The Glenwood post., 1924-04-24
The
Great
Book

By JAMES BLACK


AsA trouble you about the rent, but
you know how it is, and it's three
weeks overdue" said Mrs. semple.
The old man looked up from the
table where he was writing. "why, III
have it in day or two, I guess" he
answered.
The landlady hesitated. She knew
how hard 1t was for old Richards to
find the money; his hack work as an
occasional contributor to the Sunday
papers brought In very little.
"How's the book getting onY she
asked.
"Ah, nowi" The old man sat up and
rubbed his hands. "Tve planned 1t all
out, and I'm going to begin tomorrow"
he said. THAT'S going to make my
fortune, and then I shall remember
my old friends. It's the story of my
life, you know. It's to be called The
Story Of Plain Man,"
"And you've seen such lot" said
the landlady, half believing In the
book. rs she did at times, though by
the time she got downstairs she dis
believed again.
"a lot? Well-fighting pirates in the
China seas. Life in the gold mines of
the Transvaal. Prospecting for opals
In Australia. And-starting when I
ran away from England to avoid ar.
rest for stealing the sQuire's pheas-
ants. Then-here, my work
yes, indeed. Mrs. Semple, there's going
to be fortune In that book. Three
publishers have begged me to 60
ahead and write it, and they'll be bid.
ding for 1t against each other"
Old Richards didn't know that the
said publishers looked on him as an
old bore, and told him anything. short
of committing themselves, In order to
get him out of the Office.
Eyes, yes. I guess there's fortune
In it, all right" he continued. why,
look at David Harum,' and Ben Hurr +
Those books netted hundreds of thou
sands to their authors. And l start
tomorrow"
ut must be wonderful story" said
Mrs. Semple. But by the time she was
half way down the stairs she knew
that the great book, about which Rich
ards had spoken SO long, would never
be written.
Upstairs old Richards, temporarily
diverted by the entrance of his land
lady. dipped his pen into the ink and
wrote, in a flowing hand. Chapter
One" at the top of sheet of blank
paper.
yryoC nh To, fn1 nvd hA
had boarded 1t so long that he was
jealous of beginning; he grudged
transmitting the precious gold Of his
thought into black marks upon the
paper.
There was so much to tell. The
fighting with the pirates. the adven-
lures in South Africa and Australia.
Would he ever begin1 Was there any
way in which this wealth Of material
could be set down 30 as to present
something of the emotional influences
that it had had on him7
And then-Annette. II she had not
died Ia that year he was in Australia.
how different his life would have
been! He would have settled down
Ia anu lhuLIlCu ucl. lINcIy-
thing had gone out of his life when
Annette died.
And as he sat there, pondering, and
occasionally dipping the pen into the
ink bottle again, all this past seemed
somehow to fade away. What was
the story of plain man-of every
plain man? He was born, he loved, he
Hfnd Thnrn "a,
And even birth and death seemed
Insignificant somehow. 1t was only
Annette that counted, after all.
He reused himself; he had been
falling asleep after his long reverie.
II must begin at once" he said,
and once more dipped the pen into
the inkwell. "And Annette-I must
certainly bring Annette into the
story"
But he only sat with his head In
his hands, brooding over the past.
"Mr. Richards hasn't been out for
his walk this afternoon" said Mrs.
Semple to her daughter II think III
take him up cup of coffee. He likes
coffee"
When she went in, Mr.. Richards
was sitting very quietly at his table.
Softly, SO as not to wake him, MrsL
Semple dptoed over. Upon the table
was the photograph of beautiful
young girl that the landlady had never
seen before. A touch Of pity came Into
her heart.
She looked at the paper. "The Story
of Plain Man." she read. Chapter
One. To Annette"
Then she saw that old Richards
would never wake again.
But. after all, ne had told the story