identical moment--and he had never seen anyone frying doughnuts.
He caught up his cane and limped out to investigate. That is
how much his heart just then was set upon writing a story that
would breathe of the plains.

One great hindrance to the progress of his story was the
difficulty he had in selecting a hero for his heroine. Hank
Graves suggested that he use Park, and even went so far as to
supply Thurston with considerable data which went to prove that
Park would not be averse to figuring in a love story with Mona.
But Thurston was not what one might call enthusiastic, and Hank
laughed his deep, inner laugh when he was well away from the
house.

Thurston, on the contrary, glowered at the world for two hours
after. Park was a fine fellow, and Thurston liked him about as
well as any man he knew in the West, but--And thus it went. On
each and every visit to the Stevens ranch-- and they were many--
Hank, learning by direct inquiry that the story still suffered
for lack of a hero, suggested some fellow whom he had at one
time and another caught "shining" around Mona. And with each
suggestion Thurston would draw down his eyebrows till he came
near getting a permanent frown.

A love story without a hero, while it would no doubt be original
and all that, would hardly appeal to an editor. Phil tried
heroes wholly imaginary, but he had a trick of making his
characters seem very real to himself and sometimes to other
people as well. So that, after a few passages of more or less
ardent love-making, he would in a sense grow jealous and spoil