The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-12
The Epenir,g Story
Plotting with Paula.

WOOdman for nine months. Only
| during the last few weeks had she be-
the entire strength of Woodlands love.
The evening before John had hung
| over Clarice Joyce and had seemed
| SO proud of the girl who had enter
| tanned a room full of guests by her
| wonderful singing. On another occa-
| sion he had shown great admiration
J for Gradys Craven, the girl whose
| stories were the vogue in every nurs-
cry town.
John admires clever women"
Paula's mother had once told her
daughter. He is the kind of man
who would be proud of a wife who
was not mere nobody"
Like me- Paula said with tears
! in her voice.
You are the Ioveliest and sweet
est and dearest girl in the whole of
the town." PauIa's mother murmured
softly over the bowed head. IF John
Woodman isn't proud of you he de-
serves to lose you. Clarice Joyce is a
notorious flirt, and Gladys Craven is
so conceited that she would tire any
man in month talking about her.
| self" She drew the now weeping
Paula close to her. You can play
with any conversational ball that is
flung down." she added, "and that is
more than most women can do. 1t is
an art in itself, aearie.''
1T doesn't make me famous or get
my picture in magazines or anything,
Paula said, and a half smile dawned
in her tear-filled eyes.
Who wants to be more famous
than one who is loved by young and
old, rich and poor. Besides" Paula'S
mother added with a laugh, "maga-
zine pictures are so unflattering.
That's my own girl, smile away the
tears
But, mother dearie, I have always
felt that L could do something but L
don't seem to know just what it is
You are capable of anything,
daughter mine,' the mother said with
her ever encouraging smile. Just
take a few hours to yourself and an
aiyze your own possibilities. Perhaps
the silence will show you the way to
hoId John Woodman's love-"
Paul was very still for a moment.
Suddenly she looked up and met her
mothers loving glance
Dearest" she said swiftly, 81 have
never told you, but L have the most
wonderful lima ginings; sometimes
beautiful, sometimes tragic, but al
ways very clear and intensely power
ful l was afraid that should I men
ton 1t to you you would fear for my
nerves and perhaps worry in silence
these visions, l may call them, are CIV
en- to me for some purpose. They
would make excellent material for
stories, but try as 1 may, and L have
they are flat, flat can be-" She
turned an animated. sparkling face up
to her mother. What would you
think if / advertised for an author
co-author to work with 20
The mother laughed quickly an af-
fectionate little laugh. She was star
tied by her daughters vehemence, but
knew that the hurt of John Wood
mans indifference had prompted the
emotion.
ut will be splendid source of in
terest to you,'' she told Paula. Per
haps there is some plotless author
tao rin I,ic 1nolx for Loo
of good MATERIAL
And you will keep my secret,
mother mine?" Paula drew her moth
s er into a close embrace; She felt re-
weird mental state. The visions had
at times quite exhausted her with their
reality.
The result of the talk with her
mother was that Paula found her CO.
author in the person of Robert Ry-
lance, a young writer who was sadly
in need of both mental and physical
stimulus. So voracious was the ap-
petite of the magazine upon which
he was member of the staff that his
brain had been drained of every plot
and his body of practically all its
strength. The stories he had evolved
and the continued stories he had be-
gun and must finish if he was to re-
tain his position had sapped his en-
ergy to the full. Rylance was a sorry
wreck when he knocked at the door
Il =
Mrs. Thorne, who was present at
the first meeting of the co-authors.
felt her motherly heart open it's great
doors to the fragments of a man that
Robert RyIance represented. He
seemed starved mentally and physical
ly. Her first thought was for nour-
ishing food for his body. The cup of
tea and sandwiches were brought in
before the conversational ball was set
in motion.
When Paula and Robert Rylance
met there was the instantaneous flash
that illumines the way to real and
deep friendship. Tired and tagged as
he undoubtedly was, Rylance knew
that upon meeting Paula the light
had been put to fuse somewhere In
his being. He became alive; more
alive than he had been in his life
time.
He had not reckoned on inspiration
hurting itself into his mind and body
with so violent manner and the
shock left him a trifle weak. Paula's
soothing voice. unwinding one or two
of the fantastic, sensational visions
she had had, quieted his nerves and
made his brain sensitive to the plots
she was weaving for him.
Paula remembered having crossed
the ocean with fellow traveller who
had not tasted food to any extent on
the voyage. She remembered wildly
his return from the dining car on the
train up from Fishguard. He had
eaten a substantial meal and the
change in his appearance was quite
unbelievable. The pallOr and lifeless-
ness had given way to softly flushed
cheeks and animation. Such. she
thought, was the Transformation that
had taken place in Robert Rylance
since his entrance into her presence.
His mind had sprung swiftly in eager
hunger to meet the inspiration Of
fered. And she in turn flung open
every channel of imagination in her
mind and let him revei therein.
1t was a foregone conclusion that
great creations of art would follow SO
electrical a meeting of intellects.