The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-05-23
The Little
Authoress
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

Walter Ewing had just that kind Of
suavity that is required Of the editor
of d magazine. When authors came in
with their manuscripts he would grasp
them cordially by the hand. smile upon
them, ask them to be seated and listen
to their long talks about what they
had to offer.
One day the prettlest little girl in the
world was admitted to Mr.. Ewing's
sanctum. She came In with u smile
not only to beat the n with which he
greeted her. but. III slang phrase, ito
beat the band" He drew up a chair
for her close to his rosewood desk and
relieved her at once OF a package she
carried by which he knew her for an
a%uthoress. Then he brought his ex-
pressive eyes upon her as If to say:
do tell me what I can do for you. /
am dying to serve you"
Then she began to talk. About
what? Everything-her bashfulness
about entering the field of literature.
the great responsibility that must nee
essarily rest upon editors. what won
derful powers Of discrimination they
must have. the characters in her work.
a novel; her difficulty in finding Il motif
and the many times she had rewritten
certain parts. For half an honr she
talked, the editor listening rather to
her sweet voice than what she said-he
had heard 1t all a thousand times be-
fore-sometimes fancying that she was
a bird that had flown into his sanctum
to rest him from the hardest work In
the. world-that Of reading one manu-.
script after another through the long
day.
When she went away he had prom.
Used her that in order to give her story
especial attention he would take 1t
home with him and read 1t. far away
from the Interruptions constantly &C.
curing during business hours. For
some time after she had gone he sat,
| with her MARBLE still sounding sweetly
in his ears. then began to write in
blue pencil the word return" on the
covers of a pile Of manuscripts on his
desk, throwing each into Il basket be-
side him, such as is commonly used
as a receptacle for soiled linen.
That evening. true to his promise.
he took the manuscript home with him.
intending to read it ut IN early date;
but. whether the little authoress had
made a deeper impression on him than
| kh1 I,,,,,Il> 1r ~,hokl,1,, h> nod hoar On
taken with her that he was in no bur.
ry to get rid Of her. he put off its ex-
animation from day to day. Now and
again she would call upon him. He
would greet her with the same affa-
bility us before. telling her that he
was deferriny the examination of her
novel till he felt In a mood to appre-
ciate its merits. The more delicate the
style and sentiment in n story the
more difficult 1t was Of detection.
Doubtless within another week he
would feel inspired. to read the manu-
script and decide upon its merits.
The patience. the good nature. of the
little authoress were i~nexhaustible.
She appreciated the editors kindness
to her. a stranger. and hoped he would
not hurry. He invited her to drop In
occasionally. since he would always be
glad to talk with her about her liter
ary aspirations.
One day when the editor felt ''in-
spired' to read the manuscript he had
taken home he looked for it in his
room and did not find it. Calling his
landlady. he made inquiries and learn
ed that she had gathered up some "oId
truck."samOng them u lot of paper
done up in u bundle. and 1t had bee,:
taken away by the scavenger.
The editor turned pale. The manu-
script of the little authoress had doub!'
less gone to the dumping ground
whence 1t would not be recovered. He
wrote her at M to know IL she haG
another copy. since he wished q friend
ON whose literary judgment he great!,
relied to read the story and had no!
yet finished it himself. She replied
that she had given him the only copy In
existence.
The six months that followed yer
wearing on the editor. For that period
he put the little authorizes OF with ex.
cuses. Then. there being no other way
out Of the trouble-at least NO he put it
to hi;nself-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 nan who has been
refused and the lady who has refused
him would lead the little authoress to
keep away from him and the lost
manuscript would In time be forgotten
But she continued to call for 1t In per-
son, always with the same good natur-
ed smile. never ending him for the
delay. and every time she left him he
assured her that by the time she came
again he would surely be ready to give
her bis literary opinion on her work
and did not doubt that It would be ac.
cepted by the magazine.
The lady's refusal Of him made him
,ogniznnt of the fact that she was
much more to him than he had sup
posed. After a month more Of mental
distress he confessed to the loss Of the
tN-NE ~. ~ . - A---.