Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-07


being Emery Periwinkle. 1t was one
of those gilded pills the world-that
world which reads sensational novels
loves to swallow. 1t gave an excuse
for what many people desired, but re-
Trained from doing, and some do with
more or less resistance. 1t would have
been well enough except that its prin-
ciples if carried into effect would break
up perhaps one family in every three
or five.
Come, Stanton" said one of the
men present to the publisher; tell us
who Emery Periwinkle is"
Couldn't possibly. 1t would be be-
trayal OF confidence"
at least tell us II the author OF
'Fetters Embossed Is man or woman"
Couldn't do that, either"
mo woman would ever have taken
that view of the subject" said one Of
the party"
why notT'
"She would need to have been cor
rupted by bad world, and my expert
ence Is that only women who wish to
be corrupted are corrupted"
Il don't think much Of that argu-
ment."' said another, "but it is not
needed, Everything in the book is
from a mans standpoint
'I'll tell you what I'll do" said STAN
ton. I'll make pool. There are four
of you. I'll put in s. for each of you.
Then I'll give supper to twenty peo
pie, the author of .Fetters Embossed to
be among the number. You shall
| throw dice for choice. The one throw
| ing the highest number may pick out
| five persons. each man in succession
| thus picking out five. Whoever has
| included the author in his number
| wins the pool"
Where do you come in?"
az? oh. we'll make the number Of
| guests twenty-one. This leaves one
| unchOsen. I'll take the one left out"
Stanton could we'll afford the treat,
and the others were much pleased to
| accept 1t. A few days later each one
of the four received an invitation to g
supper party at Stanton's house to
| take place at IL O'Clock, after the the
aters were out. They found there
| eleven men and ten women. Some of
| the men and some of the women We're
| known to be authors, some ambitious
| to be authors and some not known a
| all as aspirants for literary hOnOrS.
| They We're as different from one an
other as could possibly be. Some were
self conscious, some modest. and there
We're some who did not seem suffi
| ffnr Oil 90, Ji,,,,
use, let alone writing n book. There
were two men with a sensual look
| about them, one woman who appeared
n trifie loud and a girl of nineteen who
blushed if any one spoke to her.
During the supper-the order o.
choice had been decided before it he
gan-each of the four members of the
pool selected five of the guests. The
loud woman and one of the sensual
men were taken up in the first choice.
The other sensual man and a member
of the Woman's Press club were in the
next lot. The man having third choice
} picked all the rest who looked as If by
any possibility they could write q
, book. The fourth man was obliged to
take what was left. none of whom
gave the slightest appearance of being
a winner. The girl who blushed. no.
having been chosen. fell to Stanton.
The party was too incongruous t,
keep long together, and when it brok,
up the four pool members remained be
hind. Stanton called on the man VIII:
had first chosen to name the WHINE
from his number. He named first thu
loud woman, then four others in sue
cessiOn, but Stanton shook his head a
every one. Second choice then mad,
his guesses and failed. The guessin,
now came to be exciting When thirC
choice failed to name the author. al
were struck with wonder. and whel
fourth choice failed every man &C
cused Stanton of having gone back OF
| his agreement.
Not at all, gentlemen" he said soft
". "There still remains one person no
named"
What. That stupid looking child no
yet fit to be out of the nursery who fel
to you? She doesn't count"
Every one in the party counts
agreed that the author should be pres
ent at the supper, and have kept IN
agreement. People blame US publish
ers because we can't tell the big wiz
ming novels before the public pre-
nounces on them. l gave you gentle
men all the chances, taking the las
that none Of you wanted, and 1 VOL
The author of 'Fetters Embossed |
Miss Susan Brock. It's my opinion sh
hasn't the slightest idea of the accep
ed meaning of her work-just as on
may perpetrate a witticism withor
being conscious of having said AM
thing remarkable. The title to he
novel when she handed it in for exam
nation was not at all descriptive {
the subject matter. On the contrar,
it indicated an innocent intention. "
fixed the title In accordance with til
view the world would take of the bool
The stroke Of genius was oura.'
$500