The Cairo bulletin., 1911-04-19
HON THE ST0AY
WAS FINISHED
The Office HACK Gets a Start
In Literature.


proprietor, Edward Farnhlm, capital.
ist ana litterateur. two readers and
youag man named Arthur Otis. who
did odd jobs liz the mating MP thar
We're not considered OF suhlrieM I'm.
portance to take up the time Of the
others.
One day Mr.. Faruhan laid manu-
script novel O. Otis desk a4l said:
There's a nov" by Donald l',,y.
want you to 20 over 1t and Ect 1t
ready for the printer" ~. idnham
usually gave his orders. 70 Otis cspp-
cially. without comment. bat tolHy tie
was very much pleased and added:
I'VE must begin that IN May, I've
been keeping place for it, Anything
by Fox will increase the circulation ~
per cent. 1t ought to. II cost 10 cents
word for the serial right atone, This
Is the best thing, In my Judgment. ne =
ever done: new departure; not Il bii
In his usual style"
Otis never made Il reply to anything
the head Of the concern said. He took
the manuscript and began 80 work
upon it Immediately. The next day he
took it to his chief aud pointed cut
what he considered defect. suggest
ing that 1t be referred back to the An.
thor to be changed. Mr., Farnmm
scowled, examined the pages referred
to and told Otis that he was not en-
ployed to tell eminent writer's how to
write novels,
When Otis had concluded his work
he laid the manuscript on Mr., Farm
hams desk and remarked:
~ see, sir that the work Is not fn
ished"
"Mr, Fox has promised to hare It all
In by the required time"
"But, sir" said the clerk. as shade
Of anxiety passed over his face. don't
you fear that If anything should hap.
pen to Mr. Fox
"Well?" said the manager in icy
tone.
Gould any one else finish IT."
mo. but I'm going to take the risk"
In due time the story appeared. and
its reception was far beyond what the
manager had looked for. The criti-
cisms We're fine, all critics noting the
new departure of the author.
One day when the story had been
running six months Otis noticed O gen.
tleman whom he was told was the
celebrated Donald Fox talking with
the manager After the visitor had
gone Mr.. Farnham brought a package
to OTIS desk.
"The closing chapters of Fox's gTent
novel;" he said.
The next morning Otis stood by his
chiefs desk waiting permission TO
speak,
"Well?" said the manager, looking
up.
"IIave you read these chapters of
Mr.. Fox's novelT' asked the under
strapper.
"No."
"1hey are entirely unlike tue rest
The public will not believe Mr.. Fox
wrote thein. They are very abrupt"
1t was on the chiefs tongue to tell
bis subordinate to attend to his own
business. but the last words changed
the impulse. Since the author was To
be paid 10 cents word for the work
it would not be to his interest to close
it abruptly.
leave it," said the chief.
For the next few days Otis sat at
his desk surrounded by cyclone.
From what he overheard he judged
that Fox had confessed that he had
hired literary man who had done
some good work to write the story az
3 cents n word. The author had been
taken III and died when the work was
about two-thirds finished. Fox had
hurriedly written the last chapters
himself.
AS soon as he gathered this informa
ton Otis walked humbly to the chiefs
desk
"Would you like, sir Mr., Fox's novel
continued in the same vein as the ear.
Her chapters?"
"Like tt? We're in the biggest
hole
He stopped short. He remembered
that Otis had warned him of this very
possibility.
"Was there any understanding with
Mr.. Fox AS to the length Of the sto
ryf" asked Otis.
Farnham looked at the young mar
with amazcment None Of his EN-
ployces had ever dared ask him about
the terms Of his contracts before.
"Do You know your busincss"
eyes, sir. But
swell. do II. and let other peoples
| business alone"
'I've understood that Mr., Fox was
| TO get 10 cents word and that ht
sublet the work for 3 cents a word
hut don't know howslong the story
was to be-
"Wcll. sir, why should you know
because he fact il. Mr. FnrEham
I'm Interested"
"Intercsted. Won impudent"--
"Yes, sir; pecuniarlly interested
You see. Mr. Farnbam. Mr.. Fox got
10 cents q word and subet II ia Andy
Nichols at 3 ronts Nichols sublet II
= to me ut . cents word That's pref
! ty poor pay, YOU know. but II I'm 10
| he pprmitted 70 StriDv n ont | can