New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-25
CHAPTER III.

uou, IT WAS Still. JUNE ~ 1914 OF BENNiE MUIR
PLY AND ANOTHER BOY WHOSE NAME DOESN'T
MATTER. THE ACCIDENT THE RECOVERY
HOW THREE HAPPY PEOPLE WENT TO \ BASE
BALL GAME
Although a whole chapter has interviewed, no time
whatever has elapsed since it one-ffteen of a
Wednesday afternoon, June 81 l9lA Into each novel
scme interpretations must fall some chapters must be
dark and dreary. The writer is not sure whether
that is original with him is quotation from a
review of one Of his books At any he does read
the reviews. He is not Of those mendacious
authors who never look at reviews and don't care
what they say anyhow and the critics never read the
books and the papers have a grudge against them.
No the writer reads all the reviews. lie IS an in
corrgible optimist He hopes some day to read a
good one
On this June afternoon on which. as Miss Laura
Jean Lbbcy used to say. story opens on. young
boy Bonnie Murphy ycleped and Mophy called
GtdtS. 10, clean-fimbed, Mr. Chambers would Say,
and drty-handed and faced, as the worship of truth
cOmpes us 10, playing catch with another boy IN
the street. the other boy does not enter into the
story. save effectively. and his name and attributes
do not matter Giving him a name would only serve
20 confuse the reader. 1t would violate the prln-
cipe Of Economy of Attention. Besides a careful
writer may spend hours thinking up name for an
incOnsequential character, when any name might
have done. SO a story-teller will hesitate some
times, as TO whether his child made the remark on
Tuesday or on Wednesday, when you are perishing
to have the story over with, that you get
away or tell him about your own remarkable childs
epgram Of last MOnday-Or was 10 Friday morning !
Bonnie and the boy were playing catch then, and
catch the ball, which the boy whose name does not
matter had thrown high and the wind had detected,
when an ACKNOWLEDGMENT bore down upon him. The
wheels seemed 20 pass over his LETT foot only. lie
Law in the street very white very lfcless-looking
The first who rushed Up was Dr.. Ripley. In a
thousand cases doctor would be the tenth or the
sixty-third TO arrive. But there has TO be first,
and this time IL was the doctor. The story cannot
play with facts, even to serve purpose Also, the
boy whose name doesn't matter ran away. His
name matters less than now.
The second person 10 appear was a policeman, who
took the truckmans name and the trucks number.
Clearly. though it wasn't his fault cause the kid
run right plum into IL and you couldn't stop 1t then,
ben too late. an kids ouRhta keep of O the streets
an il wasn't his fault The eleventh person 20 ar
rive was Bellareaton. the accident having occurred
almost in front Of her house.
Bring the little chap in here" she said. She was
pale. but eXcitedy beautiful.
Give US hand, here" this from the doctor.
So Beunie carried into POI Gramercy Park and
LAID on a bed upstairs and he opened his eyes and
saw Dr. Ripley and closed them again, and DR.. Rip
ley took his shoe and stocking of and pressed the
foot. gently, and then took the knee and
pressed that and rubbed the calf and kneaded the
instep. and Bellsreaton looked on, wonderingly.
All this, you must know, took more time than it
takes to tel il. Most things do. And then Bonnie
opened his eyes and kept them open. He did not
say: Where am ." He said: Did at stiff git
away 90 Meaning the driver
HE will be punished for his earelessness,' replied
Miss Eaton, accidentally.
big stiff" said Bennie, mercessly.
Forget him. said Bellareaton. You're not hur.
\ biz. You 60 home in a few minutes. Is there
anything you'd like? You may have anything you
like this afternoon, because you were nearly killed,
but weren't. Ice cream Or"
Anything TALL" Bonnie asked.
Anything"
Gimme ticket to the ballgame Tn Yanks is
back an wanna see them poor boobs play"
Or. Ripley looked at Belsreaton. He took her
hand and held it, pressingly
Wen take him TO the game" he said
p ? A