University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-06-28
Continued from yesterdays issue)

"Yes-sorry. He had the right idea,
but he arrived several hundred years
too soon. He should have waited un-
til the yellow rich from the North
showed up here. Then he'd have
found his mountain-he'd have found
a whole range of them"
81 suppose I'm to infer" Mr.. Minot
said, that where he failed, you've
landed"
"Yes, Dick. am right on the noun
tain with my little alpenstock in
hand"
I'm sorry" replied Minot frankly.
"You might have amounted to some
thing if you'd been separated from
money long enough"
so I've heard" Paddock said with
yawn. "But it wasn't to be.
haven't seen you since We left college.
have /? Well, Dick, for a couple of
years | tried to make good doing fic-
ton turned them out by the yard
nice quiet little tea-table yarns with
snappy dialogue Once l got eighty
dollars for a story. 1t was hard work
and | always did yearn for the pur-
pie, you know"
81 know" said Minot gravely.
"Well, I've struck it, Dick. I've
struck the deep purple with loud if
sickening thud Hist, The graft
mentioned yesterday" He glanced
over his shoulder. Remember Mrs.
Bruce. the wittiest hostess in San
Marco?"
'Of course l do"
well, l write her repartee for her "
"Her-what?'
Her repartee-her dialogue-the
bright talk she convulses dinner ta-
bles with. Instead of putting my
smart stuff into stories at eighty per,
| sell it to Mrs. Bruce at-I'd be
ashamed to tell you. old man | re-
marked that it was essentially soft
1t is
This is a new one on me-" said
Minot, dazed. A delighted smile
spread over Mr.. Paddock's handsome
face
Thanks. That's the beauty OF it,
I'm pioneer There1l be others, but
l was the first. Consider the situa-
tion. Here's Mrs. Bruce, loaded with
diamonds and money, but tonguetied
in company, with wit developed in
GAINESVILLE, Ohio. Bright, but strug-
Cling, young author comes to her
offers to make her conversation the
sensation of the place for a few
pesos
You did that?"
"Yes-I ask posterity to remember
1t was | who invented the graft. Mrs.
Bruce fell on my fair young neck
Now she gives me in advance
a list of her engagements, and for the
important ones | devise her line of
talk. Then, as I'm usually present at
the occasion, swing things round for
her and give her her cues. If I'm not
there, she has to manage it herself.
It's great life-only a bit of a strain
on me. l have to remember not to be
clever in company. If | forget and
spring a good one, she jumps on me
proper afterwards for not giving it to
her."
Jack" said Monot slowly, "come
way from here with me. Come north.
This place will finish you sure"
Sorry, old man." laughed Paddock, |
but I've had a nip of the lotus. This
azy old land suits me- l like to sit |
IN veranda while a dusky menial |
n white coat hands me the tinkle-
ingle in tall cool glass. Come
away? Oh, mo- couldn't do that"
You'll marry down here" sighed
dinot. Some girl with money And
he career We all hoped you'd make
or yourself will go up in a golden
loud"
81 met a girl" Paddock replied,
alf closing his eyes and smiling syn
cally at the sea-"little thing from
he Middle West, stopping at back
treet boarding-house-father in the
ardware business, nobody at all
ut eyes like the sea there, hands
Ike butterfiies-sort Of-got me. {
hats how happen to know I'll nev- {
r marry. For if | married anybody
would have to be her-and | let her ,
o home without saying a word be {
ause | was selfish and like this easy