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the remaining ones are handed over to his wife to read

after the baby goes to sleep。  A few days later the editor

gathers in the MSS。 during his regular rounds and con…

siders the verdict of his assorted readers。



This system of making up a magazine has been very

successful; and the circulation; paced by the advertising

rates; is making a wonderful record of speed。



The Hearthstone Company also publishes books; and

its imprint is to be found on several successful works

 all recommended; says the editor; by the Hearthstone'8

army of volunteer readers。  Now and then (according to

talkative members of the editorial staff) the Hearthstone

has allowed manuscripts to slip through its fingers on the

advice of its heterogeneous readers; that afterward proved

to be famous sellers when brought out by other houses。



For instance (the gossips say); 〃The Rise and Fall

of Silas Latham〃 was unfavourably passed upon by the

elevator…man; the office…boy unanimously rejected 〃The

Boss〃; 〃In the Bishop's Carriage〃 was contemptuously

looked upon by the street…car conductor; 〃The Deliver…

ance〃 was turned down by a clerk in the subscription

department whose wife's mother had just begun a two…

months' visit at his home; 〃The Queen's Quair〃 came

back from the janitor with the comment: 〃So is the book。〃



But nevertheless the Hearthstone adheres to its theory

and system; and it will never lack volunteer readers;

for each one of the widely scattered staff; from the young

lady stenographer in the editorial office to the man who

shovels in coal (whose adverse decision lost to the Hearth…

stone Company the manuscript of 〃The Under World〃);

has expectations of becoming editor of the magazine some

day。



This method of the Hearthstone was well known to

Allen Slayton when he wrote his novelette entitled 〃Love

Is All。〃  Slayton had hung about the editorial offices

of all the magazines so persistently that he was acquainted

with the inner workings of every one in Gotham。



He knew not only that the editor of the Hearthstone

handed his MSS。 around among different types of people

for reading; but that the stories of sentimental love…

interest went to Miss Puffkin; the editor's stenographer。

Another of the editor's peculiar customs was to conceal

invariably the name of the writer from his readers of

MSS。 so that a glittering name might not influence the

sincerity of their reports。



Slayton made 〃Love Is All〃 the effort of his life。  He

gave it six months of the best work of his heart and

brain。  It was a pure love…story; fine; elevated; romantic;

passionate  a prose poem that set the divine blessing

of love (I am transposing from the manuscript) high

above all earthly gifts and honours; and listed it in the

catalogue of heaven's choicest rewards。  Slayton's literary

ambition was intense。  He would have sacrificed all

other worldly possessions to have gained fame in his

chosen art。  He would almost have cut off his right

hand; or have offered himself to the knife of the appendi…

citis fancier to have realized his dream of seeing one of

his efforts published in the Hearthstone。



Slayton finished 〃Love Is All;〃 and took it to thy

Hearthstone in person。  The office of the magazine was

in a large; conglomerate building; presided under by a

janitor。



As the writer stepped inside the door on his way to

the elevator a potato masher flew through the hall; wreck…

ing; Slayton's hat; and smashing the glass of the door。

Closely following in the wake of the utensil flew the

janitor; a bulky; unwholesome man; suspenderless and

sordid; panic…stricken and breathless。  A frowsy; tall

woman with flying hair followed the missile。  The

janitor's foot slipped on the tiled floor; he fell in a heap

with an exclamation of despair。  The woman pounced upon

him and seized his hair。  The man bellowed lustily。



Her vengeance wreaked; the virago rose and stalked

triumphant as Minerva; back to some cryptic domestic

retreat at the rear。  The janitor got to his feet; blown

and humiliated。



〃This is married life;〃 he said to Slayton; with a certain

bruised humour。  〃That's the girl I used to lay awake

of nights thinking about。  Sorry about your hat; mister。

Say; don't snitch to the tenants about this; will yer?

