The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1919-07-09
CHAPTER XVII
THE RESULT OF A RESOLVE

house. Then he again went over
his manuscript, noticing every min
or detail which might in any way
r1oys a detrimert to the story ahi
dwelling on every point wHleh
might enchance its chances of sue
cess. He had only read it once be-
fore since it had been typed and
now he was even more proud of his
work than before. It's purity and
innocence struck him; though his
characters were true to life, yet
the grosser elements were to some
extent omitted and the ideal glori-
fed. He was proudly conscious
that he had produced a work more
meritorious than he had dreamed.
The next day he started out to
find publisher. AS he had be-
lieved before that it would be a com
paratively easy task to find posi-
ton, so now he expected to find
publisher without the least diff
Guilty. There was a great deal of
difference between finding posi-
ton and a publisher, he thought.
Had he not received circular from
a literary agency stating that pub
fishers were literally tumbling over
each other to discover new talent?
Were they not ever ready to push
the ameteur to the front, sparing
neither time nor expense, IL he
would only promise them the flu
ture productions of his pen? Merlin
confidently believed these things
and with as much assurance as he
mad Trad before he went forth. But
he was destined to be as complete
" disillusioned as he had been the
previous time.
He first appeared the plant OF
the r. S. Colby Co., and glanced
admiringly at the big gilded sign
over the door, This must be a
representative firm, he decided,
else they could not afford this pre-
tentious building. When he en-
tered the clerks greeted him cor
daily, thinking him to be GUS
toner come to purchase a new sup
ply of their books; but when he
stated his business the Office Their
moneter dropped to the vicinity of
zero and everything took on a frig-
id atmosphere. The manager very
CURLY told him they were not 4
concern organized for the purpose
of boosting would-be authors and
would consider it favor If he
would not modest them again. Mer-
lin, who had learned a great deal
about business men and their gruff
and walked laughing from the Of
fee.
But he was surprised when the
next one he tried to interview
turned him down, and the next, I'M
til he had been refused by the
fourth and had a dark outlook for
the NTH, Each of these publishers
had absolutely refused to read his
manuscript, claiming they were too
busy, and Merlin was beginning to
believe that the publishing business
was quite as great fake as he had
decided the journalistic profession
sometime since. In fact, he was
beginning to lose faith in the whole
literary game. The fawning devo-
ton Of the public to those who had
arrived" inspite of opposition and
their determination to keep the
ameteur from arriving" was a sub
ject that awoke his disgust.
, Then he tackled the fifth. The
office was in a crowded basement
with dingy windows and implanted
floors and Merlin's heart sank with
in him for he felt sure of failure.
"A man at beside a paper-littered
desk; books were piled high in the
corners and stacked on a small ia
BILE in the center; pamphlets and
leaflets were scattered about over
the room. The proprietor OF the
plant turned and greeted Merlin
with a smile.
\ Something | can do for you?"
he asked.
eyes, answered the literary as
pirant;" Yes, am young writer.
I have just written a book which /
believe will be success when pub
lished. That is why l have come
to you today. You see, my work
has never been criticised by one
who understands literature from
the publishers standpoint.
would like for you to give this
manuscript a literary reading, II
you can spare the time, and il it