El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-19
BY f. Harris Deans.

|
Betty gave delightfully."- sly smile.
You won't tell anybody, will YOU"
I'll be a perfect mausOleum Of 81
| lence.' 1 promised.
She hesitated, glanced over her
shoulder to See if anyone had entered
| tn room, and then bent forward.
4 am" she conhded in whisper
Leaning back in her chair, she re-
| garded me expectantly-
Great Scott" murmured-
Betty looked somewhat indignant at
my, perhaps, too excessive surprise.
Wei. why shouldn't I?' she de-
| manded.
No reason at ALL" 1 cried hastily
Goodness knows. paper is cheap
| enough. What's 1t about?"
rs quite original" she declared
proudly.
Il never met an author whose
wasn't" I remarked pessimfstically
That's particularly original about
! yours-the title?"
Don't be so horrid,T she exclaimed,
with pout. ITS all original"
Then it won't sell" 1 affirmed.
| "Oh. well. it's not as original as all
| that. I'll tell you about 1t. For one
/ thing She stopped suddenly, and
| looked at me susplciously- i suppose
| you are interested"
| I took my hand from my mouth IN
| some confusion.
Immensely" I asserted. You were
saying
We'll, I wasn't saying anything. as
matter of fact. 1 was only going to-
Keep going 1 said encouragingly.
Well she nestled more comfort
ably among the cushions take the
hero, for instance. He's not the ordi-
| nary hero. of course"
Him." 1 said enthusiastically.
In fact" she admitted frankly. hes
really not a hero at ALL
Good" I commented with a nod.
What are you calling the book? The
Hero Who Isn't?'
Don't be sarcastic. now. When 1
say he isn't a hero. Of course 1 don't
mean that
The great charm of this book"
murmured appreciatively, will be its
luciCity. What is he then?"
We'll =" she hesitated and
glanced round the room as if in search
of suitable description
Hes just a man." she explained with
a burst of frankness.
Now. we're getting on. That settles
his sex at the start. It's always as
well not To have any doubt on a sub ,
ject like that. Is there anything else
striking about him? What color is his
hair?"
Il haven't mentioned his hair said
Betty. not quite sure whether-to be
Indignant
Well, you'll have to- I informed her /:
reprovingly. Otherwise they may
think he's bald. Unless broke !
off and meditated for a moment.
"A bald hero would be rather a nov
city" I suggested
Betty looked at men in hurt re-
proach.
And the heroine?" 1 went on. be- !
coming interested, could invent a hair /
restOrer and so win his love. And the I
villain"I began TO get excited ;
could bag the recipe and get out /
patent first. You could have quite an !
em0tional scene where he refuses to |
sell the hero bottle"
Even if you're not interested said
Betty pathetically, you needn't laugh
Il was trying to help YOU I plead
ed Go on about the hero. then"
IF you must know" she said sharp
ly. the hero is something like You"
The dickensl'' 1 circulated in dis
may.
Only better" she added You
needn't sneer. because he is
And the heroine?' I asked mildly.
Betty had the grace to blush.
She's like me-" she said agrees
lively.
only better" I suggested.
shes different" she admitted, '1n
some ways"
ITO make her interesting" I opined.
Betty glanced at me colby.
And they're in love with each 9TH
er," she mentioned.
Just so,'' I said
And the villain loves her too"
Il see" I assented, the two love
her"
The two Betty looked puz-
zled for a moment and then light
came to her. "Oh, you mean the two.
Yes, they both do" She glanced at
me with her head on one side What
do you think of it?"
Isis that the plot?" gasped.
Betty hesitated.
That's all I've thought of so far"
she admitted. L want you TO help ;
me-"
Have you decided who is to marry the {
girl?'
Why, the hero, of course"
Il don't see any of course about it." |
Because she mightn't discover who is
the hero until she has married him.
Lots of women don't"
Betty knitted her brows in thought
But them she complained there
wouldn't be any proper ending to the
book"
Not strictly proper" I admitted. I
It's TO be quite a conventional novel. {
hen?"
You see there's mama" explained
Betty with a slight shrug
1 nodded Understandings To be COM q q
yelled to write with one eye on the
general public and the other on my
unit would handicap most writer's
Il was thinking" remarked Betty .
rightly, that the villain might be 7
ich" o
f'They all are" I said. Though T