I don't want to lose me job。〃



Slayton took the elevator at the end of the hall and

went up to the offices of the Hearthstone。  He left the 

MS。 of 〃Love Is All〃 with the editor; who agreed to give;

him an answer as to its availability at the end of a week。



Slayton formulated his great winning scheme on his

way down。  It struck him with one brilliant flash; and

he could not refrain from admiring his own genius in

conceiving the idea。  That very night he set about carry…

ing it into execution。



Miss Puffkin; the Hearthstone stenographer; boarded

in the same house with the author。  She was an oldish;

thin; exclusive; languishing; sentimental maid; and

Slayton had been introduced to her some time before。



The writer's daring and self…sacrificing project was

this:  He knew that the editor of the Hearthstone relied

strongly upon Miss Puffkin's judgment in the manuscript

of romantic and sentimental fiction。  Her taste represented

the immense average of mediocre women who devour

novels and stories of that type。  The central idea and

keynote of 〃Love Is All〃 was love at first sight  the

enrapturing; irresistible; soul…thrilling; feeling that com…

pels a man or a woman to recognize his or her spirit…mate

as soon as heart speaks to heart。  Suppose he should

impress this divine truth upon Miss Puffkin personally!

 would she not surely indorse her new and rapturous

sensations by recommending highly to the editor of the

Hearthstone the novelette 〃Love Is All〃 ?



Slayton thought so。  And that night he took Miss

Puffkin to the theatre。  The next night he made vehement

love to her in the dim parlour of the boarding…house。  He

quoted freely from 〃Love Is All〃; and he wound up with

Miss Puffkin's head on his shoulder; and visions of literary

fame dancing in his head。



But Slayton did not stop at love…making。  This; he

said to himself; was the turning point of his life; and; like

a true sportsman; he 〃went the limit。〃  On Thursday

night he and Miss Puffkin walked over to the Big Church

in the Middle of the Block and were married。



Brave Slayton!  Chateaubriand died in a garret;

Byron courted a widow; Keats starved to death; Poe

mixed his drinks; De Quincey hit the pipe; Ade lived in

Chica…o; James kept on doing it; Dic Kens wore white

socks; De Maupassant wore a strait…jacket; Tom Watson

became a Populist; Jeremiah wept; all these authors did

these things for the sake of literature; but thou didst

cap them all; thou marriedst a wife for to carve for thyself

a niche in the temple of fame!



On Friday morning Mrs。 Slayton said she would go

over to the Hearthstone office; hand in one or two manu…

ripts that the editor had given to her to read; and resign

her position as stenographer。



〃Was there anything  er  that  er  you particu…

larly fancied in the stories you are going to turn in?〃

asked Slayton with a thumping heart。



〃There was one a novelette; that I liked so much;〃

said his wife。  〃I haven't read anything in years that

I thought was half as nice and true to life。〃



That afternoon Slayton hurried down to the Hearth…

stone office。  He felt that his reward was close at hand。

With a novelette in the Hearthstone; literary reputation

would soon be his。



The office boy met him at the railing in the outer

office。  It was not for unsuccessful authors to hold

personal colloquy with the editor except at rare intervals。



Slayton; hugging himself internally; was nursing in

his heart the exquisite hope of being able to crush the

office boy with his forthcoming success。



He inquired concerning his novelette。  The office boy

went into the sacred precincts and brought forth a large

envelope; thick with more than the bulk of a thousand

diecks。



〃The boss told me to tell you he's sorry;〃 said the boy;

〃but your manuscript ain't available for the magazine。〃



Slayton stood; dazed。  〃Can you tell me;〃 he stammered;

〃whether or no Miss Puff  that is my  I mean Miss

ruffkin  handed in a novelette this morning that she

had been asked to read?〃



〃Sure she did;〃 answered the office boy wisely。  〃I

heard the old man say that Miss Puffkin said it was a

daisy。  The name of it was; 'Married for the Mazuma;

or a Working Girl's Triumph。'〃



〃Say; you!〃  said the office boy confidentially; 〃your

name's Slayton; ain't it?  I guess I mixed cases on vou

without meanin' to do it。  The boss give me some manu…

script to hand around the other day and I got the ones for

Miss Puffkin and the janitor mixed。  I guess it's all right;

though。〃



And then Slayton looked closer and 

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