The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1916-08-03
Howl BECAME
FAMOUS
BY BARBARA PHlPPS


ing note that our every condition is due
to some insignificant cause. I am a
literary woman whose works are uni
versally read. | am married to lit
erary man whose works are a drug in
the market. And yet when ! met him
he stood high with ltterateurs, while
had not yet written line What was
the insignificant cause of this bouever-
sement?
l will tell you.
One SUMNER was then twenty.
two years old got out my trunk to
pack it before going to the country to
spend a month at the Sacacachet inn.
GlenwOod. The trunk was so dilapi-
dated that | dared not trust it in the
hands of baggage smashers. could
not well afford new one. but went
out to see what could do in the mat
ter. l hit upon a secondhand trunk
too good to be called such. and bought
1t for reasonable price. On one end
were the letters s. L. o. Those were
not my initials, and | directed the sell
er to erase them and put mine there
AASCCoo. w hSu eAC ~ diih was NSi'
cred to me he had neglected to do so.
I had not time to send it back. so took
1t away with me as it was.
In the reading room took up city
newspaper, and my eye fell on notices
of the movements of celebrities One
was as follows: Miss Sarah Louise
lOlmstead is spending the month Of
T,,1,, CLAN
wood" Miss Olmstead was novelist
of reputation. congratulated myself
that I would have an opportunity to
meet her.
I was sitting on the hotel piazza tn
the evening twilight when a gentle
man stepped up to me and said defer
lentially:
"Miss Olmstead, we scribblers, pre-
sumo, do not need an introduction.
am Sidney Hall May | claim your
acquaintance? I have enjoyed your
works immensely and have felt that If
my especial line and yours could be
joined we could do something remark
able. l am fortunate in meeting you
here, and with your permission | will
oApldlQ WudC 1 nave LII
While he was saying this light was
breaking in on my dull brain. l had
been taken for the famous Miss Ohm
stead. At the same time desire to
see If something interesting might not
come Of the mistake. as we'll as curios-
ity. led me to ask Mr.. Hall what had
led to the discovery Of my identity. He
ta1 hot init 10 lc tho anH ~
my trunk had been observed and
newspaper had announced my coming.
1t was evident that the real celebrity
had not arrived Or if she had, was in
cognita.
l formed no plan with regard to per-
sonating Miss Olmstead; simply drift
ed into doing so. She did not appear
to expose me. and it would not have
troubled me if she had. for | permit
ted Mr.. Han especially to continue in
error simply for q lark. ! listened to
his plans for collaboration between US
with interest and was reckless enough
to assent to them
He left the inn early the next morn
ing but during the evening | spent
with him he elaborated his scheme,
and | promised to devote myself dur
ing the next few days to laying down
a skeleton of the work he proposed.
The truth is l was quite delighted with
his proposition and eager to see If /
could make any success of my part
Of it.
In Il couple of days | sent Mr. Hall
the result of my labors. and he wrote
me that he was delighted with it, Els
reply addressed to Miss Olmstead. was
put in my box 10y the hotel :'erk. l
wrote my collaboration that ! would
continue my work. suggested that he
proceed with his part and as soon as
returned to the city he might call on
ule and we would confer further
OF course there must soon come an
end to all this. and in truth my reck-
teSSnesS in playing the part of another
soon began to wear on me and caused
IN earlier return to the city thau had
expected As soon us | arrived uoti-
fed Mr. Hall He came to see me. and
| confessed to him that | was not Miss
OlmStead. | was NOT scribhler and
knew nothing about writing fiction.
&c looked at me. dumfoundcd and
increuulouS. for few moments then
said
"Whuever and whatever You are.
you have laid down a scheme for
no"el so original and capable of be-
in" worked to advantage that i, viii
surely be a success All | ask that
you act with me in carrying it out"
Within year our novel. "A Matri-
mnniai Venture" was published and
was the literary success Of the year.
Before its publication Mr. Hall and
perprtratcd another matrimonial ven-
ture which was equally successful
My literary venture was followed up
by another work indepcnden: OF my
husband and from that day. while my
lightweight productions continued to
grow in favor, his deeper ones grad
ualiy lost caste This regarded Us .
proof of my insipidity and of his real
1,,D lad II r,>t n; No.