Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-01-11
ASingleHair
By PERCY C. HALL

J. !. :
The editor OF the Excelsior Magazine
sat at his desk opening envelopes con.
tanning contributions. Running over
the sheets of one to discover IL II came
within the prescribed length, he found
between two OF them a hair. II WAS
too long for mans hair and too short
Tor woman's. But 1t must be one
or the other, and since the manuscript
was sent In by a woman he concluded
that 1t had belonged to the latter. 1t
was not black or brown or red: If
was golden. And the name of the Girl
on whose head 1t had doubtless grown
was Nathalie Rose Arrowsmith. But
perhaps this was fictitious.
The Excelsior Magazine was uub-
lished In the far west, where women
being comparatively scarce, are appre-
clated. Possibly 1t was this that led
the editor to dream over the golden
hair and Nathalie Rose Arrowsmith
lie was young man OF ideal tastes
He was not the owner OF the period
ical, but an employee whose business
1t was to select such contributions as
would Ut In between certain other
staple matter. He possessed literary
discrimination. but was aware that this
delicate faculty was not considered in
liking his salary. What was expected
or him was to read the manuscripts
that came In to see that there was
nothing In them calculated to offend
any OF the magazines patrons. select
Ing those that would fit the empty
spaces.
That a good name for Miss Arrow
smith would be ''the fair one with the
golden locks" gradually insinuated It.
self into the young editors mind. He
estimated the length Of her produc-
ton and. finding It within limits. laid
II aside for acceptance in case II con-
tanned nothing Objectionable. Mean
while bis operative mentality wRs on
his work. but his ideal fncuIties-those
akin to soul-were on the fair one
with the golden locks" BY the time
be had read her manuscript he had con-
tured up a poetic. aesthetic condition
that enabled him to see In It the high
est degree Of literary merit The Ian
guage was ''plains" or gulch language.
and the author had succeeded In Civ
ing 1t as correctly as II she had kept a
cowboys boarding house. There were
Rattlesnake Bill and Mexican Pete. as
bad men as ever famed a AZ or
twisted a bowie" Then there was
Cactus Kate, not overparticular in her
loves, but "a heart as big as Table
mountain"
The story was available. but when
the editor contemplated Offering the
arrangements limit Of compensation
for such productions-$2.bO-his whole
ideal nature sickened. Yet what could
he dor Any suggestion to pay an ad-
diuonal sum for literary gem would
only meet with snarl from his chief
and the remark that I'VE amt in this
yere business to edecate authors. but
Tor dust" He concluded to soften the
blow for the fair one with the golden
locks By writing her letter of apollo
gy for offering her so pitifuI q sum for
her production.
II he had stopped at this there need
have been no harm done. All editors
kindly insert feather beds under strue-
Cling authors before knocking them
down. It's a feature OF the business.
Des ZIG BOto btTdnu nAQ STUCK In his
head, and he added some soft stun"
he Enclosed the proprietor's check for
the price to be paid and sent the whole
away with futtering heart.
A few days later the young editor
heard a stentorian voice in the man
ayers private room debating some
question with all the intensity Of Ian
Buage or Rattlesnake Bill or Mexican
Pete In the story. Then the manager
called the editor into his ONCE. There
stood q strapping cowboy whose yell
low hair hung down under his SOM
orero. There were pistols and car
tridges in his belt and spurs big
enough for buzz saws on his heels.
He was flushed with anger; but. on
seeing the editor, who was q delicate
fellow Of Eve feet two inches and a
hundred pounds weight. he stood as
sonished for moment then burst into
q ut OF uncomfortable laughter.