Catoctin clarion., 1917-05-24
FINISHING THE PLOT
By LOUISE OLIVER.


on the sidewalk and STOPPING quickly
lest 1t be crushed by the foot Of some
pedestrian, picked 1t up and put it into
his pocket.
In the elevator he took it out and
examined it. 1t was buckle Off a
lady's slipper. He had 1t in his hand
when he opened the door Of his Of
fee, and Miss Purcell looked up with
interest and surprise when he laid it
on her desk. "That's what I've been
looking for for six months !" he said.
81 don't understand" she answered,
puzzled.
Don't you remember my telling you
that was going to write book just
as soon as had a real clew to plot.
I've always held that there wouldn't
be so much bosh In fiction If authors
would choose real things to work on
instead of making them up. Now, here
have a mystery-a real one. TO whom
does the buckle belong?"
"Yes, Mr.. Pendery, but that's only an
incident, finding 1t, not plot" Miss
any literary attempt on the part of her
employers son, in her employers alb
sence, She had heard so many alter
cations upon the subject. The older
Mr.. Pendery wished his son to devote
all his time and ability to learning the
business, that of foreign trade, while
John who had been assistant editor
of his college Journal, insisted that he
wished to follow In the footsteps OF
kipling.
mo, it's not plot, but that will
come. The thing was to get real
start and now l have 1t. What kind
of person do you think, Miss Purcell,
could have lost that buckle?" He had
drawn up chair quite close to her
desk.
She picked 1t up and looked It over.
1t was of silver, square and plain, with
fine lines Of black enamel tracing on
1t that gave 1t an Oriental look. u
should say" said she, that 1t belongs
to a person who knew something pref
ty when she saw 1t and who would be
very much chagrined when she found
it gone"
"But that doesn't get us anywhere.
Let's leave the ladys feelings out OF
It,"
Miss Purcell was pensive. "She
might be old Of course, for any shoe
dealer would tell you that buckle is
modest enough to be worn by anyone"
Modest! / knew 1t. Wen leave
out the old" And John made an
item with his fountain pen In small
notebook.
"And It Is good. It's marked sterling.
The lady would not wear an imlta'
ton."
Honest" cried John with delight.
modest and honest! Holmes and LIE.
coz were not in It with you. Go on y
I'm afraid | cant. ! should like to
tell you the lady was beautiful, petite
and clever, but my powers Of observn'
ton fail me here. This buckle could
come off number seven as easily as
two, and the lady may be AZ homely as
Three Eyes in the fairy tale. I'm
afraid she wasn't clever, either, or she
would have missed it instantly"
"Perhaps she did. There was an
immense crowd. l was probably right
behind her. fwish I'd looked
"Mr. Pendery, I'd choose a heroine
of my own making. I'm afraid If you
20 to hunting a perfect one you'll be
like Tom the Water Boy hunting Mr.
Grimes. 1t will take you over seven
hundred years"
81 have a bully idea," cried John,
springing up You'd make a fine
critic. I'm going to do chapter every
day and let you 60 over it, If you WILL
John started his book, much 20 the
disgust of his family. 1t was marvel
Gus tale Of an ambassadors daughter
who, after discovering the willingness
of the young man (who finds the lost
buckle) to follow her to the ends of
the earth, cOnceals her identity and
uses him to discover state secrets
which she hastens to carry back to her
own country. The young man follows
and then
Up to this time Miss Purcell had
been a great help. She had hurried
with her lunch every day and was
back ut the office in time to give half
hours work to the manuscript. Nov
what" asked John, putting the latest
chapter before her one day,
"What do you mean?'
"What shall do next? I've got the
poor fellow in dreadful box and don't
know how to get him out. Besides, |
find l have not made the girl affec'
tionate enough. She doesn't seem to
like him, really"
Miss Purcell was aghast. DO you
mean that you started your story with
out finishing your plot tirst?"
He looked crestfallen. I'm afraid
I did"
"Then you'll have to begin all over
again." she said firmly. "That is, If
you really still insist on writing a
book"
81 hate to be beaten, but I'll be
blessed If I can think of thing"
II told you fact was stronger than
felton," she reminded him, opening
drawer. "LoOk here; I'll give you a
plot"
He bent over eagerly. "What is it?'
She held up two buckles just alike,