Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-16

to their lights and suggested themes. The other
nights of the week the company met in Radbourn's s
room and filled the air with smoke
The company was a grand success for Radbourn's
writings had struck the popular fancy and he had no
trouble in selling large proportion of his manu-
scripts Each week he was able to pay dividend
much larger than the weekly assessment, and in two
months he had paid in dividends more than the 5000
originally pledged.
MAY German was greatly interested in the progress
of Radbourn and his company. She thought it was
wrong for the stockholders to hold Radbourn to his
bargain after they had made a reasonable profit, but
Radbourn explained that had they not backed him he
would still be wasting his time in the grind of Brown
& Jones Office and that they had taken chance of
losing all they put in, and the affair perfectly
satisfactory all around.
But when the Gotham gave him commission to
write novel to appear in the magazine as a serial, and
to be published later in book form, Radbourn WINGED
He was, however, too much of a man to complain.
The book, he felt sure, would be a success, and
would not only bring considerable amount of lmme-
diate money but would increase his fame that he
would be able to command still better market for
all he should write.
What especially bored him the thought that
with his present income he could afford to take the
large room on the rear of the third floor and pay
board for two. But while he bound to pay half
his income to the stockholders this out of the
question May German had become more than a
friend and adviser TO nln SLOWLY, as SUCH lnlhSS
progress in boarding house. his liking for her had
taken on a stronger coorng, until it really annoyed
him that the T. R. r. Company occupied so many of
his evenings
With brave heart Radbourn put aside all thoughts
of marriage, and, dropping for the time his smaller
work. gave himself wholly to the task of writing his
novel The first few chapters put paper smooth
ly enough, and then his deserted him without
rhyme or reason lie found himself sitting hour after
hour before his table, thinking not of his heroine but
of May German, and he gradually fell into a state of
detection 1t disgusting to think that he, the
writer able to support wife, should be bound to
give away half his income for an entire two years.
during which period he would not dare to marry
lie did his best to write the novel, but he was un-
able to put his heart in it, and what he wrote one day
he destroyed the next.
For a while the stockholders were patient and then
they began to investigate him. They held noisy meet
ings in his and smoked his tobacco and cheerd
him up. During the meetings Radbourn regained his
spirits and when they left he usually in the best
of good humOr, and assured them honestly enough,
that in the morning he would get with the novel.
But as week followed another stocks in T. R. r.
fell point by point and at length Radbourn sadly ad-
mtted that his pen had lost its cunning.
The company took the confession well enough, for
they had made good profit their investment, and
believed Radbourn would regain his inspiration.
1t Bobby Mahew who suggested making an as
sessment to send the factory vacation to Queechy
Lake for a couple of weeks, and while the directors
agreed that it would be good investment the ma
jority of the company preparing for their own
vacations, and not well prepared to stand an as