South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-01-12


proved my suggestion.
Its No Use
I did not answer him-indeed. did
not speak again until we had turned
into the neglected, grass-grown drive
way Of the Dacey place. had deliver
ed the sulphur candles TO Mrs.
TIGER. and then turned the car up
an old weedy cow-path leading past
the barn 10 the pasture land on the
hillside. As we reached it, I parked
the car in such a fashion that the
exquisitely etched view of rolling
meadows, woodland and church
spired-yillage, with the ocean at the
end. should face my beauty-loving
husband and comfort him, or at least
district his attention.
But he only gave it his usual trib-
ute OF a long, silent, admiring look,
then turned back 10 me with a ges-
ture which savored somewhat OF &C
tual despair. Wha tcOuld Marsden
have written to make my Peter Pan
look like this?
It's no use, Madge," Dicky said
heavily. THE only use I can see
for this view. is for me to do it over
and over again. and sc around with
tho little pictures under my arm
peddling them. Look at this,"
He held out the crumpled pages Of
Marsdens letter TO me.
do You WONDER"
I scanned them curiously. seeing
what I always saw in Marsden's let
ters. q short typewriter page, die
tated to his stenographer. for office
inspection and record, and then
letter written in his own rather &c
centric chirography for Dicky's eyes
alone. a letter OF inside explanation,
intimate, confidential highly indis-
Greet if it fell into certain hands, but
safe, for Dicky-who counts Mars
den as one of his best friends-al-
ways destroyed his private letters as
soon as he had read them.
I took up the official letter first.
My dear Mr.. Graham:
Il regret 10 inform you that Mr..
Pennington is not satisfied with the
illustrations you have made for his
forthcoming book, In That Day
We have vainly tried in every way
TO alter his decision, but he abso-
Iutely refuses to consider them,
saying that they do not correctly
interpret the spirit of his novel. As
YOU will no doubt remember, our
agreement provided that Mr. Pen
ningtOn's approval was necessary
for the acceptance Of the illustra-
lions. I wish you would come into
the office that we may talk the
matter over. Please advise me if
you can come IN Monday. Mr.
Pennington will be out OF the city
until then, and, of course, it IS
necessary that he be at the con-
ference. Cordially yours.
"STEPHEN MARSDEN.''
put the page down. looking al
my husband with a sympathetic
frightened understanding of his feel
ing upon the receipt Of the letter.
remember so we'll how frankly over
joyed Dicky had been when Marsden
had given him the Pennington book
to illustrate. Given 1t not because
OF Marsden's personal preference or
endship-Marsden would not have
given nor Dicky received anything
on that basis-but Penningtonf the
man of the day in book circles. had
! been hunting an illustrator. dissatis-
fed with the big men who had been
doing the work, and Marsden had
adroitly brought some specimens OF
Dicky's work before the great au-
thor's eyes, without a word Of com
ment upon them. Pennington had
declared that they were exactly the
kind of thing he wished, and Dicky
'orthwith had been given the work
If Illustrating his just-finished novel
1t had meant a great deal, for
Dicky-while a promising and more
than ordinarily successful illustrator
has not reached the top Of the
ladder. where three or fur men sit
complacently but insecurity, and this
was the first time he had been chosen
10 illustrate one Of the books which
I had heard him describe as top
hole things" And now, the illus
trations over which he had worked
80 hard, had been rejected:
do you wonder I'm hipped1"
Dicly demanded. as my gaze mel
his. That just about means I'm
finished in this game. But just read
Marsden's private screed. and see
what damnable luck I've had"