The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-14
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{ HosO 4 Secured
N.Y. Literary
} ASSSEEdnE.
fOrlElnaI.

noqrapher-an assistant IA my literary
work The duties are hunting up mo.
tiyes. situations, seenes-lndeed, lot
Of material which constantly need In
the development Of my stories. / have
such an assistant a woman. She
knows well what need and recognizes
ii when she sees it. Her position Is
permanent, She is my wife. This Is
how got her:
/ advertised for such a person as /
have here indicated, all candidates to
meet me at my house on certain dry
and hour. When they were assembled
/ questioned them In preliminary
manner and weeded out all but Shree
OF them. They we're all women. Then
/ gave them the following problem:
"Here is story" said, "of dinner
party at which there were say, a dozen
guests. One Of the ladies present had
on her finger a peculiar ring. One sit
ting next her asked to SEQ 1t. 1t was
handed to her for examination. Her
next neighbor desiring to see it, 1T was
passed to him and from him to the next
Ind the next till it had been examined
by every one at the table. Meanwhile
there was the hum Of conversation, and
the ring was forgotten. Then the lady
asked that whoever had 1t would re-
turn it to her No one had the ring. Its
owner looked astonished, then indig-
nant. One Of the guests proposed that
the party submit to search. The propo-
sftion was adopted, and each guest con-
scented except one young man. who de-
clared that be would not submit to
such ignominy. Then the host said:
"T will pay the value of the ring.
do not wish to suffer the notoriety the
bringing ot this matter up in the courts
would involve. All except one OF us
have proved ourselves innocent. He is
either guilty or for some reason known
only to himself Is content to remain
considered So
"A year after this upon the moving
OF sideboard the ring was found in
a crevice. There had been no theft.
Il VII give three different reasons
why the young man declined to submit
to search, he being, like the rest, limo
cent. Each reason may be used az
the denouement, or, rather consider
1t the motif OF the story. / have my
own opinion which OF the three Is the
strongest for use If but one Of you
agrees with me / shall consider her the
best fitted for my assistant since she
will see situations more clearly as see
them. If more than one Of you choose
my preferred denouement / viii offer
another test. These are the situations
refer to-:
First The young man was very
poor and would rather be considered
thief than have it known that he had
'aot cent In his pocket
Second. He had d sick sister at
home and had taken from table a
bird to carry to her. He would rather
be considered d thief than have his
act and the poverty Of his family ex-
posed
Third. He considered that an limo
cent man would demean himself by
consenting TO be searched"
! asked the young ladies to write
their choice Of these three interpreta-
tions. giving their reasons for it. One
chose the second, stating. In substance, |
that nothing could be more noble than |
l,ao rir - 8Eo nh4n~s4xy sae n &hksR 30 +txoxs
than expose the family poverty An
other chose the first. stating that there
was something whimsical in one pre-
fefring to be considered a thief rather I
than turn his pockets inside out. expos
Ing his penurious condition The re-
naming girl chose the third PROPOSE
lion, assigning as her reason that there
vas something grand in an innocent I
nan content to be considered thief /
ather than submit to being searched. /
ihe eontended that theoretically either
II the other propositions would detract
rom the first
Young ladies'" said. my test IS
Which Of the three proposi-
ions is preferable is a matter Of opin
on. TO me the third appeals most
specially, and the explanation is also
be one that | would give"
The girls who had chosen Nos. / and
arose and left me with the young
Idly who had best accorded with my
Jews.
How came it, / asked. that you
hose a denouement which no one but
n experienced writer would be likely
) appreciated"
The basis Of your three motifs. she
aid, .are an honest pride, a stupid
ride and devotion to another. The
ian who would suffer to be consider
] a thief rather than poverty stricken
a fool. He who would be consid- i
red a thief simply to screen family
overly Is weak and impractical. The
ian too proud to yindicate himself IN
le hands of skilled writer may al
'ays be made interesting
You surprise me- I said, with
our keen cutting analysis. Have Won
nd experience in these matterss"
YES; have been a reader of short !
tory manuscripts for years. have
sad basketful Of stories on the mo-
! underlying your first proposition. a
ozen basketfuls on the one underly
1g your second proposition. but don't /.
emember ever reading one on the
bird Fl
F'You VIII not be likely to trouble
e with threadbare themes"
Nor new ones either. II you pay
e for such rather than salary, /
aall starve. There il nothing new"
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