This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXI REALIZATION Belle brushed Charlie's hat and straightened his cravat. Her manner toward the old poet was half playful, half reverential, as he appeared child or sage. Doctor John looked up at her from the morning paper: "I thought I might find your name among the spring authors, Isabel," he said. "Isn't the great work finished?" General Charlton was perched like a large brown bird on the veranda rail. He had ridden up from Coronado to say good-bye. "Yes, how about the book, Belle?" he added. Her hands flew to her breast and she swayed slightly before she answered. It was a fashion she had. It seemed as though she rocked her crying heart. "I--I did not intend to tell you," she faltered. "Whom in thunder should you tell if not us?" blurted John Worden, smoking savagely. "But--you see," she faltered, "I feel like a mother whose child does not pass at examination-time in school. I have an impulse to hide the fact from my friends. But now I must confess. The publishers will not take my story." "Won't take it? My Stars and Stripes, I'll make 'em!" General Charlton sprang to his feet and his raised hand held an invisible sword. It was evident that he had a method in mind, for placing a manuscript, that is not available for the ordinary literary agent. "Sit down, Billy," sighed the doctor. "That's all anybody can do," Warren said, with tears. "And now, my child,"--he turned to Belle--"you are going to know what it means to hawk the wares of the spirit up and down the world." He groaned. But she smiled brightly. "No," she said. "Now that I am over my surprise that the book was not accepted with great eagerness and rushed into blue covers and sent out to astonish the world, I have come to the conclusion that it was just written for me. I'm going to try t...