Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1916-08-17
HER FIRST STORY
BY SUSAN E.. ClAGETT.


that matched. she looked like II girl /
as she seated herself on the lower step. /
In reality she was woman OF thirty !
or more. and the two were old ne !
Quaintnnces. He remembered perfect .
ly the day she came to his office. u
mere slip Of thing.
lie thought Of 1t now MS he watched
her listening To the conversation Of
her friends, u little smile playing about
her mouth. They were talking about
her and her work, and when one said
Her stories made hit from the first
i do not bellev. she ever had manu-
script returned" she threw buck her
head and laughed.
"Much you know about II, Mary. Mr..
Ishum"-with u nod toward the mun--
'can tell you in IL dozen words ahUut
my first story. rejection slips cane
more frequently than checks during
those first years, yet to this day I
never send of IL manuscript but | think
OF the story I carried to Blanks mag
azine with my heart In my throat.
"By some good or evil fortune. had
secured nu interview with the editor.
As | entered his office he turned. and
my hopes went into my shoes. He had
on glasses and was frowning. His
eyes bored right through me, and it
required all my courage to hand him
the manuscript.
almost with despair I watched him
slip page after page between his lin.
gers. II" glanced nj one looked at II
second, II third, and handed it back
TO me.
"'1 an sorry cannot Use It. he
answered, and turned to his desk.
"Of course | should have gone at
once. | didn't. For the moment |
couldn't move. | suppose there was
something in the silence that made
him turn TO me again. There | sat
without handkerchief, the tears
streaming down my face. He hnndrd
me his.
For nm hour that busy man listened
To- ne. was sur" he would in the end
accept ii, but l carried II away with
me"
"Still do not see what connection
Mr.. Ishum had with II" one Of the la
dies remarked.
"Oh. ! thought I had told you he
was the editor who turned me down"
She glnnr"i toward him. The largest
check | have ever received | received
for that story"
He Looked at her with amused eyes.
81 never before credited ynu with
brarln. malice. hut now that you have
..
with me. Small David Is waiting, and
7 never di~appolnt him with his bed
tIu4" story
At the gate they paused. The mock
oranges on either sid" wrr" n wealth
of bloom. Gnth"ring Ia" branches into
her arms She buried her face in the
white petals. 81 would not miss this
for nil the world. Mary always asks
me down when they ar" in bloom, and
no matter how pressed am FOR time ]
always come" she said.
81 know. That was the real reason
for my buying here when decided the
country was the best place for that
youngstrr nj mine. wanted our home
TO be where you would h" hnppi"st"
"Suroly-nnt again. How often must
tell you do not need home
He laughed slightly. Anyway, II Is
time for my annual proposal. The
habit has grown "n me-. Three times
year for NOR" years than | care
10 contemplate. ! should think by now
you would say Yes in self.defrnse.
She looked nj him critically. "fou
have changed much since my first visit
to your office. There is a more human
look about you. have often wondered
why you We're so unsympathetIc.'
at is odd have never told you"
he replied thOughtfully. 81 fully In
tended telling you that rs you entered
had lust finished reading letter in
forming me of the death OF my brother
and his wife, and that little David
was on his way to me. The thought OF
baby In my small apartment appalled,
me-"
She interrupted him. David not
your child! And all these years
have been jealous OF his mother she
finished invOluntarily.
"All through these yenrsT"
"All through the years. From the
time l knew there was little David
i was unhappy, miserably unhappy at
the mere thought you had once cared
for another woman"
snow that you know you were mis-
tnken-whatl"
She turned to him and put her hands
on his shoulders. David" she sag.
with a little nervous laugh. "dld you
really think so badly OF that story as
you would have me believer, ~--S1s'-