Evening star., 1914-09-27

men curious creaturesl
AT last came the day when the Great Idea, rolling
off the press by thousands, bore to waiting world
the four alternate conclusions to its serial had not
been so excited since that prehistoric hour when my
first manuscript published with my name attached.
Of the three contributions by my friends, one, which
I recognized from its style Hardngs, made Agatha
organize and support society for the maintenance of
free hosteles for travellers in countries unknown
scarcely known to the rest of the world that women
who accompanied their gobetroting husbands against
their preference should not be compelled to suffer
needless discomfort.
A second, which bore unmstakable marks of Berke-
1ey's handwork, made the adorable heroine found
new charitable order for the relief of victims of unoward
circumstances, after peculiar fashion For instance,
persons formerly wetodo, but of fallen fortunes,
enabled to hide their condition from prying neigh
bors by going abroad for indefinite PERIOD and trav-
cling in outof- -the-way parts where they would be
sure not to meet anyone they had before;
progressive children of old fogy parents were to be
given the means to wander about the GLOBE out OF
reach of mails and kilograms, and thus avoid daily
family friction till the old folks had caught up with
their advanced PHILOSOPHERS Agatha was, of course,
to be the Mother Superior of the order and recog
nzed familiar artistic touch in the description of her
official garb form and color skfuly designed to set
off Mrs. Jason's personal charms.
Dexters essay just as characteristic 1t showed
how Agatha established salon under the title of the
Home of Honesty. Here travellers and explorers
to meet and exchange their experiences, with the sole
provso that everyone should while under this roof tell
the plain unvarnshed truth to what he had seen and
heard and suffered, regardless of any claims he might
have made to learned societies. any books he might
have published. By an award of valuable prizes for
the most startling confessions membership in the salon
became the great ambition of everyone who could
the time and money to rummage in remote haunts.
Not the least remarkable feature of this group of
solutions the personality of the heroine it hone
them he was he w
figured throughout the serial; yet she something
The earlier chapters had made her deeply inter-
esting: the conclusions raised her to divinity
Turing the ensuing month voting coupons poured
into the office of the Great Idea with every mail,
by the bagul almost 1t seemed if the whole Ameri
public struggling with the question that SO
puzzled Agatha We were not allowed to see this lit
erature till late in the month"; but inferred, from
the bothered look in Calvin's eyes and his dephic
responses to queries and comments, that something
out of the ordinary had happened. When at last we
called to another conference at the club he laid
before huge folio full of the coupons.
4Oh don't to count the vote," said Dexter
mpatiently. well trust you that far. Only tell
who's won the prize"
Nobody" answered Calvin looking at us somberly.
We gave voice to roaring protest.
aNo, Gentlemen" he reafirned, 3you may examine
these ballots and you will find not single vote for
either of the four conclusions published. Most of
tne however, 90 express te VoteIS own notonS dS 10
how the story should have ended Here's typical one
He handed me coupon. across which was written:
Your endings stupid. The girl ought to marry
good who will take of her. and let the money
go to the devil.
Another he passed to me ran:
That good story down to the last; but-oh. myi
then Why does she let that dead tyrant
keep her in slavery! vote give her a deal.
Three others were of the same general purport.
thought could detect tears in Calvin's voice he
remarked the close of recognition of the CHASTITY
failure of his experiment, II don't know what