none on the
paper. The only SteYenson--
J Dick stifteled suddenly in his chair.
Stevenson was the name Of the real
/ governor CT the STATE. If
/ Why didn't you ccnie straight ito
rae waea you got hold OF this s;ory?"