The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-12-31
SELECTING A MODEL
BY r. A. USSlNG.

On MS SnOulueT ne looheu up at Her'
What is the matter, dear?"
"Oh, 1t is my family again. Uncle
Hans Peters feelings have been hurt
by your last short story"
His feelings have been hurt? l do
not quite understand"
Well, you remember that the name
of the villain in it is Hans Peter"
And them"
That has been enough to hurt him
dreadfully."
Il don't quite understand yet is
Uncle Hans Peter then such disgust
ing person as the type describe?'
NO, not at all. But recently you
wrote another story in which one of
the persons was a certain merchant
whom you called Theobald Olarson,
though you knew that Cousin Theo-
bald"
Good Lord, | had quite forgotten
that you had cousin Theobald. 1
never thought of it when | wrote the
story, but my merchant was hypo-
critic and swindler and not the least
bit like your cousin
"Of course not, but one incident
chains itself to another. You remem-
Der the story you wrote about the lille
climate child? Agnes thought that
was slap in her face
Once more | don't follow you
you cannot have forgotten that her
first baby was born eight months after
her wedding"
Now you must forgive me, dear. l
never for a moment thought of count
ing the months | took the baby's
birth as a most natural event"
The novelists wife kissed him ten
derby.
You will promise me never to use
my relatives as models"
Models, darling. l never use mod
els. People think so in their own silly
minds. But | promise | shall be very
careful not to hurt the feelings or
either Uncle Hans or Cousin Theobald
or Sister Agnes hope there are no
usurers In your family
mo"
Good. Besides these three. my nov
ell tells Of a certain paper manufactur-
er, who is a most disgusting hypocrite,
who is In love with the usurer's beau
tiful daughter and whom the usurer
favors because of his wealth. Then
comes the conflict and the young man
wins"
The novelist wrote his famous book.
The Usurers Daughter" which Gre
ated such a sensation in the literary
world The magazine rights were sold
to the Copenhagen Magazine"
When he received his check from
the editor of the magazine he present
ed his wife with a diamond ring and
took her to the Royal theater in the
evening.
Two months later the book came
out. and the next day 2. distant relative
Of the authors wife called to see her.
She received him very coldly, hav-
ing always disliked him most cordial
by, but he did not seem to notice it.
He walked straight UP to her and
zine on the table In front of her.
rs your husband in?" he asked.
mo, he is not" she replied.
"He is a scoundrel" he Kissed. '1n
this story he calls me a usurer. There
is not the slightest doubt that he
means me. AS il | were not entitled
to charge a miserable 2 per cent
month on the security | get. I don't
see that it is any OF his business, and
| hope you will please tell him so.
Good-by."
While the young couple were at the
breakfast table the bell rang out
sharply. 1t was the fatherin-law OF
the novelist, the well-known minister
of a fashionable church, a stout,
smoothshaven man with gold-rimmed
spectacles.
You miserable hound" he Kissed,
and his eyes shot fire.
What is the natter
The reverend gentleman threw
copy of the book on the table.
"A gentleman does not use models
for the person in his books, you rascal.
You write here that am a hypocrite
who goes to church in the morning and
spend my evenings with girls OF the
streets in private rooms OF night res
taurants. You cannot deny It. You
mean me-
The novelist stared at the angry
man. dumfounded.
The minister went on:
What you write Is true enough.
very true indeed, but it IL the duty Of
A minister Of the church to study vice
In order to be able to denounce II from
the pulpit, and that is what | have
been doing. How could | speak of i'm
morality unless mad studied 1t close
by and gathered experience? But
words fail me to express what | think
Of your conduct, sir
He rushed out of the room.
In the evening "A letter came from
Cousin Theobald. who wrote:
Tomorrow | shall sue your husband
for once more making use of my name
In his novels and insinuating that my
rather.in law is a usurer, when as a
matter of fact. he has never charged
more than IA per cent interest on the
few loans he has ever made"
Here the novelist threw up his
hands In despair and vowed that he
would go abroad with his wife for a
year while writing his next novel
The Rhno OF Pompeii.