The Coolidge examiner., 1933-02-17
NXIHEN Dick Williams decided
w 10 try his incl, NJ shnrt stnr,

XXIHEN Dick Williams decided
w 10 try his luck at short STORY
writing, he made just one mistake.
He told Margie.
Margie was his very charming
neXt-dUor neighbor. Margie danced
well. played tennis well enough, and
was always full of good spirits. She
was twenty-five. And she was pref
~. But. so far as Dick was con
cerned. that was all
Dicks mother. with whom he
lived in the house where he had
been born twenty-six years before.
was away on a months visit to
sister And when the managing
editor of the paper on which Dick
was a reporter told him to take a
day off the next week in celebra-
ton of the completion of a good
series of interviews Dick had writ
ten. felt that he must talk over his
idea with someone
You see," he said to Margie the
evening before the great day. 81
know | could write if | had chance
anyway | think | could Fiction
| mean. SO when old man Elwen
passed out this day off TO me, !
just decided I'd try my luck. ri
just begin early in the morning and
work right on. If get a good
story under way. all right If not.
then that's all right. too. I'll feel
better to have had chance to try"
After an early breakfast next
morning, Maggie, the maid. started
happily forth with an unexpected
day Off before her.
Peace and quiet" sighed Dick
land no Interruptions" Then he
made ready for work by cheer
full living room window-and the
telephone rang.
rs Maggie there?" came a rich
buried voice.
I'm sorry, but she's Off for the
day." answered Dick. still cheerful
Anything | can do?"
mo, it's nothing very important"
answered the voice, lust tell her
TO call cousin Annie tonight?'
Dick hung up and went back 70
his desk and began to plot his
story. HERDS name-Stanley Wey-
mouth. Heroine's name-well. whatf
Margie seemed to fit best. Yes.
Stan and Margie. He'd lay the
story in-the front doOrbell rang.
Five minutes later, aften an ar
gument with the laundryman, Dick
was back to his table.
Colorado, that was the place for
his story. He put down some notes
about how his characters looked.
"Margie-small, brown, soft eyes.
fluffy hair" And then there was a
knock at the back door. The butch
er's boy and chops.
Dicks muse was a coy one. and
after he had answered the telephone
to talk for ten minutes with friend
Of his mothers. had gone again TO
the front door to frown GROSSLY at
a boy soliciting magazine subscrip-
tons. had gone to the cellar to LET
in the gas meter manly that time
Dicks muse was distinctly upset.
Pattering footsteps on the SIDE
porch.
"Well, darnI" exclaimed Dick
mildly. He went to the door.
There was Margie, basket on
her arm. 1t was then he realized
it had been mistake to tell Margie
his plans.
oh" she said. He looked tired
and irritated and uncomfortable.
"Well. anyway. here's your lunch.
Were you going to have any?"
She pushed her way past Dick
and laid out a tempting lunch.
i've been watching your house
this morning, and 1t seemed as If
every Tom. Dick and Harry's been
here to bother you"
you don't know the worst. Tel
phones been going the whole
darned day. Gosh. this tastes good"
Its cold" said Margie.
"Oh. hang it." exclaimed Dick.
Guess I've let the furnace fire go
out"
"You shouldn't try to write and
keep house too" said Margie. 81
suppose you think I'm another
bother. Good-by. Just settle down
to work again and try to forget all
the bothers."
He didn't notice that the side
door didn't slam shut. And he didn't
hear Margie's investigating steps
into the cellar. But five minutes
later she slipped quietly back into
the room, a log and some kindlings
in the basket on her arm. Furnace
is all right" she said reassuringly.
I've opened the draughts. lust stop
worrying" And she put the kin
dlings and log in the fireplace.
touched a match to the paper under
them, and. when they were blazing
cleared up the lunch things and
then sat down quietly beside the
fire with a magazine.
The afternoon went amazingly
we'll. 1t seemed, to Dick, the most