The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1921-12-22
INSPIRATION
BY CORA e. CRAWFORD.
9R9993@9933999999 99@99 9@S

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g. 1921 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
congratulations, old boy. l heal
you've sold another story!'
Eyes, and darn lucky I did, tool
was getting pretty hungry! But how'f
yours coming on?'
mot coming at all. I'm still hunt.
| ing for the Big Idea!'
"Well, you can afford to take q
rest-that last check Of yours was fat
enough! The ones 1 get are usually
just about enough for a feed or two"
II know, Phil. That's why I've been
trying to get you to put some time
into your work. Mold it, build it. Hon
estly, now, how long since you've had
an acceptance-before this one, /
mean?"
"Oh, not since February, but"
"And this is May! Good heavens
But how many have you written?"
"Oh, one a day. Well, not on an av-
erage Of that, Of course. I do write
one in day, but sometimes I do not
"That's no way, Phil. A writer
should work Systematically. He should
plan, then construct, and reconstruct,
and, finally, polish.
"Say, III tell you! If you've moth
ing much to do, just hop on this bus
with me, and I'll show you how to
harvest a whole crop Of ideas!'
It was the One Hundred and Six
ty-eighth street bus, and went via Riv-
erside, and it also became crowded be-
fore it reached Fifty-ninth street.
Ideal as were the conditions, however
Phil seemed unable to make good his
promise.
"Wait, We'll go back' he treasured,
enthusiastically.
At One Hundred and Sixty eighth
street. everyone but the two ladies
ahead got off the bus. Phil and Al
changed their seats. A woman and a
child got on. A man. Another wom-
an.
swell, Phil, here we are at One Hun
dred and Twenty fifth. There are six
people on the top Of this bus. Now,
where's your story?'
Il defy anyone" began Phil, when
the bus stopped for moment and a
man and woman staggered down the
aisle on the roof and fell into the seat
just In front Of them.
They could see the bit of her SUI
perbly tailored back not hidden by the
magnificent fur she wore.
"Oh, boy. she's pippin" exclaimed
the impressionable Phil, but in a dis
Greet whisper. II say, there's your
story! Beautiful, cultured girl, forced
by family into marriage with newly
rich but otherwise impossible man,
twice her age!
"Another man, IL you will! Real
love for purity's' sake, If it suits you
better! At last, rebellion, which
brings forth the mans brutality! Job
serve the thick bull neck, cruel jaw.)
Then, either*spirit broken and resigna.
ton to a.. life OF ugliness,: slowly pin
ing away from spiritual and mental
starvation, or an uprising-creature
at bay; you know, and all that sort Of
rot-courag eously effecting release
from bondage! = s. .::-' *..:::" )
"Or If you don't want that line
Of stuft-the beautiful daughter, reared
! among the highest culture in the
land. at a fashionable finishing school,
say; then forced to home life with
uncouth, coarse, crude father, who be-
! lieves that his millions more than justi-
fy his manners-0r lack of them
cacies Public demonstrations! Friends
visibly amused, patronizing or disdain-
full! All attempts to humanize the
brute, civilize the savage, unavailihg
How's that, ALP There are a hun
dred and one ways it might end. Say,
look at him now. Beauty and the
Beast. Innocence, refinement, Gull
| ture, sensitiveness-"
Phil was interrupted by voice in
front. She had not spoken before, but
now that the sudden lurching Of the
bus had threatened to roll her burly
companion into the aisle and he had
moved closer to her side to prevent
such an indignity, she offered vocal oh.
lection and in no uncertain terms.
! "Hey, shove over there, Bull! What
dyer think am, anyway"
II ask your pardon, ma'am,' re-
turned the big man quite politely
"That curve nearly set me off the seat
'Twa'n't built for folks my size, any
way. Well, I'll sit across the aisle
there-reckon you're safe enough. Not
apt to Jump off the top Of this bus
eh?" laughing.
Huh! Better tie US together with
them bracelets, hadn't yer? I'm some
little escaper, yer know!''
''1'll tell the world you are! But
guess you're caught this time. III
take chance, anyhow" And he moved
across to the seat that had just beer
vacated.
AL chuckled necessarily. Phil sal
! In flushed silence. When he coult
stand it no longer he burst out: DOM
care, Al, the ideas were there, just
the same. Fiction's fiction, isn't it,
not fact always. But I'll make thi:
very fact fiction, see + don't! III
make a story out Of it just as it is =
And he did. This was it.
! Ability Recognized.
~You never quote the poets in YOU
speeches any more"
NO." replied Senator Sorghum. .:
! find that the custom is likely to cauS,