The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-07-31
All for Art
By DORA WILLIAMS
Mcclure Syndicate-WNU Service. J
- oRDoN KEENE possessed two


when he was still in the tender years
when supposedly most completes
are bred, was due to the fact that
older sisters and brothers had per-
Sistently assured him that he was
as handsome as dirt, as graceful as
a COW and about as likely to be
successful ladies' man as a one
legged, toothless pirate And the
superiority complex had been engen-
dered at about the same period, by
the repeated assurances on the part
of the same older sisters and broth
erS that as a successful novelist he
would probably make a fairly gosd
ditch digger. He came out of the
formative period firmly convinced
that no girl would ever give him a
second look, and just as firmly con-
WINGED that he was going to be one
of the successful writer's of the age.
And so far he had done much to
prove the rightness of this second
conviction. His short stories were
appearing with surprising regular
ity in leading magazines. Occasion
ally letters reached him from read
erS of these same stories saying
that only a man who had never been
in love would write such slush.
He decided finally that he had suf
ficient background to start his first
book-a modern novel.
Gordon led a wandering sort of
tramp's existence gathering materi-
al for his stories. For week or two
you might have found him working
with unskilled hands around some
iron foundry-later you might see
him passing out programs at coun-
try circus. A little later he would be
spending days of apparent idleness
in the rooms of his club.
When the time came for the actual
writing of his first novel, Gordon
went out to live by hiAnsef in the
rundown old farm house he had in
herited from his grandfather. He
ate meals when he thought of them
at the Lakeville inn. The rest of the
time he wrote and occasionally slept
without much thought of the time
of day.
He had progressed with gratifying
results on his novel. But when three
quarters through he was unpleasant
ly aware of the fact that there were
still many gaps throughout the ear
her chapters. Three-quarterst through
q the book it was time for his hero
to propose-but since there were
gaps where there should have been
preliminary love scenes and descrip-
tons of the heroine, this proposal
business offered almost unsurmount-
able difficulties. Besides, Gordon
realized that he hadn't any idea of
how a man proposed. He didn't
even know how it felt to want to pro-
pose.
Gordon believed in getting all his
material at first hand. The only
way then to find out how man pro-
poses was to propose.
So Gordon decided to propose to
Caroline Dorsey because all along in
thinking of his heroine he had had
Caroline Dorsey in mind. Besides, he
could really put his heart and soul
into this business of proposing to
Caroline Dorsey. He could suffer
with his hero in being turned down
by Caroline. It would be terrific
ordeal that Gordon felt man ought
to suffer for the sake of great
achievement. Of course, Caroline
would despise him for imagining for
a moment that she would think of
marrying him. She would think him
a fool.
So one early fall afternoon Gordon
walked up to the estate where Caro-
line spent month or so every year.
Gordon had met Caroline a few
times in town the winter before-at
dinner parties he had attended with
certain chapters of his book in mind.
And Caroline had asked him per-
functorily of course, thought Cor
don-to come and see her. That at
least provided an excuse. And as
Gordon walked up the driveway to
the old mansion he willfully put him.
self in the mood of his hero-des-
perately, hopelessly in love with his
heroine, Caroline Dorsey. Incident
ally, Gordon had figured that if
Caroline were home he could 60
through with the preliminaries in
half an hour, get down to the pro-
posal and get back in time to write
four or five hours more that night.
Reflections didn't take long.
II can't keep it to myself any
longer" Gordon's hero was saying
through Gordon's lips. I'm mad
about you-Caroline. Caroline, dear
Caroline can't you see"
Suddenly Gordon felt his hands 90
cold-felt them tremble as he took
Caroline's hand in his. Then some
strange power swept over him. He
held Caroline in his arms, held her
close and kissed her and would not
let her gos More of cruel torture
than Of rapture in this love business,
thought Gordon. He kissed her
eyes-and held her still to him in
one long last embrace. But Caroline
did not stir.
Gordon, Gordon" was all she
said. Gordon, why have you made
me wait so long,"
Then Gordon forgot his hero and