Smyrna times., 1933-01-04

edge"
Aunt Glen, her mothers sister,
had came along with her to see that
she ate three square meals day,
It was Aunt Clem who, bored at
time into reading the personals in
the papers, came across the adver-
tisement that gave her an idea.
1t read, "Old magazines wanted
by writer" And there was a name
attached which made Aunt Glen
smile secretly.
Aunt Glen sighed in relief. The
small fiat was becoming like stor-
age room for magazines.
She consequently answered the
advertisement and left huge bun
die of magazines to be called for.
Not by the proverbial candle, but
beside a well lighted table, young
Avery Weldon carried on his as yet
embryonic authorship. But he was
working desperately hard to sue
ceed and was reading fiction in the
magazines voraciously in order to
get a drift with the market.
That was how the huge pile Of
old magazine happened to be on the
floor beside him.
by jovel This is funny!"
Beside the title of the stories
were fine marginal notes of criti-
cism, couched in terse but most
expressive language.
Medium. Not bad. Piffle. No
point. Wishy-washy. Very good.
Why was it given space? Doesn't
know men. Needs to study women"
Avery swiftly picked up the pub
lications that had printed his own
work and with a somewhat shrink
ing heart opened the page. Yes
there beside his own story which
he had in a moment of stupidity
called "a Rose of the Desert" he
saw the words, author in the max
ing but sadly lacking the human
touch"
Avery puffed bit furlously at
his pipe. The nail was hit straight
on the head. Avery knew that.
And because a real author must
not be strictly conventional or too
awfully bound by laws of society,
Avery got up, put on his hat md
strolled toward the apartment build
ing from whence his magazines
had arrived.
The elevator took him up to the
fifth floor and there left him. And
In another few moments he was
standing at an opened door. Aunt
Glenn herself was out, but Eve an
swered his ring.
Avery didn't know what to say
now that he was there and with
Ewes calm eyes gazing at him he
felt that he made rather a sorry
story Of the incident Of buying the
old magazines.
But eve was very nice about 1t
and invited him in.
81 didn't even know my aunt had
cleared them out" she said, as he
followed her into a magazine-strewn
room.
Il wanted so desperately to chat
with the critic who had jotted those
remarks down that | chanced com
ing here" he said boyishly. MY
dad has given me a year to make
good in story writing, bless him."
he went on, seeing the kindling in
terest in Ewes eyes, "and / believe
If you'd be so good as to help me,
with criticism. I could win out"
IT know you could" was Ewes
unexpected answer. Il see it some
where in the deep places OF your
stories-I would love to help you"
She told him then about her own
dad and who he was and all about
home and Avery laughed. Then he
pulled a frayed letter from his pocIS-
ets-a letter written some six
months before, and handed it to her
avery. my boy" It ran, while
you're messing about with your
writing, just take time to look up
old Adam Grants daughter. She's
gone to New York to make good,
too. Fine girl, too, from what her
dad says. but then. perhaps I say
the same to Grant. about my boy"
Eve read no further until she had
cast accusing eyes at Avery.
81 like thatl Six whole months
and you've never even taken the
trouble"
And darn glad | am, too," said
Avery. eff knew you all this time,
doubt If single story would have
left the typewriter should have
been bumped into a dream so glori-
Gus I-oh, say. Eve. when do we
90 back home-Tm longing for the
time when | can get down to hard