Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-04-25
A SERIOUS
BLUNDER
BY F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
BY F. A. Mitchell

NoJ AS
4 move published under the name OF
Rosamond Stanford as follows:
"'Her Mistake by Rosamond Stan
ford Zones Bros.), is a mistake all
through. In the first place. it was a
mistake for Miss Stanford to try to
write a novel at all. Her hero, Milton
Truesdale, is a prig. Her heroine, Alice
Van Zant, would do very we'll for the
leading lady Of a child's play. The
scenes are like a London fog. the char
acters as stiff as the fgurehead of a
sailing ship of the nineteenth century,"
1t was Saturday night when Aims
worth consigned the poor authoress'
labor to oblivion, and the foreman OF
the composing room was calling for
copy for the Literary Digest. The edi-
tor called a boy and sent up criticisms
Of six novels, all Of which he had read
that afternoon, to fill up the column
~unprovided for. Then he went home,
put a hot water bag on his stomach,
another on his cheek and after a few
hours more suffering went to sleep.
He awoke at 10 O'Clock in the morn
AAS 1S4lC Slleu. allct q Ddlu dUu d
breakfast he lounged, and if he saw a
newspaper lying about he took it up
and put it in the stove. He dined at
2, slept from 8 till 6, took tea and pro-
ceeded to make his usual Sunday even
ing call on his fancee. Marion Schoe-
field.
Miss Schoefeld, who had beer used
to his calls for several years, waiting
while her lover condemned enough
books to enable him to marry her. was.
as usual. watching for her lover on
Sunday evening at the parlor window.
Mr.. Ainsworth was disappointed at
not seeing her at the accustomed place.
Fearing something serious had hap
pened, he hurried into the house.
Meeting her sister in the hall, he ask
ed a%nNiously:
Where is Molly?"
No answer.
Great heavens! Is she ill?"
No answer.
DO tell me?'
Molly is well enough. She'll be
down presently
ILL Ill "dlhCu luC pdl1Ol AOOl
for half an hour, when, looking up, he
saw his love standing mute before
him. She had entered so silently that
she had not heard him. She looked
as if she had been buried and ex-
humed.
Observation-Disclosures" he exclaimed.
what has h~appened?"
GA good deal has happened" was
the reply.
Tell me. I'm dying with suspense"
Perhaps you will not think it a
matter of Importance. The truth has
simply been spoken"
"The truth"
Eyes. 1t is no fault Of yours"
Whose fault is it?"
mo ones. l have simply made a
mistake"
what mistaken"
I'm trying to write a novel;"
You write a novel!'
Eyes. I have been engaged for more
than a year on one"
"Well?'
II have been advised by one near
and dear to me-that's the worst Of
it"-tremulously-''that I made a mis-
take in trying to write
"Who told you that nonsense?"
'"Besides, I've discovered that the
man l took for a model for my hero
is a prig."
"Who did you take?"
Zone I love-"
Good gracious! You didn't take me?"
dyes, 1 did," with a sob.
"Well, well. sweetheart, who told
YOU all this? Have YOU been getting
some Anticipated FOOLS opinion on your
manuscripts"
1.-THE novel has been published"
"By whom?"
Zones Bros"
Mr.. Ainsworth began to see through
a milestone.
"Has it been criticised?'
Eyes. A criticism appeared this
morning"
I'm what paper?"
"The Literary Digest"
Ainsworth saw that without a coup
all was lost. 81 wrote all the criticisms
in today's issue. I wrote none on a
book by you"
my own name wasn't on the title
page. 1t was Rosamond Stanford"
"What was the name of the storyT"
"'Her Mistake"
Tier Mistaken My gracious, Molly.
how could you have tried to write a
story of British society without ever
having visited Euglnnd?"
II didn't"
"And that scene between the duke
and Lady Tatterton-it is ridiculous"
There is no such scene in my novel;"
II shall stand by my guns. Your hero
Auchincloss is a prig. Til never give
in on that"
"Auchincloss? He isn't my hero. My
hero is Roy Courtenay. I drew him
from you"
There's no such man in His Mis-
take"
"'Her Mistake"
"I'm talking Of His Mistake"
"My story was Her Mistake"