Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-12-31
7 |


sion of youY
Liddell looked up in surprise and saw
by the look in his friends face that it
was time for him to clear his character. /
at isn't so bad as that, Maurice. /
am trying to recover something that is
either lost or stolen, and detectives must
not be hampered by conventional moral
ities."
''What have you lostY'
"a plot. The pl,'t of my last novel
came down here a few weeks ago to
work, because this is the quietest place
in the world before it becomes fashion
able, but became too absorbed and lost
count of the time. One morning |
looked out and found the ground Gov
cred with people. [ ought to have re-
treated then, butt was deep in critical
chapter, and rashly determined to risk
it and stay till l. got that particular in
spiration down on paper. Well, | paid
for it, took my portfolio down to
rustic seat which had come to look
upon as my peculiar property, and tried
to pay no attention to the inane multi
tudes who sauntered and flirted on
every hand. Ireviewed my work up to
the point had then reached. l glanced
mentally over what remained to do.
Everything was in perfect order. Then
settled down to work. My thoughts
must have wandered little, for my
conscience presently aroused me with
the feeling that l was wasting my morn
ing. | drew my papers toward me, and
could think of nothing. My plot was
gone, absolutely and beyond recall"
"Do you mean you had forgotten it?"
"Forgotten2 Forgottenp How do you
define memory"
''Oh, if you are going into metaphysics
surrender at discretion"
''The custodian of mental property
conveys the idea, doesn't it? Well, a
certain part of this mental property
passes from the possession of this GUS
todian. It cannot have been lost-that
is to say, annihilated. The fact that it
once existed proves that it must always
exist. If not in one form, then in an
other; if not here, then somewhere else.
Now, under what conditions can mental
property exist? Manifestly only in the
mind of some person. Therefore, if an
idea has passed out of my mind, you can
not escape the logical conclusion that it
must have passed into the mind of some
one else."
"Then your theory is that your miss
ing plot has fastened. itself upon the un-
suspecting brain of some poor fellow wko
came out here for rest? l don't wonder
youSare anxious about it. just fancy the
victims bewilderment, amazement, hor-
ror at SO sudden an inroad of ideas.
Was it a very exciting plot, Mark"
'No, it was to be realistic story.
i, That is the worst part of it. Any one
might use it up unconsciously without
ever suspecting that it was not his own.
OF course, if he were to put it into q
book | could identify it. l feel very
sure I should recognize it at sight. But
the great danger is that the present pos
SCISSOR will simply squander it on his OWL
life. He will use it up on some Irritation
probably, where any one of dozen com
monplace ideas would have served al
we'll"
"Ah, then you had just reached the
firtatious stage of Development"
"My hero and heroine had been parted
by quarrel That's an idea, of course
that had been utilized before. But they
were to be brought together in a very
original and unique manner. That's tht
idea that is gone"
sit is to be devoutly hoped then tina
the plot selected some unpreoccupiet
bachelor to experiment upon. 1t make
my hair stand on end to think what tn
consequences may be if an idea in tina
particular stage of development shoult
attack some young man, say, who ha'
taken the opportunity while off with th
old love to get on with new. H
would be bound to follow out the plot
wouldn't he, and make up with the oil
whether he wanted to or notp Mark, yo1
don't know what complications you ma
be responsible for. You must recove
that dangerous plot at once"