Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-07-08
A
NEAT JOB
By JOHN Y. LARNED

MI. BlrkStead. SAID my friend Mrs.
Iddleston, II am very much worried
about my SON."
whats the troubIer' asked.
HE is infatuated with girl de-
test"
"Have you grounds for detesting
herT
There's nothing In her. She's vain.
selfish and altogether unlovely. How
she has captured Jimmie I can't imag-
ine."
Since ] was not interested In jim
mile the information did not especial
ly move me. But / was interested In
his mother, who was a widow. Indeed,
had intentions with reference to Mrs.
lddleston and wished / could make her
had succeeded In making Jim think her
fine woman. wondered how she
did 1t.
Now, ! know that you. a 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
to make her appear to him as she ap-
pears to any one who sees her through
eyes not distorted by the imagination"
"Who is sheY' / asked
Julia Hinton"
"How can | know herr
Jimmie tells me that she's going
this summer to Arlington Beach. Why
can't you go there. too. for your vaca.
tionT
II can"
"And you Will try to do something
for me?"
ION one condition-that II l succeed
you will find some other literary man
to invent a scheme whereby l may be
made to look better in your eyes than
I am"
do not expect to be believed. that
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
l 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 l was sending
my publisher copy every week except
the first On my return in September
l read the final plate proofs of my sto-
~, and the book was issued before
Christmas.
Soon after its publication | was In
vited to dine at Mrs. Iddleston's. Jim
was present and received me some
what coolly. We had not been long
at table before the subject of my nov
ell was preached Mrs. Iddleston said
some very nice things about it. Jim
said nothing till his mother reproached
him for being so impolite as not to say
something favorable to the author
about his work.
! protested That's where we au-
thors have a hard time" said. "Peo-
pie say complimentary things to US
criticism-that which of all things we
need most
"Well," said Jim, II have a personal
bone to pick with the author In this
case. Several things l said were put
In the story word for word"
"You are right" replied Edmond
Searle is picture of yourself"
l saw his face light with pleasure.
'Do you really mean thatY' he asked
"Searle is a splendid fellow"
"Why do you consider him such?"
I asked.
II don't know"
at is because you see him as he is
a real living person. You are taken out
Of yourself to look at yourself"
But there Is one thing about me in
the story / don't like What an ass
Searle was to fall in love with that
silly girl"
1.-The girl was real character too"
what. that thing?'
what don't you like about herr"
"She hasn't any sense"
Anything else?"
zone can tell by her talk that she is
| vain"
did her conversation in the story
seem f1ippant to your"
81 should think So
I'm sorry the character doesn't
please you. You see. my work is ali
from models. and any success ! have
attained is on that account l don't
idealize my models. / paint them Just
as they are"
"Who is this stupid girl you have
p1cturedT
do you mean TO say you don't rec
ognize herr"
WAS she at the beach last sum-
| mer?"