The daily Alaskan., 1913-04-11
The Little
 Authoress
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

of a magazine. When authors came in wIth their manuscripts be would grasp them cordially by the hand, smile upon them. ask them to be seated nnd listen to their long mlEs about what they had to offer
 One day the pretuest little girl in the world was admitted to Mr. Swings snurtum. She came in with smile not only to beat the one with which he greeted her. but ln slang phrase, "to ! bent the band" He drew up cholr l for her close to his rosewood desk and relieved her ut once of package she ! carried by which be knew her for an authoress. Then be brought his eE- nresslve eyes upon her as if to say: nDo ten me what ! cau do for you. am dying to serve you"
 Then she began to tolE About whatg Eycryth.ng-her bashfulness about entering the field of literature, inc great responsibility that must nee cssarily rest upon editors, what won- ! dorrul powers of discrimination they must have, thc characters In her work, a novel. her difficulty ln finding a motif ! and the many times she had rewritten certain parts. For half am hour she l talked. the editor listening rather to ] her sweet voice than what she snid-he ! haG hearI It uII thousand times be. fore-somcumcs r0ncying that she was o bIrd fhaf had flown into his s0nctum to rest him from Che hardest work in ! the world that of reading one monu- script after another through the long day.
 When she went away be had prom lsed her chat In order to give Ser story especial attention he would take it home wIll him and read it far away from Che interruptions constantly oc- curing during business hours. For some time after she had gone he sat, with her warbIe stll sounding swcctly ln h.s rurs. then began to write iu brue pencil che word return" on thc covers of pile of manuscripts on his desk. throwing each into basket be- . side him. such as Is commonly used as a receptacle for s0iled linen.
 Tnut evening twe Co bis promise, he took thr manuscript home with him, intending Co read it at am early date; .bul whether Che little authorcss had made a deeper impression on him than fha bundle or whether hn had been SO neen with her that he was n nO hur- ry to get rid ur her. bc put or its eE- animation from day Go day. Now and amm she would call upon him. He would greet her with the same ana mly as before. telling her that he was drrcwug che examination Of her novel Gu nn felt in a mood tD appre- c.nte its merits The more delicate the srgIr and sentiment m a story the more dImcuIl it was of detection. Doubtless within another week he would feel inspired to read the manu- scr.nt and decide upon lts merits. The patience. the good nature, Of the Wuc authorcss were ucNhUust.ble. she annreuiatpd Che editors kindness to her. a stranger and hoped he would not hurry He invited her to drop in occasionally. since he would always be ] gnd to mlg with her about her liter . .ary aspirations
 One day when che editor felt "in- .snred" to read che manuscript be had taken home he looked for it in his room and did not ind lt. Calling his landndy. he made Inquiries and learn ed that sbe had gathered mp some "oId . truck" among them a lot of paper done up In a bundle, and it had been taken away by the scavenger,
 The editor turned pale. The manu- . script Of Che Uttlc autboress had doubt less gone Co lhc dumping ground, whence lt would not be recovered. He wrote her at once Co know if she had , another copy, since he wished friend on whose literary Judgment he greatly relied to rc1d the story and had not vet finished it himself She replied that she had given him the only copy in existence.
 The six months that followed were wearing on the editor For that period he Dut Che little authoress or with eN. cuses. Then, there being no other way out of the troubIc-0t least so he put it to hImself-he asked her to marry him.
 When she refused him she took away his last prop. He had a faint hope that the arrangement which usually comes between a man who has been reGiscd and the lady who has refused him would lead the Iittle 0uthorcss to keep away from him and the lost manuscript would In time be forgotten
 But she continued to call for it in per. son. always with the same good natur. ed smile. never chIdIng him for the delay. and every tune she left him he assured her that by the time she came again he wouId surely be ready to give
 her his literary opinion on her work and did not doubt that It would be ac
 ceptcd by the magazine.
 The ladys refusal Of him made him cogulzant Of the fact that she was much more to him than he had sup
 posed. After l month more Of menta
 distress he confessed to the loss of tht ? manuscript and that he couldn't pos
 sbly live without her
 She clappcd her hands In glee. "Anc s.. r.r..r n ..9r fraeTnr1 #n rrnfsn 20 ghf