Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-04-27

would not have to rely on his imag-
nation for his principal character,
since that kind Of work was liable to
be very lifeless.
A couple of weeks passed. The
leaves had developed; the flowers were
out; now and then there would come
a warm day. Smithson's story did not
seem to develop with the season. He
wrote Barrows that he expected to
make a great success with his heroine.
He had as yet not done much writing
for the reason that he wished his con-
ceptions to become perfectly formed,
reminding the editor that if an authors
conceptions Of his characters are
vague the characters themselves will
be vague. He was studying Miss
Champlin-he had learned her name
and was daily discovering new traits
In her. He had discovered some con-
f1icting feminine idiosyncracies that
would make a unique character.
Smithson threw out several hints to
Miss Champlin to tell him what she
was doing in the country, but elected
LIZ Satisfactorily lCSpOISC. ~ luOuSuI
her reason for not explaining her posi-
ton might arise from the fact of his
not having told her anything about
himself. He preferred not to do So,
for, if he admitted that he was writ
ing a story, she would with a natural
feminine curiosity, wish to know all
about it, and he feared he would 'let
the cat out of the bag that he was
using her for q model. Besides Bar
rows had advised him that If he found
a satisfactory model to keep his pur-
pose a secret.
June came, and with it a letter from
the editor saying that he must have
the story by the end of the month.
He had reserved space for it in the
October and November issues. Smith
son wrote back that it would be i'm
possible for him to finish the work by
that time, whereupon BaErows wrote
asking how much he had done, and
he was obliged to reply that he had
merely formed his conceptions. He
could now work briskly, but could not
have the story ready before the first
of July. He received a reply stating
that he might have till the first Of
July, but no longer. He advised the
author to give up studying his model
and go to work.
Smithson redeemed slightly at what
he considered an imputation and re-
solved to do better. But by this time
every hour he spent away from Miss
Champlin seemed an hour lost. Be-
sides, when he began to work, his
model, what she had last said to him,
whether it was to be interpreted as
encouragement or the reverse-in
short, her personality-would insist on
thrusting itself between him and the
paper before him and interfered with
his writing The consequence was
that the middle of June came and the
story had not taken any shape what
ever. One serious trouble was that
his model was constantly showing diff
ferent traits. He tried to get hold of
them, to group them, but they were
like a handful of frehies, constantly
crawling out between his fingers.
On the Goth of June he wrote Bar
rows that he must have at least an
other month or give up the job. Bar
rows replied that he could not have a
day. He said he believed it was a
case of a character getting away with
an author ms I'D Of an author put
ting his character in limbo. Barrows
waxed facetious also in saying that
the heroine of the story was doubtless
no misty being, but real flesh and
blood.
Smithson saw nothing for it but to
return to the city. He concluded to
go and announced his intention to Miss
Champlin. He found her getting
ready to depart also. He concluded
they might as well take the same
train. During that evening they sat
on the top step of the porch where
they had spent their first morning to-
gether, a half moon looking down on
them from the southern sky. Smith
son told her "his story"-not the n
he had intended to write. but a true
love ~story-and they sat till near mid
night talking it over.
The next day they returned to the
city.
Smithson called on Barrows reluc-
family. He was very ~shamefaced about
his failure to write a story. especially
as the editor had shown a knowledge
Of why he had failed. Barrows kept
him waiting half an hour. then he was
admitted to the sanctum. Smithson
stood astonished.. There was Miss
Champlin.
Barrows smiled.
II have put up a job on you two,''
he said. 81 sent you. Smithson. to the
country to write a story. l sent Miss
Champlin to the same place to write
another one. / contrived that you
should take Miss Champlin as a model
for your heroine and that she should
use you for her hero. l wished to see
what kind Of work such a scheme.
would produce. 1t has convinced me-
that character drawing is not a mat
ter of feeling, but of art. There has
evidently been a love story h11t noithar