The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-01-16

have rejected more Mss. of mine than
any other man in London, which is
saying good deal"
The editor look at him now with gen
uine surprise in his eyes.
"My dear sir" he said, ''you are Ia
boring under some strange mistakes.
! never in my life saw Mss. of yours.
~ am sorry 10 contradict you," re-
piled Trigg, ''but | have too many let
er5 in my possession which tend to
prove the contrary. l have, | believe,
some in your own handwriting, not in
tended for my eyes, of course, in which
you speak with great frankness, of
what YOU were pleased 10 term the
utter drivei' have written"
81 would like very much" said the
surprised editor, ''to see one of those
letters. To tell The truth am getting
on in years, and my position on the
magazine Is only nominal OCCASION
ally contribute something, but the MSS
sent in are entirely dealt with by our
reader, and finally by Sir. Denton. lie
is the real editor of the magazine, as /
thought everybody knew, and has been
for the past ten years.
"You surprise me-" said Trigg. "Of
course until recently | have known
nothing of the inner life of literary
London, and since joining the staff of
the "AcadaneGm" / have been too
busy to pay attention to it. Have you,
then, no power on the magazine with
which yonr name is connected ,"
"Oh, I have the power if [ choose to
exercise it; hut have very little taste
Cor the drudgery of editing, and leave
it entirely in the hands Of my subordi-
mates"
"What YOU say" said TFigg, "inter-
ests me more than yod can be aware OF.
would Ike, if yoa DO not care TO show
you number of letters have had
from the Office Of your magazine.
The old man was very much aston
ished when he saw the letters.
''These alleged extracts from notes Of
mine are not in nay writing. They
were never written by me. If Denton
wishes to reject your Mss. he shoIld az
least have had the honesty to take the
responsibility upon himself"
Tae next week Trigg received "a note
from the editor Of the magazine in
question. It was to the following
effect:
"If yoI think it worth an item in
your usual column of literary notes,
you have the authority to make the
announcement that Alfred Denton, for
many years sub-editor OF the -
magazine, Is now no longer connected
with that periodical"
Trigg chuckled as he read this letter
"D,n,on," he said TO himself ''thc
trcacherous scoundrel, viii find out
noa- that it is easier to lose a situation
like that than to sgt another" And
hc added 4 cItting line 70 the item he
wrote about his former friend, which,
without being iibeiOUs, indicated that
Denton's leaving OF the magazine
was practically = dismissal in disgrace.
Denton soon realized that rumcrs
were abroad about him, and his en-
deavors 10 geta fresh footing in the
line that led 10 ultimate editorship
were discouraging failures. It was
under these circumstances that lac
wrote his frs, book and had Il pub
iished under nom De plume.
It CALLED Tfisg for many day after
ward 70 know that what ne wrote about
this book was upon the whole favora-
be- Indeed, exceedingly favorable, Ter
Trigg, who at once recognized the merit
ot the work without in the ieas. guess
ing who its aTthor WAS.
By this tine Trigg reached COM
manding position upon his paper, and
what he wrote for its columns was
printed a. he wrote 1t, with no blue
pencil supervision.
Denton, pleased with the success Of
his first book, allowed it 10 be announc-
cd that he was the anonymous author.
Trigg CRASHED his teeth when he re
allied that he had heiped his enemy,
but he held his peace and waited.
\ three volume novel was anHouEc-
cd. When those three volumes came
20 the "Acadaneum" Office, Trigg felt
that his time for vengeance had come.
lie devoted u page To it. Nothing 50
bitter and 80 crushing ever before or
since appeared in the cynical columns
Of that paper. Il was merciless, and
every one recognized That Denton had
received his death blow a. a novelist.
None realized this more than Denton
himself, who was driven To the verge
OF despair. His Publisher was apPalI-
ed, and he and the author had con
slItation, and both admitted that moth
ing could be done.
By ali laws OF logic the sale ofthe
book should have stopped at that mo
meat, bat the very contrary was the
clse. The iieFceness and magnitude of
the attack al once gave D-ntDn place
in the world Of literature that il might
in the ordinary course OF events have
taken years t. attain. There instantly
arose a discussion about the book in
various papers throughout the country.
Tae demand for it increased. People
wanted To read work that had been
- merciiessiy slated. The libraries
sent in order after order, and second
edition was announced. Still the de
nIand kept up, and As the book had
genuine merit, and as the attack was
in reality villainously unfair, although
Economically clever, public sympathy
began to veer toward the author.
The first edition of the novel i'll cheap
form was sold the day of publication,
All was speedily followed by a second
and a third and fourth
Il is quite possible for a critic 10 over
estimate mis- own power, and il was
some time before Trigg realized that
his revenge was a boomerang. His
article had been the making OF his
enemy, and Denton's position in the
literary world was now assured. No
one eoald destroy it but himself, and,
as every one knows, he was too clever