ItwasnotbecauseofOlney, butinspiteofRuth, andhisloveforRuth, , ? Hespentlonghoursinthefreereadingroom, goingoverwhatothershadwritten, studyingtheirworkeagerlyandcritically, comparingitwithhisown, andwondering, wondering, aboutthesecrettricktheyhaddiscoveredwhichenabledthemtoselltheirwork.

, nolife, nocolor, , andyetitsold, attwocentsaword, twentydollarsathousand—, writtenlightlyandcleverlyheconfessed, , filledwithanimmensityofproblems, ofdreams, andofheroictoils, , itsfeversandsweatsandwildinsurgences—surelythiswasthestufftowriteabout! Hewantedtoglorifytheleadersofforlornhopes, themadlovers, thegiantsthatfoughtunderstressandstrain, amidterrorandtragedy, , thesordiddollarchasers, ? , thesewritersandeditorsandreaders?

, , tohinttohim, , , articles, andpoems, , puttheproperstampsinsidethelongenvelopealongwiththemanuscript, sealedtheenvelope, putmorestampsoutside, , andafteracertainlapseoftimethepostmanreturnedhimthemanuscriptinanotherlongenvelope, , , and, , .

—, onepersonalline, alongwithonerejectionofallhisrejections, , onlymerecogs, welloiledandrunningbeautifullyinthemachine.

Hewasagoodfighter, whole-souledandstubborn, andhewouldhavebeencontenttocontinuefeedingthemachineforyears; buthewasbleedingtodeath, , , andheeconomizedinpettywaysandsoughttodelaytheinevitableend; thoughhedidnotknowhowtoeconomize, andbroughttheendnearerbyaweekwhenhegavehissisterMarianfivedollarsforadress.