South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-24

mater idt 10 the TfdOer. ~ ny can l
you dine out OF sight somewhere. as
many a hero does instead OF insist |
ing upon an inappotite and vulga- |
exhibition OF yourself"
MY dear fellow" said Van Swell
CT. politely. but with "A stubborn
tightening Of his lips. I'm sorry II /
doesn't please you. but there's no
help for H. Even a character IN
story has rights that an author can
not ignore This hero Of a story OF
New York social life must dine at
- at least once during its "a
ton"
Must. 80 echoed. disdainfuIly.
why must? Who demands it,"
THE magazine editors" answered
Van Sweller. giving me a glance of
/ significant warning.
But why?" 1 persisted.
ITO please subscribers around
Kankakee. Ill. ." said Van Sweller,
without hesitation.
How do you know these things?"
I inquired with sudden suspicion.
You never came into existence until
this morning. You are only a char
acter in fiction. anyway. I, myself.
created you. How is It possible for
you TO know anything"
Pardon me for referring to IT,"
said Van Swellcr, with a sympathetic
smile. but I have been the hero OF
hundreds of stories of this kind"
7 felt a slow flush creeping into
my face.
II thought O." I stammered; Il
was hoping that IS oh,
well. Of course an absolutely original
conception in fiction is Impossible In
those days"
Metropolitan types" continued
| Van Swcller. kindly. "1o not offer 4
hold Ter much originality. I've saun.
tere through every story i'm pretty
much the same way. Now and then
the women writer's have made me
cut some rather strange capers. for
a gentleman; but the men generally
pass me along from one to another
without much change. But never
yet. in any story. have I failed TO
dine at "
You Will fail this time" I said
emphatically.
Perhaps so" admitted Van Swell
or. looking out OF the window into
the street below. but if so IL will be
] for the first time. The authors all
send me there. fancy that many
of them would have liked to accom- |
pany me. but for the little matter Of
expense"
Il say I will be touting for no
restaurant" l repeated, loudly. You |
are subject to my will. and I declare !
| that you shall not appear Of record |
this evening until the time arrives
for YOU Il rescue Miss Ffolliott |
again. If the reading public cannot
conceive that YOU have dined during
that interval at some one of the /
thousands Of establishments pro-
vided for that purpose that do not
receive literary advertisement it may |
suppose. for aught 1 care. that you
have gone fasting"
Thank you said Van Sweller, !
rather coolly. you are hardly cour- |
teous But take care, 1t is at your
own risk that YOU attempt to disre- |
gard a fundamental principle in |
metropolitan fction-one that is
dear alike to author and reader. 1
shall, Of course. attend TO my duty
when il comes time TO rescue your
| heroine: but I warn you that It will
be your loss IL you fail to send me
tonight TO dine at ''
"I will take the consequences IL
there are to be any" I replied. 81
am not yet come to be sandwich man |
for an eating hOuse."
60 e. h rteho II
had left my cane and gloves. 1
heard the whirr of the alarm in the
cab below and I turned quickly. Van |
Sweller was gone.
rushed down the stairs and out
to the curb. An empty hanson was
just passing. 1 hailed the driver eX-
excitedly
See that auto cab halfway down
the block?" I shouted. Follow it.
Don't lose sight of it for an instant.
and I will give you two dollars!'
If I only had been one of the char
! acters in my story instead of myself
I could easily have offered SO or
s25 or even 500. But So was all I !
felt justified i'm expanding. with f1c-
tion at it's present rates.
The cab driver, instead OF flashing
his animal into a foam. proceeded at
/ a deliberate trout that suggested a
/ by-the-hour arrangement.
But suspected Van Sweller's de-
sign: and when we lost sight Of his
cab I ordered my driver to proceed
/ I found Van Sweller at table I'M
/ der n palm. just glancing over the
menu, with a hopeful waiter hover
! ing at his elbow.
Come with me- said, ineXorab-
Ily. You will not give me the slip
again. Under my eve you shall re-
main until 1870"
Van Sweller countermanded the
order for his dinner, and arose TO
accompany me. He could scarcely
do less. a fictitious character is
I hut poorly equipped for resisting a
, hungry but live author who comes
10 drag him forth from a restaurant. |
/ All he said was: You were just in
time. but I think you are making a
mistake. You cannot afford to ig
more the wishes of the great reading
I public"
1 took Van Sweller to my own
rooms-to my room. He had never
seen anything like il before.
"Sit on that trunk l said 10 him. !
while I observe whether the land !
/ lady is stalking US. If she is not, 1
will get things at a delicatessen store |
below. and cook something for you
! - Il ~