The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-04-02
Cupid Turns
The Tables.
Copyrighted. 1908. by e. C. PARCELS.
BY MARTHA COBB SANFORD.

1t began on the Greenwich local The
man sitting beside Henrietta on the
cross seat was reading a typewritten
manuscript.
Either an author or an editor" mus
ed Henrietta and soon allowed her Gu
riosity to get the better Of her to the
extent of looking over her neigh boris
shoulder and reading the story with
him.
1t proved to be love story, and as
1t progressed Henrietta stole a surrep-
titious glance at the man every now
and then. But his expression gave no
| clew to the impression the story might
be making
Once. as he turned a page, he looked
up suddenly and became aware that
Henrietta was following the story
She blushed and started to apologize.
but he put her at her ease in quite an
unexpected manner
Pm glad you've been reading the
story" he said, with friendly smile
"a woman wrote it. and | hope you'll
give me your opinion when we've fin
ished it,
So they read on together.
When they had reached the end they
sat for a moment silent. each evident
ly absorbed in thought.
well" said the man at length, that
is perhaps what would happen in real
life, but the ending isn't satisfactory
from my viewpoint"
And what is your viewpontY' ven
tured Henrietta, her interest in the sit.
uation overpowering momentarily her
natural shyness Are you judging it
as just plain man or as an editor?"
Her query seemed both to please and
amuse him. and Henrietta was sur
prised to find herself answering his
smile quite as If they were old ac-
quaintances.
81 am Judging It," be said, "as an
editor who tries to imagine himself
just plain man. But what do you
think about IT,
I'm afraid ! agree with the au-
thor" answered Henrietta. somewhat
tlmidly. but really my opinion doesn't
count in the least, because"-
lon the other hand" interrupted the
man. lit counts supremacy. 1t is the
opinions Of just such casual readers as
yourself that have to study and learn
to understand almost intuitively. as 1t
were
Put 70 get back to the point in ques-
ton. You mean that love at first
sight isn't worth writing about-that
the type of woman who would consent
to marry a man on short acquaintance
isn't the stuff that heroines are made
of"
mot exactly that perhaps. But any
one could make the story end happily
have them marry, ! mean. That
would have been the ordinary way. 1t
must have taken some courage to end
1t the other way, and it seems to me
the story's stronger for II"
But you see" persisted the editor,
everything In the story goes to show
that this man and woman. though they
met just once casually, as you and !
are meeting, were most remarkably en-
rapport. Why, then. does the author
never have them meet again after
making her reader feel that they ought.
by all that is happy and harmonious.
to belong to each other?'
Henrietta smiled at the mans ear
nestness.
well" she began defensively. per
haps the author was trying to show
that, although a man and woman
may meet by accident, Ike that. and
even feel and admit each to himself or
herself that they really do belong to
each other. yet neither one quite
dares- Oh. I'm afraid | don't just
know how to express It," she broke off,
blushlng consciously at having spoken
SO freely TO an utter stranger
Thank you" said the man. and his
manner was both sympathetic and
thoughtful 81 begin to understand.
But I'm still unconyinced as to its be
ing the popular or natural viewpoint.
If could talk to the author herself, |
feel quite sure that ] could"
Goodness said Henrietta, starting
suddenly. This is my station. Good
night"
The more Henrietta let her thoughts
dwell upon this unusual little discus
sion the more she found herself yield
Ing to the EDITORS point of view. There
was no real reason, after all, why the
man and woman in the story shouldn't
have married and continued to Give
happily ever after"
Still that would be a most com mon
place ending. after all, and she accused
herself of being Influenced. as was the
editor. not by the artistic but by the
commercial value of the story.
So she tried to think of new argu-
ments to defend the authors denoue-
ment. The heroine, she imagined, was
very much the same type Of girl as
herself and, like herself, therefore pre-
ferred to keep those few moments of
chance acquaintanceship an localized
memory upon which she could look
back forever and a day with Joyful
satisfaction.
An ordinary person might yield TO
the temptation of following up the
lead, but the heroine of that story was
not ordinary. Upon that the author
and Hanriatta apraad narfecfIv