The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-05-04
THE AUTHOR OF
LETTERS LJNI0OSED. !"
[oriaInaL.l

their importance 0H the practical world
considers them Tho publisher I'll the
most important since ne requires the
most money iii his business, though the
printer III not usually far behind him.
There were more of both these classes
Tia tae club mentioned than of authors,
few of whom had money to pay tho
dues.
But this IL DEPRESSION. The party
were discussing d new book that had
just been published BY firm, one Of
the junior members Of which was pres
ent, "Fetters Embossed" RI had met
with instant success. The authors
name was not given. the nom de plume
being Emery Periwinkle. IL was one
of those gilded pills the Worldthat
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. IT would have
been well enough except that its prin-
ciples IL carried into effect would break
up perhaps one family in every three
or Ave.
Come, Stanton. said one Or the
men present to the publisher; 'stell us
who Emery PerIwlnkle is."
Couldn't possibly. 1t would be d be-
trayal OF confidence"
AT least tell lis II the author Of
letters Unloosed' Is man or woman
Couldn't do that, either"
EMO woman would ever have taken
thar view Of the subject" said one of
the party"
why notg'
"She would need to have been cor
rupted by d bad world. and my expert
ence Is that only women who wish to
be corrupted are corrupted
II don't think much Of that argu-
ment,n said another, 'but it IL not
needed. Everything In the book is
from q mans standpoint"
.1'ii tell you what I'll do said Stan
ton 'I'll make a pool. There are four
OF you. I'll put in IS for each OF you.
Then I'll give a 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
1--WE persons. each man ia succession
thus picking out five. Whoever has
included the author in his number
wins the pool
"Nhere do you come fnT
sT7 oh, well make the number of
guests twenty-one. This leaves one
unchosen. I'll take the one left out
Stanton could well afford the treat,
and the others were much pleased to
accept II. A few days later each one
OF the four received an invitation to d
supper party at stanton's house to
take place at II 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 were
known to be authors, some ambitious
70 be authors and some not known at
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
were some who did not seem SUN.
GENTLY gifted in ideas for ordinary
use. let alone writing book There
were two men with a sensual look
about them one woman who appeared
tTiae loud and q girl Of nineteen who
biushed If any one spoke to her.
During the supper-the order 81
choice had been decided before 1t be-
gan-each Of the four members Of the
pool selected five Of the guests. The
loud woman and one of the sensual
men we're taken up in the first choice
The other sensual man and 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 d
book, The fourth man was obliged "a
take what was left. none Of whom
gave the slightest appearance OF being
q winner The girl who bIushed, moi
having been chosen, fell to Stanton.
The party was too incongruous tt
keep long together, and when It broke
up the four pool members remained be
hind. Stanton called on tine man whs
had first chosen to name the winner
from bis number He named first tlie
loud woman. then four others In sue
cession, but Stanton shook his head a
every one. Second choice then mads
his guesses and failed. The guessing
now came to be exciting. When third
choice failed to name the author. al
were struck with wonder. and wher
fourth choice failed every man ae
cused Stanton Of having gone back Of
his agreement
mot at all. gentlemen he said soft
". NTbere still remains one person MOI
named
What! That stupid looking child no
vet tit 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 ms
agreement. People blame US publish
ers because we can't tell the big win
ming novels before the public pro
nounces on them gave you gentle
men all the chances. taking the last
that none Of you wanted, and | won
The author of letters Embossed i.
Miss Susan Brock. It's my opinion sllt
hasn't the slightest idea Of the accept
ed meaning Of her work. Just as one
may perpetrate a witticIsm withou
being conscious Of having said nny
thing remarkable. The title to het
novel when she handed 1t in for exam
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