The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-07-09
A
NEAT JOB
By JOHN Y. LARNED

lddleston. Il am very much worried |
about my SON.
whats the trouble?" | asked.
HE is infatuated with girl l de-
test
Have you grounds for detesting
her?
There's nothing in her. She's vain.
selfish and altogether unlovely. How
she has captured Jimmie l can't imag
ine."
Since | was not interested in Jim
mie the information did not especial
ly move me- But l was interested in
his mother. who was widow. Indeed.
had intentions with reference to Mrs.
Iddleston and wished / could make her
think me as fine a man as this girl
had succeeded in making Jim think her
fine woman. | wondered how she
did it.
"Now. I know that you, novelist"
continued Mrs. Iddleston, ARE one of
the inventive kind with plenty of in
genuity and can bring about some sit
uation between Jimmie and this girl
|
pears to any one who sees her through
eyes not distorted by the imagination"
"Who is she?" 1 asked.
Julia Hinton"
How can know herT
Jimmie tells me that she's going
this summer to Arlington Beach. Why
can't you go there, too, for your vaca-
ton"
81 can"
"And you will try to do something
for me?"
"On one condition-that If | succeed
you will find some other literary man
to invent scheme whereby | may be
made to look better in your eyes than
| am"
can vouch for the fact, though |
do not expect to be believed, that a
widow is capable of blushing, for | de
tected faint reddening as she replied,
with a bit of barney: You don't need
that. Every one knows how clever you
are, and | am sure you will succeed in
saving my boy"
IF | succeed in showing him the
girl exactly as she is | am sure you
would not ask me to misrepresent her.
Certainly not"
| | had achieved some recognition on
the part of the reading public and was
known as an author at the hotel where
| stayed. the same in which Miss Hin
ton stayed. and my literary reputation
for good work or bad, as the case
may be-made me something of lion
While at the beach | was sending
my publisher copy every week except
the first. On my return in September
| read the final plate proofs of my sto
ry, and the book was issued before
Christmas.
Soon after its publication l was in
vited to dine at Mrs. Iddleston's. jim
l was present and received me some
t what coolly. We had not been Ions
r at table before the subject of my nov
ell was broached. Mrs. Iddleston sait
r some very nice things about it. jim
e said nothing till his mother reproachet
0 him for being so impoite as not to sa!
something favorable to the autho
q about his work.
q | protested. That's where we au
q thors have a hard time | said. "Peo
t pie say complimentary things to u
about our work. but we get no rea
o criticism-that which of all things w
e need most
well" said Jim. 81 have q persona
r bone to pick with the author in thi
case. Several things | said were pu
a in the story word for word"
n you are right" replied. "Edmon,
Searle is a picture of yourself
| saw his face light with pleasure
s. do you really mean that?" he asked
'SearIe is a splendid fellow"
t. Why do you consider him such ?
| asked.
e. 81 don't know"
/. 1T is because you see him as he is
st real living person. You are taken ou
g of yourself to look at yourself"
ar But there is one thing about me i
a. the story | don't like What an as
Searle was to fall in love with tina
p silly girl
ID THE girl was real character too.
~ What, that thing"
What don't you like about her?"
1t "She hasn't any sense"
Anything else?"
T. "One can tell by her talk that she
IS vain"
~ did her conversation in the stor
Of seem fiippant to your"
81 should think So"
I'm sorry the character doesn
"a please you. You see, my work is a
from models, and any success | hay
IS attained is on that account. ! don
Is idealize my models. | paint them jul
as they are"
l "Who is this stupid girl you haN
ip pictured?"
y do yov mean to say you don't re
ognize her?"
IN "Was she at the beach last sur
u mer?"
Certainly. You were with her
IS times. It's strange you don't reco