The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-07-07
A Study
From Life
Young Woman's Experience
With a Supposed
Maniac
By HOWARD FIELDING

S~NtS csSS, "hCu SIle w in III
Smith college, she sent a crude but
very laughable tale to magazine.
which printed it and cried out for
more. They are in book form now
two volumes. twenty.four stories ana
the poor girls talent. which was
worthy of serious cultivation. is 10 the
way Of speedy extinction.
Fancy writing two dozen deliberate
~ funny stories in about thirty mouths
Fancy dragging Jenny through all
that series Of compulsory comedy and
endeavoring to preserve her Individual
character or even her semblance +"
humanity: The life of the popular al
thor IL a tragedy more bitter than
starvation. though the intoxicated vic
tim may not realize the sadness of it.
Miss Hallett was very far from such
realization. She was not ashamed of
Jenny. merely tired Of her. and so she
decided to write something else.
novel, serious effort But at this her
publishers rose up and danced the
ghost dance and sang the death song
Why be serious and throw away good
money? 1t was finally agreed that
Mary should write d funny novel
There was certain man named
Sandison Lane, who had begun by be-
ing very much in love with the gifted
authoress and had ended by feeling to
ward her wild evaporation. He,
was writer with an artistic con
science and living income. To Mary
he was a source of unfailing amust
ment. When he sighed for her at first
and later, when he used to saw the air
with his arms while he lectured her
upon the higher life in literature. she
always wanted to laugh
Sandison Lane suspected that she
was lacking in essential honesty and
beyond salvation. and the facts ahout
the new novel settled this conviction
In his mind. In al unguarded mo
ment Lane had told Miss Hailett a stn
~ plot. based upon rather grim mod
his observation-the cs..eG man who
had been crazed by ..@.uniary worries
and had Subsequent accomplished
some rather startling achievements
through the power OF monomania
which was unperceived by his ass".
ciates. 1t struck Miss Hallett as a
good joke to make farce out of this
tragedy and use 1t as the theme of her
HeFei. And when she fell into diff
ckities with her plot. which. was
short story pulled out until 1t broke 50
that 1t had beginning and IN eni.
but no middle. she had not the small
est hesitation in sending for Lane and
asking his help.
.I've used that little story that you
told me-. said she. You don't obiprt
You weren't going to use Ii YOURSELF"
"Oh, no." said Lane and ground his
teeth
he looked through all her rough
drafts and memoranda carefully
.Whaf early license have you." said
be, ITO write about a condition Of men
tai disturbance? You've never stnd
led IT.
..indeed. know more than won
think she said MY uncle has
sanitarium In Midwile. Mich. th
course his natientS are not rery crazs
but some of them are queer enough
.How long since you visited yasil
uncleT
a bout ten years !"
..Nhen yoll were twelve Well III
recommend u more mature study. WIN
don't you so out there again:
..Do YOU think il wonld q" ne M
goody" said she, I'm afraid Id WIS
time I've agreed to finish tins t"""
by the 1st of April"
Lane was one of those men VIE 5tss'
augered by foolisnness He WAS fr'N
raging. but he preserved an W'iw:t"t
calm, and the conversation Went on !.
an end In the most amica BILE taSh'nh
Some days later Lane received a n"f'
from Miss Haliett saying that shr ha':
decided to go to her uncles at M"a
vale and would like him to call oefor'
her departure. He did not fail {" q"
SO. for 10 the meantime rather "dh
coincidence had arisen in this affair,
sIt happens" said be. that Am
sending your uncle patient-that ~,
I am one OF several VINO are uoius y
He'll be rather good study for you
too"
.What's the matter with hlmT she
inquired.
.He was clerk In brokers' Office
downtown. lost his job In the panh
ana was crazed by pecaniary worry
He has a mother and two sisters Gle
pending upon him. and the strain mas
been too much"
3 sRaving?
B .No. indeed: nothing OF the sort
You'd never know that there was any
thing wrong with him. He has dela
sions. but he keeps them to himself
II Is possible for iunatic to be gen
tIeman. What will become of this
snoor fellow | don't know. but were
jfoInc, to give him chance. used To-
think the world Of him 10 college
We've bought him some clothes anu
have fixed things so that his people
fnr Soma months. and