Big Poker Site hazard of new fortunes 62

drama? You wont." "Well, Im not so sure," said Fulkerson, "come to get our amateurs warmed up to the work. But what I want is to get the physical effect, so to speak-get that sized picture into our page, and set the fashion of it. I shouldnt care if the illustration was sometimes confined to an initial letter and a tail-piece." "Couldnt be done here. We havent the touch. Were good in some things, but this isnt in our way," said Beaton, stubbornly. "I cant think of a man who could do it; that is, among those that would." "Well, think of some woman, then," said Fulkerson, easily. "Ive got a notion that the women could help us out on this thing, come to get em interested. There aint anything so popular as female fiction; why not try female art?" "The females themselves have been supposed to have been trying it for a good while," March suggested; and Mr. Dryfoos laughed nervously; Beaton remained solemnly silent. "Yes, I know," Fulkerson assented. "But I dont mean that kind exactly. What we want to do is to work the ewig Weibliche in this concern. We want to make a magazine that will go for the womens fancy every time. I dont mean with recipes for cooking and fashions and personal gossip about authors and society, but real high-tone literature that will show women triumphing in all the stories, or else suffering tremendously. Weve got to recognize that women form three-fourths of the reading public in this country, and go for their tastes and their sensibilities and their sex-piety along the whole line. They do like to think that women can do things better than men; and if we can let it leak out and get around in the papers that the managers of Every Other Week couldnt stir a peg in the line of the illustrations they wanted till they got a lot of God-gifted girls to help them, it ll make the fortune of the thing. See?" He looked sunnily round at the other men, and March said: "You ought to be in charge of a Siamese white elephant, Fulkerson. Its a disgrace to be connected with you." "It seems to me," said Becton, "that youd better get a God-gifted girl for your art editor." Fulkerson leaned alertly forward, and touched him on the shoulder, with a compassionate smile. "My dear boy, they havent got the genius of organization. It takes a very masculine man for that--a man who combines the most subtle and refined sympathies with the most forceful purposes and the most ferruginous will-power. Which his name is Angus Beaton, and here he sets!" The others laughed with Fulkerson at his gross burlesque of flattery, and Becton frowned sheepishly. "I suppose you understand this mans style," he growled toward March. "He does, my son," said Fulkerson. "He knows that I cannot tell a lie." He pulled out his watch, and then got suddenly upon his feet. "Its quarter of twelve, and Ive got an appointment." Beaton rose too, and Fulkerson put the two books in his lax hands. "Take these along, Michelangelo Da Vinci, my friend, and put your multitudinous mind on them for about an hour, and let us hear from you to-morrow. We hang upon your decision." "Theres no deciding to be done," said Beaton. "You cant combine the two styles. Theyd kill each other." "A Danel, a Danel come to judgment! I knew you could help us out! Take em along, and tell us which will go the furthest with the ewig Weibliche. Dryfoos, I want a word with you." He led the way into the front room, flirting an airy farewell to Beaton with his hand as he went. VII. March and Beaton remained alone together for a moment, and March said: "I hope you will think it worth while to take hold with us, Mr. Beaton. Mr. Fulkerson puts it in his own way, of course; but we really want to make a nice thing of the magazine." He had that timidity of the elder in the presence of the younger man which the younger, preoccupied with his own timidity in the presence of the elder, cannot imagine. Besides, March was aware of the gulf that divided him as a literary man from Beaton as an artist, and he only ventured to feel his way toward sympathy with him. "We want to make it good; we want to make it high. Fulkerson is right about aiming to please the women, but of course he caricatures the way of going about it." For answer,

Hazard Of New Fortunes page 61        Hazard Of New Fortunes page 63