The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-29
THE EVENING STORY
Misapprehension and Plots.
(By M. J. Phillips.)


Miss Marcie Destrode had decided
to adopt literary career. There was
no necessity for such a decision, since
her father had one of the finest plan
tations south of Mason and Dixon S
line. And Miss Marcie was twenty
and very good to look upon. Not that
ladies who adopt lierary careers are
never twenty and good to look upon;
on the contrary, frequently. But her
ideal career seemed to go along other
Enes-like marrying, loving her hus-
band and raising family.
But all the worth while young men
were busy at this time, which may
have been the reason she had resolved
Election the resolve for a literary ca
reer was born.
Preparation was fascinating. Mar
Gle decided to use her secretary,
cramped in space and frail though it
was, as the basis of her career. And
a large blotter would be more profess
sional looking. So she secured a sheet
of blotting paper from her fathers Of
flee.
The plotting paper overlapped the
secretary and it was necessary to
cut it down. MARCHES inadequate lit
tie scissors made sorry job of it. A
scalloped edge, very irregular, was the
result achieved. A gold inkwell and a
fragile gold handled pen did not seem
suitable tools with which to carve out
nexed her fathers big stained ink
we'll and stub pen.
Next came the question of paper.
Authors, she knew, always used large
sheets, and it would never do for her,
a mere beginner, to depart from the
conventions in this respect. Earnest
thought solved the problem. Marion
Augarde had given her box of writ
ing paper for Christmas. She had
never liked it and had not used it.
The box was unearthed and the fold
ed sheets smoothed out to the ap-
proved size.
Preparations all completed, Marcie
drew her chair to the secretary
placed one of the sheets exactly in
the center of the blotter, dipped the
stub pen in the squat inkwell-and
paused in dismay She knew of
nothing to writei The tools for writ
ing had so engrossed her that she
had had no time for the subject mat
ter.
Marcie sat before the secretary for
an hour, her lips compressed, a per-
picked frown drawing her brows to-
gether. The stub pen linked her fin
gers, the scalloped edge of the blotter
annoyed her. A literary career was
not such an easy thing to achieve,
after all.
Inspiration helped her out. She
recalled an advertisement she had
read some weeks before in one of the
furnished to writers.'' A brief search
through the heap of periodicals in the
library revealed it
Mr. Richmond P. Blunt, Room 1174
Majestic building, New York city, un-
dertook to supply plots for aspiring
authors who lacked facility in devils
ing their own. Sufficient plot for
short story, according to his schedule.
was worth So; for novelette, SIS, and
for a novel of seventy to one hundred
thousand words $40, cash with order.
Mr.. Blunt guaranteed to please.
Marcie dashed off a letter to him,
inclosing her personal check for SO.
The stub pen made her boyish hand
writing more boyish still, and there
was nothing about the signature, IN.
R. Destrode," to reveal the sex of the
writer. Nevertheless, she giggled
when in due time Mr.: Blunt's letter.
Paramount City, Tenn and begin
ming my dear SIR arrived.
Marcie read the stiff. formal epistle,
made a pretty little grimace at the
grabbed signature and dismissed the
writer as an ugly old bear Then
she took up the $40 plot, typewrit-
ten document of several pages.
1t was a most satisfying plot-at
first. There was a heroine presum-
ably beautiful and hero presumably
TALLY of wickedness and a villainess
fascinatingly naughty. Then there
were a comedy character or two,
picturesque father, second girl and
several other people more or less i'm
portant who rounded out the cast.
That plot almost gave Marcie
headache to follow it. There were
more twists and turns to it than to
a millionaire's will. There were any
number of thrilling adventures and
hairbreadth escapes suggested, and
several satisfying love scenes. With
such a plot, Marcie thought enthusi-
astically almost any one could adopt
a literary career and become famous
over night.
At least, that is what she thought
until the last page was reached. Then
her satisfaction gave way to disap-
pointment and dismay. Why, the
hero didn't marry the heroine after
ALL! He married that deceitful other
girl, while the poor, dear heroine was
wasted on the villain-somewhat re-
formed, it is true, but still a villain.
Mr.. Richmond P. Blunt was a mis-
cradle old woman hater, so he wasi
To spoil good plot by such a per-
fectly wretched ending. Burning with
indignation, Marcie seized her stub pen
and indited to Mr.. Blunt a letter that
would awaken a mummy. Not only
his skill as a builder of plots, but his
aims, instincts and scheme of life were
scorchingly impugned.
Mr.. Blunt's reply, written on let
terhead showing him to be a lawyer
as we'll as a plot carpenter, fairly
dripped ice water. The plot to which
Mr.. Destrode took such serious OBJ
lection was not conventional, Of course.