During the first days of his return with his sister Amy, young Jimmy spent many hours along the river banks and pulled out a great deal of fish. Many people often remarked that if he did not let up on his fishing there soon would be no fish in the river for other people.
After a week had elapsed Amy told Jim that she was taking him to visit the great newspaperman, Fred Janette. You may speak of surprises, but Jim Curwood was just about the most surprised and thrilled young man in all of Michigan when his sister broke the good news to him. Who had not heard of the great Fred Janette? He himself had even read one of his newspaper serials. Now, at long last he was going to meet a famous writer! The young lad was thrilled beyond all explaining. In fact, he hardly dared believe it. It did not seem at all possible. But sister Amy had told him and so therefore it must be true. The young boy could hardly wait for the important day to arrive.
The day arrived for the visit and Amy took her young brother to the wonderful home of Fred Janette, author and newspaperman. It seemed wonderful to Jim, but in reality Mr. Janette’s home was a modest one. It was an old fashioned cottage. To Jim Curwood it was the home and mansion of a king. Soon would come the moment when he would step across the threshold, he thought. He walked nervously up the winding concrete walk with his sister. The doorbell was rung and soon they were greeted by a tall, whiskered Frenchman whom Jim later came to love devoutly. Then they were confronted by a white-headed, kindly old lady who was the mother of the great author. From that day on Mrs. Janette always held a warm spot in his heart.
After they had been admitted to the house sister Amy chatted and laughed with Mrs. Janette and it seemed strange to Jim that she was not in the least bit awed by these famous personalities, even though he was.
It was ages before a door swung open and the “great writer” himself entered. Being the gentleman and scholar that he was, Janette immediately shook hands with the boy as if he had known him all his life. Knowing that he would have to be very careful in what he said, lest he offend the youngster, he exclaimed:
“So this is our young author!”
From that moment on, Jim Curwood was sold on Fred Janette as Mr. Janette was on young Mr. Curwood.
As soon as the introductions were over, Janette promptly took Jim by the hand and led him into his den. Then he locked the door behind them. As the key turned in the lock, the youngster was so thrilled that he could hardly speak. For the first time he was actually looking at a real author’s study. True, it was just like any other author’s studio, but this was the first that Jim had ever been in. The walls were lined with books, there were two typewriters, reams and reams of paper upon which to write wonderful stories, and numerous filing cabinets in which to file material. He took in everything from the floor up to the ceiling. He had never seen anything that thrilled him so in all his life.
Behind the closed door. Fred Janette showed the aspiring young writer a cheque for three hundred dollars that the editor of Golden Days Magazine had sent him for one of his latest creations. This, of course, seemed like a million dollars to Jim and he gasped at the sight of it. Then Janette proceeded to explain to him just what his regular daily schedule was, how he went about doing his work and even showed him a story he was working on for a certain magazine.
Janette invited Jimmy to sit down at his desk and use the typewriter if he so desired. This seemed to the boy to be a great honor; he walked over to the large desk and sat down upon the chair. And as he sat there looking over the mass of papers and manuscripts, Janette told him: