The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1925-02-20
The Plot That
Didn't Fail
BY JANE OSBORN

had eaten prunes and oatmeal
other at Mrs Jarvis boarding house
table for four or five months, yet they
We're still Miss Gregory and Mr.. Smith
TO each other. Sometimes they dis
cussed the weather-just enough to
know that Miss Gregory preferred
anything to very cold weather while
Mr.. Smith didn't mind the cold so
long as it was dry cold.
Anybody here going to try for the
thousand dollar prize for the best
amateur short story?" asked Mrs. Jar
Wis from her place behind the coffee
percolator at the head Of the table.
The Evening Planet is Offering it.
With all the talent we have here 1t
seems as If some one ought to try"
I've often thought I'd like to try
to write said Miss Gregory.
i wouldn't be surprised If most Of
US had tie material for a good short
story If we only knew how to present
1t" said Mr.. Smith.
1hus were sown the seeds of ten
der romance.
mat night at dinner Mr.. Smith
asked Miss Gregory If she had begun
her story and she looked surprised
and said she really had no intention
oI competing, and Mr.. Smith said
i wouldn't mind trying IL had some
one TO help me-" Then somehow 1t
was agreed between them that they
would try to write a story together
1t seemed preposterous to do it.
Let's have the hero just medium
SIZE with grayish eyes" said Kate
Gregory when they had met to discuss
the characters and plot. II think peo-
pie are getting tired of six-foot heroes
with steel blue eyes and all" Titus
Smith was of medium size with gray
ish eyes
Let's have the heroine little
| plump. Might even have her freckled.
Irilby was freckled, you know. 1t
makes character seem more human
| II she isn't perfect" He might have
added that Kate Gregory was a trife
freckled and that she was little
| plump.
After several nights the plot was
| agreed upon, or at least such plot as
| the story possessed. The hero and
heroine were to meet in city board
ing house That would give Titus
| chance for his minute realism that he
seemed to enjoy SO well The action
must occasionally lie in the country
woods and fields-that would give
Kate chance for nature description
that seemed to be her natural forte.
"One thing that will be difficult to
manage" said Titus Smith, IF we iu-
tend TO make this strictly realistic, is
the lovemaking and proposing. Peo-
| pie really don't make love and pro-
pose the way they do in books, you
know. Lovemaking isn't at all like
that. And the reason why so few
writer's ever get the right slant on it
| at all is because most people aren't
| quite responsible when they are max
ing love. No man ever honestly re-
membered just what words he used In
proposing to the girl he really loved
What they really say might sound In
appropriate, childish. inane The
realistic writer would get the thing
the way 1t really happens"
Kate Gregory had listened with
keen interest
DO you suppose you'll be able to
get at the lovemaking, as you say,
in the right manner?" she asked
If we can't do it right we'd better
omit the actual love-making, he said
but Kate felt that the story would be
very fiat indeed without some love
passages.
SO the story progressed, painstak-
ingly methodically. Then the busi-
ness-like atmosphere OF the little va
Gated room on the top floor seemed
to change. Sometimes Titus sat for
half hour at time just staring at
the manuscript pages he was trying
typewriter sat forgetful of the de-
scriptive passages she was trying to
put down in black and white.
We've got to get little more pep
in here said Titus. I'VE need real
climax-a denouement or something
like that something gripping"
Kate blushed and then blushed
blushed
Maybe we ought to do love
scene" she said. trying to keep the
story in mind.
Maybe so" sighed Titus A pause
and another sigh Hang it all. You
know, Kate"
We really ought to get this story
tinished-but-"
How can we when" And that
is as far as mere words carried them.
Titus strong broad paw felt its way
over the rather plump fingers of Kate
Gregory. They grew bolder and held
those plump fingers in firm EN-
! brace Kate looked at Titus and then,
. unable to look longer, dropped her
eyes Encouraged by newfound
strength, Titus. to his own great sur
prise, kissed Kate's cheek
F, twice, three times A little more of
such pantomime, and then from Titus:
'It will be easier, now that we're
engaged"
Il didn't know it would be like that
but it's getting en-
gagged"
A week or SO later they went back
to their task Of story writing.
"lt'll be cinch now, writing the
love passages that we've had
experience" said Titus. And yet,
when you come to think Of it, what
did we say?"