The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-12-10
discover the profundity of her ignor-


discover the profundity of her ignor-
ance!
Then 1t was that an idea came into
her head SO staggering that it took
complete possession of her. She
would write a story anonymously and
have it accepted for Richards maya
zine!
"How do people get stories accept
ed?" she had asked him once.
why, they try and try, and never
say die" he answered.
When he was gone Clarice set her.
self laboriously to work upon her
plot. 1t was love story, of course,
and the heroine was very much like
Clarice, just as the hero was like
Richard. With trembling fingers Clar.
ice dropped the precious missive in
| the letter-box, and then she waited.
On the fifth morning a long envel-
ope came to her. Clarice's heart beat
high. She opened it. Out tumbled
her story, and, inside the folded pages
was a printed notice as follows:
The editors of The Leviathan' re.
greet that, after careful consideration.
they are unable to use the MS which
you have so kindly submitted"
There was not even name signed
| to it.
Clarice spent that afternoon in her
room crying. She did not care about
the story, but she knew that she
would never make a wife for Richard.
Later that day hope revived. The
next morning the village stationer got
fresh order for foolscap. Two days
afterward second story was posted.
This time the hero was still more like
Richard, but the heroine was not in
the least like Clarice. Clarice was
, blonde and petite, and the heroine,
Ada Maltravers, was tall, brunette,
and statuesQue.
Evidently this sort Of heroine also
failed to meet the appreciation of the
stony-hearted editor. for in four days
time Ada Maltravers was back on
Clarice's hands.
Poor, desperate Clarice resolved to
learn her fate from Richard. She
would write him letter, under the
name she had adopted-George Black
and post it from Hazelton, the next
village. She wrote a pitiful inquiry as
to the cause for the rejection of her
two stories. Tell me frankly" she
wrote, whether | have the ability to
write stories that The Leviathan' will
like"
The appeal touched Richards heart;
and because, with all his wisdom, he
still suffered from the folly known as
youth, he wrote back to the author.
Delicately, tactfully, mercilessly he
pointed out the deficiencies in his
work. The immaturity, the ignorance
of life, the inexperience of the themes
with which he dealt, Richard expound-
ed. And in the final sentence he adj
vised him to wait awhile before offer
ing stories, and then not to offer them
to "The Leviathan."
Three days after writing this letter,
which Littlefeld had expected would
gently, decisiyely, and kindly turn his
correspondents thoughts from the
literary road, the editor received a
letter which made him tear his hair
and then thrust on his hat and rush |
wildly from the office to the railway |
station.
1t was ten-page letter, but it might |
all have been contained in couple of |
lines. Clarice had written that she |
could not marry him.
Eight hours later wild-eyed, dis
heveled figure, which nobody on earth |
could have mistaken for a famous
editor, was hammering on the front
door, of Clarice's house. Clarice's
mother opened and recoiled in amaze
ment.
"Clarice!" muttered the great edi-
tor.
rs it you, Richard! She's in bed,
with sick headache"
Il must see her at once" he blurted
out. +
Clarice's mother had gone through
the experiences of youth herself. So,
instead of thrusting him out into the
night, she led him in and put him
upon lounge, and, ten minutes later,
Clarice appeared, red-eyed, but tan
talizingly pretty as ever.