Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-01-06
The MYTHICAL
MANUSCRIPT
Tale of Love, Deception and
Literature.

When a friend once asked me the diff
ference between the two l replied,
THE author is the person who sends
things in, and the editor is the person
who sends them back" After finding
that l could not make q living by
s%cribbling l secured a position at a
small salary to pass" on what other
people wrote. l supposed that my APP
pointment came on account Of my
literary taste, but my employer told
me that l was wanted to get rid Of per-
sons whose. manuscripts the concern
didn't want without offending them.
He had noticed that l had a pleasant,
plausible way with me and had en-
| gagged me on that account. l was in
this view Of the case very successful.
One morning a young girl called with
a story, and l went into the anteroom
to see her. We never admitted callers
into the sanctum, not that we were
very busy, but because it was more
impressive to make them think we
We're. We wished them to fancy doz-
ems Of intellectual looking readers por-
ing V manuscripts hunting for ONO
thing worthy Of our magazine. l ad-
vanced with my usual smile to meet a
girl whose smile was anything but
usual. 1t was unusually sweet. She
handed me the manuscript Of q story,
a%pologiZed for its not being typewrit-
ten Oh the ground that inspiration did
not come mingled with mechanical
,.-l rl> --. x-@,1--l ,rs%I n
typewriter. In my own heart-my au-
thor heart, not my editorial heart-l
felt the truth of her words. I was in
terested in her pretty face and thought
it possible l might find a gem in her
story. She secured my promise that
would take it home for the purpose.
a month passed. l had not only
abandoned authorship, but had direct
ed my mother to clear my closet Of my
old ''unavailable' manuscripts and
burn them. One morning the girl with
the pleasant smile called, and before
going out 10 see her it suddenly oc-
Cured to me that l had taken her
story home, and it was 10Y doubtless a
part of the oblivion of my w works.
| l gathered my wits and, putting on my
smile-I made a special elfort-rushel
up to her With outstretched hands.
Il have beer delighted With your
story" | said, but have missed the
last page. which YOU must have omit
ted to put in. Besides, some parts
are almost illcgible. Have you another
copy
| asked the question With a quaking
heart and was paralyZcd when she re-
piled that she had given me the only
copy in existence. Then she began to
talk TO me about the plot and the char
acters. Did l like Douglas Chichester,
the hero? Was the climax properly
handled? How about the love pas
sages? She kept up a fire of questions.
and l, having admitted that | had read
her story. must needs give opinions on
a work that l had never seen. While
l was doing SO l was trying to form
some plan by which to eXtricate myself
from the perilous position. My very
bread and butter was in her keeping. |
determined that l must win her kind
Hest feelings. and when confident that
she thought too much of me to inform
my employer Of the injury ! had done
her / would confess all. In order to see
her more Familiarity than was possible
at the office, l asked her to come to my
house in q few days and l would tell
her Of some changes that | thought
would add to the beauty of her other
wise beautiful story.
She kept the appointment. and |. hay
ing instructed my mother after a short
stay with us for propriety's sake to
leave us alone, had Il whole evening
with the girl to myself. | made numer-
Gus blunders in discussing situations
and characters l knew nothing abo4t.
but congratulated myself that my mas
terly retreats from the entangling posi-
tons | fell into were successful, and
when she vent away | tod her there
We're chapters l must read over before
making final recommendations. She
thanked me again and again for my
kindness and departed to come again
that day week.
l had now got enough knowledge of
icI pan illO ldLlll1dElIy WITH ner cl9r-
acters to talk about them with toler-
able accuracy. l observed a downcast
look about her when her eyes met
mine that encouraged me. l was hope
full that when the denouement to my
w little story anne she would suffer
the wrong l had done her without at
least reporting the matter at the Office.
Well, after basRlng in the sunshine
Of each others smiles for some months,
/, all the while keeping up my willy de-
ception, made a discovery-that she
was a dear, amiable creature, not very
smart, but just the girl l would like
to make q pet Of for life. l determined
to handle the love part-the ''heart in
terest' is the professional term-of my
story first, and if 1 was accepted the
complication" would work itself out
in a delightful climax.
My proposal was accepted, but my
confession seemed to pierce the Door
girl to the heart. She assured me that