The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-17
A
NEAT JOB
BY JOHN Y. LARNED

whats the trouble?" l asked.
He is infatuated with a girl / 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 l was not interested in Jim
mie the information did not especial
iy move me. But l was interested in
his mother, who was a widow. Indeed,
l had intentions with reference to Mrs.
lddlestOn and wished l could make her
think me as fine a man as this girl
had succeeded in making Jim think her
Il fine woman. l wondered how she
did it.
Now. I 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 she?' 1 asked.
Julia Hinton"
How can I know herr"
Jimmie tells me that she's going
this summer to Arlington Beach. Why
cant you go there. too, for your vaca-
tion?"
Il can"
And you will try to do something
for me?'
"tOn one conditiOn-that if I succeed
you will find some other literary man
to invent a scheme whereby l may be
made to look better in your eyes than
| am"
l can vouch for the fact, though |
do not expect to be believed, that a
widow is capable of blushing, for l de-
tected a faint reddening as she replied.
with a bit of barney: You don't need
that. Every one knows how clever you
are, and l am SUR you will succeed in
saving. my boy"
If l succeed in showing him the
girl exactly as she is l am sure you
would not ask me to misrepresent her."
Certainly not"
L had achieved some recognition on
the part of the reading public and was
known as an author at the hotel where
I 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 a 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-
nv, and the book was issued before
Christmas.
Soon after it's publication l 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.
l protested. That's where we au-
thors have a hard time," l said. "Peo-
pie say complimentary things to US
about our work. but we get no real
criticism-that which of all things we
need most"
"Well,' said Jim, Il 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" l replied. Edmond
Searle is a 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.
Il don't know"
1T is because you see him as he is
4 real living person. You are taken out
Of yourself to look at yourself"
But there is one thing about me in
the story l don't like. What an ass
Searle was to fall in love with that
J silly girl"
1.-The girl was a real character too"
What, that thing"
What don't you like about her7"
"She hasn't any sense"
Anything Aelse?"
Zone can tell by her talk that she is
rain"
did her conversation in the story
'eem fiippant to you?"
Il should think so."
I'm sorry the character doesn't
please you. You see my work is all
from models, and any success l have
attained is on that account. I don't
idealize my models. / paint them just
as they are"
"Who is this stupid girl you have
picturedY"
"Do you mean to say you don't rec
ognize herY'
WAS she at the beach last sum
mer"
Certainly. You were with her at
times. It's strange you don't recog-
nize her."
"Well, who was she?"
i IA rR4-st r YY4-L--S - f 5000 49,