s, whose origin is lost in obscurity. But if we
can neither find nor invent a new story we can at least ring the
changes on the old ones, and in this lies our hope to-day. Each one
of these old plots is capable of an infinite variety of phases, and
what we are constantly hailing as an original story is merely one of
our old friends looked at from a different point of view. How many
good, fresh stories have you read that were based on the ancient
elemental plot of two men in love with one woman, or on that equally
hoary one of fond lovers severed by disapproving parents? Irving's
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is derived from the first, yet few
readers would so recognize it on first perusal; for unless you stop
and analyze it, it seems distinct and new.

For further illustration of this reworking of old ideas, I have
carefully searched the leading American magazines for March, 1900, for
short stories based upon the old, old elemental plot of two men in love
with one woman, and append herewith rough synopses of such stories. Note
that this one number of _The Munsey_ contains no less than three stories
with this basic plot.

_The Munsey._

"The Folly of It," by Ina Brevoort.

Fred Leighton and John Marchmont are in love with Angela. She
loves Leighton, but they have agreed that he is too poor to make
their married life happy. Marchmont, who is rich, proposes to
her. She and Leighton calmly discuss the situation at their last
dinner together and confirm their former decision; but when the
matter is logically settled they decide to defy poverty and
marry.

"With a Second to Spare," by Tom Hall.

Labarre and I both love Nellie, but Nellie marries me. Labarre
leads a big strike on the railroad by which we are both employed
as engineers; I refuse to join. One noon Labarre overpowers me,
binds me on the rails between the wheels of my engine, and
starts it moving slowly so that it will crush me by twelve, when
Nellie always brings my dinner. After my death he expects to
marry her. Nellie arrives and releases me just in the nick of
time. (This story is really a scene from an amateur melodrama.)

"Mulligan's Treachery," by David H. Talmadge.

Mulligan and Garvey love Ellen Kelly. They agree not to take
advantage of each other in wooing her, and go to the Philippines
together as soldiers. There Garvey, leading a charge, is shot
th