Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-04-07
Cupid Turns
The Tables.
By MARTHA COBB SANFORD.
Copyrighted. 1908. by e. c. PARCELS,

1t began on the GreenWlcl~ local. Ine
man sitting beside Henrietta on the
cross seat was reading typewriter
manuscript.
Either an author or an editor" mus
I'd Henrietta and soon allowed her Gu
riosity to get the better Of her to the
extent Of looking over her neighbours
shoulder and reading the story with
him.
1t proved to be love story, and as
It progressed Henrietta stole surrep-
tltious 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 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.
I'm glad you've been reading the
story" he said, with friendly smile
"a woman wrote 1t, 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 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 viewpointT' ven
tured Henrietta. her interest in the sit
uation overpowering momentarily her
natural shyness. "Are you judging 1t
as Just plain man or as an editorT
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 &C.
quaintances.
II am judging it." he said, las an
editor who tries to imagine himself
just Il plain man. But what do you
think about it?"
Pm afraid I agree with the au-
thor" answered Henrietta, somewhat
tlmidly, "but really my opinion doesn't
count in the least, BECAUSE
"On the other hand" interrupted the
man. 1T counts supremacy. 1t is the
opinions of just such casual readers rs
yourself that have to study and learn
to understand almost intuitively, as 1t
were
"But to 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 man on short acquaintance
isn't the stuff that heroines are made
off,
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
it the other way, and it seems to me
the storys stronger for it."
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 man and woman
may meet by accident like 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 of,
blushing consciously at having spoken
so freely to an utter stranger
THANK you said the man. and his
manner was both sympathetic and
thoughtful. IL begin to understand.
But I'm still unconvinced as to Its be-
ing the popular or natural viewpoint.
If could talk to the author herself,
feel quite sure that | could"
"Goodnessw 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 "live
happily ever after"
Still that would be most common
place ending after all, and she accused
herself of being Influenced, as was the
pditor. 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 denone-
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 idealized
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
cad, but the heroine Of that story was
not ordinary. Upon that the author
She herself. for instance, In her own
comparatively insignificant experience
would probably never meet the editor
@gain. and what would 1t matter? She
aad the memory Of their pleasant in
terchange of thought, and he Of course
would never think Of her again. But
here the defense weakened and hid her
blushing face in her hands.
A few days later when Henrietta re-
Ceived a very courteous note from the
editor of the New Fiction Magazine
asking her to call at his office for the
purpose Of talking over her story she
smiled archly. dressed herself most be-
comingly and made her way promptly,
but more or less TREMENDOUSLY, to his
august sanctum. 1t was novel situa-
ton.
What If he had reversed his original
opinion ti.)? Would she or wouldn't
she be pleased?
The editors surprise proved intense
" amusing to Henrietta at least
"You-the author herself?" was oil
he was able to gusp. Then he broke