The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-23

would like very much" said the
surprised editor, ito see one of those
letters. To tell tho truth am getting
on in years, and my position on the
magazine is largely nominal. occa-
sionally contribute something, but the
MSS. sent III are entirely dealt with
by our reader and finally by Mr.. Den
ton. He is the real editor of the m;ga-
zinc, as thought everybody knew, and
has been for the past ten yenrs"
"You surprise me-" said Trigg. "Of
course until quite recently have known
nothing of the inner life of literary
London, and since joining the staff of
the Acadancum ] have been too busy
to pay attention to it. Have you, then,
no power on tho magazine with which
your name is connected?"
"Oh, l have the power if I choose to
exercise it; but havo very little taste
for the drudgcry of editing, and leave
it entirely in tho hands of nv subor-
dinates."
What you say" said Trigg, sin
terests me moro than you can be aware
of. would like, if you do not mind,
to show you some day q number of let
tcrs have had from the Office of your
magazine
Il should be pleased to see them"
answered the other, and they made an
appointment to meet ut the club of the
editor.
The old man was very much aston
ished when he saw the letters.
'"These alleged extracts from notes
of mine are not in my writing. They
were never written by me. If Denton
wished to reject your MSS. he should at
least have had the honesty to take tho
responsibility upon himself"
The next week Trigg received note
from the editor of the magazine in
question. 1t was to the following ef-
feet:
'1f you think it worth an item in
your usual column of literary notes
you have my authority for making the
announcement that Alfred Denton, for
many years subeditor of the - maya
zine, is no longer connected with that
periodical"
Trigg chuckled as he read this let
ter,
Denton" he said to himself. "the
treacherous scoundrel, will find out
now that it is easier to lose situation
like that than to get another" And he
added cutting line to the item he
wrote about his former friend, which,
without being libelous, Indicated that
Denton's leaving of the magazine was
practically dismissal in disgrace.
Denton soon realized that rumors
were abroad about him, and his
endeavors to get fresh footing
in the line that led to ultimate edit
orship were discouraging failures It
was under these circumstances that he
wrote his first book and had it pub
lished under nom de plume.
1t CALLED Trigg for many a day after
to know that what he wrote about this
book was upon the whole favorable,
indeed exceedingly favorable for Trigg,
who ut once recognized the merit of
the work without in the least guessing
who its author was.
BY this time Trigg had reached u
commanding position upon his paper,
printed as he wrote it, with no blue
pencil supervision.
Denton, pleased with the success of
his first book, allowed it to be an
nounced that he was the anonymous
author.
Trigg CRASHED his teeth when he
realized that he had helped his enemy,
but he held his peace and waited.
A three-volumc novel was announced.
When those three volumes came to the
Acadancum office, Trigg felt that his
time for vengeance had come. lie de-
voted page to it. Nothing so bitter
and SO crushing even before or since
appeared in the cynical columns of
that paper 1t was mcrciless, and
everyone recognized that Denton had
received his death-blow as q novelist.
None realized this more than Denton
himself, who was driven to the verge
of dispair. His publisher was appalled,,
and he and the author had consulta-
ton, but both admitted that nothing
could be done.
BY all laws of logic the sale Of the
book should have stopped at that
moment, but the very contrary was the
case. The fcrccncss and the magni-
tudc of the attack Mt once gave Denton
n place in the world of literature that
it might i'll the ordinary course of
events have taken years to attain
There instantly arose discussion
about the book in various papers
throughout the country. The demand
for it increased. People wanted to
read work that had been so mcrci-
lcssly slated. The libraries sent in
order after order, and n second edition
was announced. Still the demand kept
up, and as the book had genuine merit
and as the attack was in reality villain
ously unfair, although Economically
clever, public sympathy began to vcer
towards the author.
The first edition of the novel in cheap
form was sold the day of publication,
and was speedily followed by second