The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1896-04-30
FOUNDED ON FACT.
MIR. Rogers. did Won saw"


"Yes. sir; tall, middle aged gen
tleman." replied my servant.
I could recollect no acquaintance Il
she name.
TASK him to step ia here" said ~
length.
The man who entered my study was
4 complete stranger to me. He was tall,
between 40 and so years Of age, rather
thin and very angular in his move
ments. He wore short beard. was
slightly bald and had decidedly pleasant
features. When he smiled. his eyes
seemed to sparkle and he exhibited two
excellent rows Of teeth.
81 am afraid am quite unknown to
you," he began.
bowed my head and wondered what
was coming next.
"But your name as q rising young
novelist and writer Of short stories Ia.
of course. familiar to me-"
Who could he bei began to have
visions Of publishers and editors clamor-
ing at my door for Contributions from
my pen. Was he about to give me o
commission for new serial? Perhaps
he represented some leading magazine
and was prepared to pay sums undream-
ed of for my tales Of love and adven.
ture. Or was he only some newspaper
interviewer bent ON satisfying the curl
osity Of his readers respecting my opin-
ions and manner of life?
Pray be seated" said.
We sat facing one another ON opposite
sides of the hearth rug. 1t was a cold,
dull November day, aud the bright fire
that burned in the CRATE was comfort
ing. Mr.. Rogers took from his pocket
copy Of popular magazine and held 1t
ON his knee.
Capital story that of yoursr'
which," asked.
'That last one in here, !" he said, tap
ping the covers of the book, "the story
called The Mystery Of Rowner's Mill I"
II am glad you like it, but really
"a splendid storyi Rather daring
though -
"Daring?"
"Yes--to publish story of real life
as mere fiction"
81 don't understand what
But why did You make Maud dark
girl? OF course she was fair, as you
know. Her real name was Mabel, but
that doesn't matter"
"You are Quite
"Still, you have hit Off Maltby to
at"
"The story, assure. You, was''-
Written under pressure of timer
Yes. / have no doubt of it. But your de-
int r,, <sF ,I1 g.
ner's Mill is. of course, Radford's Mill,
near B.
ALLOW me TO explain
'Quite unnecessary, / assure You.
Yon were perfectly justified in changing
tho name. But that passage in which
you describe the act of vengeance ON
Maltby is remarkably powerful and ac-
curate. All! here 1t is: Seeing his vic
tim powerless, Jasper Gore, with the
strength Of giant, seized him in his
arms and for one moment held him
above his head in front of the open win
dow. Then be hurled the wretched man
into space. Down. down he fell, until,
with splash that was inaudible amid
the roar and rattle Of the mill, Maltby
disappeared in the deep water of the
race, and was instantly battered to .
shapeless mass by the huge revolving
water wheelp"
But surely you know
"Oh, yes; know every inch of the
place. or course you are little bit
rough on me. -
ION your"
Eyes; you sec. Jasper Core
rose TO my feet. So far had hardly
been able to get word In edgeways.
had not the slightest idea what he was
driving at He was exhausting my pa
thence.
Look here, sir, I shouted warmly,
II haven't yet the pleasure of knowing
who you are. What the-will you kind
ly tell me what You are talking abouti''
why. my dear sir. I am talking
about this story of yours called The
Mystery Of Rowner's Mill. I WAS Just
saying that you have made me-other-
wise Jasper Core
Gore is one of my characters. un.
derstand your name is Rogersr'
The man leaned back and roared with
laughter. I sank into my chair in a
state Of evaporation
Excuse my laughing. - he said, "but
when you put on that innocent air it ID
irresistibly funny. What does it mates
which name use, Gore or Rogers-ars
they not one and the same? What wal
easier? You took my real name. Rogers.
rejected the last two letters. transposed
the others, and then you had it--Gorei' p
was now quito out Of temper.
II don't know what your object is, -
] said. lin coming here and talking thia
nonsense. The story is pure fction-s
simple creation of my own brain-from
beginning to end So far as I know, the
characters never lived, the incidents
never happened, the mill described new
er had any existence--excspt in my own
imagination.
My visitor watched me as ! spoke,
and grin slowly broadened ON his face,
until he again burst into loud laughter.
81 should never have believed itp'
he said.
Believed what?''
lyon noyelists, it would appear, are
so stepped in fiction that You lose all re.
gard for truth.
"what do you mean. siri" 1 cried in
dignantly.
SIS it necessary to explain? Here, in