So Thyrsis went in, like a lamb to the slaughter. He was new to
interviews, and he yielded to the graces of the friendly and sympathetic
lady. Yes, he would be glad to tell about his book; and about where and
how he had written it, and all the hopes he had based upon it.
“And your wife tells me you’ve just been married!” said the lady, with
a winning smile, and she proceeded to question him about this. They had
become good friends by that time, and Thyrsis told her many things that
he would not have told save to a charming lady. And then she asked for
his picture, explaining that she could give so much more space to the
“story” if she had one. And then she begged for a picture of Corydon,
and was deeply hurt that she could not have it.
She prolonged the interview for an hour or so, and came back again and
again in the effort to get this picture of Corydon. Finally she rose to
go; but out in the hall, as she was bidding them good-bye, she suddenly
exclaimed that she had left her gloves, and went back and got them,
and then hurried away. And it was not until an hour or two later that
Thyrsis made the horrible discovery that the photograph of Corydon which
had stood upon his bureau was standing upon his bureau no longer!
So next morning, there were their two photographs upon the second page
of the ‘Morning Howl’, and a two-column headline:
“YOUTHFUL GENIUS OFFERS HIMSELF FOR SALE!”
Thyrsis rushed through this article, writhing with horror and dismay.
The woman had made him into what they called a “human interest” feature.
There was very little about his book, but there was much about the
picturesque circumstances under which he had written it. There was a
description of their personal appearance--of Corydon’s sweet face and
soulful black eyes, and of his broad forehead and sensitive lips. There
was also a complete description of their domestic _ménage_, including
the chafing-dish and the odor of lamb-chops. There was a highly
diverting account of how they had “eloped” with only eight dollars in
the world; together with all the agonies of their parents, as imagined
by the sympathetic lady.
They had been butchered to make a holiday for the readers of a yellow
journal! “This is a wonderfully interesting world,” the paper seemed to
say--“well worth the penny it costs to read about it! Here on the
first page is Antonio Petronelli, who cut up his sweetheart with a
butcher-knife, and packed her in a trunk. And here are seven people
burned in a tenement-house; and an interview with Shrike, the plunger,
who made three millions out of the wheat-corner. But most diverting of
all are these two little cherubs who ran away and got married, and
now want the world to support them while they write masterpieces of
literature!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account