Charlevoix county herald., 1908-04-18
HIS Prize
BY Paul Crlsecy


them, causing the fine particles OF
snow to form little eddies in the air
and on the floor.
In one corner Of the room, as far as
possible from the window, sat a tall,
lank figure, his glowing pipe making
quite as much light as the small fire
that burned in an old stove at his side.
closelywritten copy which he was
reading slowly and carefully, smiling
quietly to himself as he read.
Dalton knew that the last chance OF
a long and bitter fight was before him.
He had tried time and again with I'M
failing energy to succeed, but the re-
Bluffs and disappointments had piled
up as fast as had the rejected manu-
scripts on his table. With college
education he had felt himself prepared
to buck the world in a literary career,
but soon he found himself mistaken.
His works were models in execution,
but they failed from the fact that he
did not have anything that appealed
to the nature of the readers.
the story of his ups and downs, and he
incidentally wove into it the story of
his love affairs-college dreams they
seemed to him.
This story must CO." he muttered,
''it's got to-" With sigh he laid
down the papers. There was a sound
of hurried footsteps in the hall, and
the door burst open, admitting a
ruddy-faced young man in summer
suit and with no overcoat.
Hello, Dalton" he cried. whats
doing to-day?"
"Oh, nothing much" answered Dali
ton.
Whats this?" asked Joe Lamier,
picking up the story from Dalton's
lap.
That" said he, "is my last chance"
Tell you what you do, let me put 1T
in that prize story contest the Daily
-- is having It's $500 for you IL
it WINS was the friendly suggestion.
Sisters got one here that I'm going
to take over" And he drew some pa
pers from his pocket.
Dalton read the story through
carefully, then handed it back, eX-
claiming:
That's got mine beat. Is there a
| second price,"
| "Sure-good chance to land that.
| There's $500 in it,"
We'll, take it along then, and tell
your sister she's-well, tell her she's
dandy at the business. Will you,
/ Lamier?"
| Two weeks later, after a good, big,
square, filling meal at the Salvation
Army house, Dalton sat in his little
room and read the list of prize win
ners. His name was missing from the
solid list that his eye fell upon, but
as he glanced at the head of the col
umn he could hear his own heart beat.
There, in large black type, were the
words: "Mr. Luke Dalton, First
Prize"
He swallowed hard as the realiza-
ton came to him, but by some strange
trick of his mind his next thought was
for the sister of his friend-Grace
Lamier.
He was a fairly good, impartial
| Judge of stories, and he knew, as we'll
as he knew his own name, that her
story was better than his. why
wasn't it on the list?" he asked him.
self again and again. There must be
some mistake. Hastily grabbing his
hat and turning up the frayed collar
| Of his coat he left the room.
A letter addressed to him was in
the mail box. He thrust it into his
| pocket as he walked over to the La
| mier fat. Grace Lamier, with laugh
! ing eyes that sparkled delightedly.
opened the door for him. you didn't
get the PRICE" he questioned, still un-
believing.
| mo-" she smiled
"Why?" he asked. why? Your
story was much better than mine"
WAS it?" she replied, as they were
seated. Maybe the judges didn't think
| So"
'I'll bet they did if they saw" he
paused, as a thought came to his mind,
| then he blurted out: you didn't
send 1t, did you? l can see by your
| face you didn't"
"No, 1 thought better of it, besides,
/ il really wasn't any good" Her twink
| ling blue eyes seemed to confuse him.
why didn't you send it," he con-
tinued.
"Oh, IL" she broke off hastily as
he came closer to her chair.
Because you wanted me to win. Is
that it," He was laughing now.
Maybe" she replied. The pressure
of her hand in his left no doubt, and
what followed left her hair in state
of disorder that caused them both to
laugh.
He pulled the letter out of his
pocket, and a green slip Of paper fell
IN the floor The girl picked IL up,