Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-02-23
FOUNDED ON FACT.

The man who entered my study was
a complete stranger to me. He was
tall. between forty and fifty years OF
age, rather thin, and very angular IN
| his movements. He wore a short
| beard, was slightly bald, and had de-
cidedly pleasant features.
Il am afraid | am quite unknown to
YOU" he began. But your name as
a rising young novelist and writer OF
short stories is, of course, familiar to
me-"
Pray be seated l said.
We sat facing one another on oppo-
site sides of the hearthrug. 1t was a
cold. dull November day, and the bright
fire that burnt in the CRATE was COM
forting. Mr. Rogers took from his
pocket copy of popular magazine
and held it on his knee.
Capital story that OF yours"
"Which?' | asked
The story called The Mystery OF
Rowner's Mill Rowner's Mill is, OF
course Radford's Mill near b"
ALLOW me 10 explain
quite unnecessary, l assure you
You were perfectly justified in chang
! ing the name But that passage in
which you describe the act of ven
! geance on Maltby is remarkably pow
erful and accurate Al! here it is
Seeing his victim powerless, Jasper
Gore. with the strength of giant, seiz-
| ed him in his arms and for one moment
held him above his head in the open
window. Then he hurled the wretched
man into space Down, down, he fell,
until, with a 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
into a shapeless mass by the huge re-
! vOlving water wheel"
But surely you know
oh, yes; I know every inch of the
place. OF course, YOU are little bit
rough on me-"
''On your"
Yes; you see Jasper Gore"
rose TO my feet. So far had hard
~ been able to get word in edgeways.
/ had not the slightest idea what he
was driving at. He was eXhausting
my patience.
Il don't know what your object is, p"
said lin coming here and talking
this nonsense. The story is pure fic-
tiOn-a simple creation Of my own
braiu-from beginning 10 end. So far
as know, the characters never lived
the incidents never happened, the mill
described never had any existence
except in my own Imagination.
Ny visitor watched me as | spoke,
and a grin slowly broadened on his
face. until he again burst into loud
laughter
You novelists, it would appear, are
so stepped in fiction that you lose all
regard for truth"
What do you mean, sir?' I cried,
Indignantly.
els it necessary to explain? Here, in
this magazine, have story every es-
sential detail OF which is actual truth.
and you coolly tell me that it was all
evolved out of your own BRAIN
Certainly. So it was
Nov, what is the use of talking like
that to me-to me? am Rogers-RCg-
ers is Gore. ! am the man whose acts
are described in this story"
do you mean to sit there and tell
crime identical with that / have de-
scribed?"
Precisely I say the story is true
in every essential detail Every action
Of the plot, every motive of the char
acters, all the descriptions OF places.
and even portions Of the dialogue. are
absolutely true. l say again, | am Jas
per Gorei'
Imagine my feelings, Never before
in the history Of fiction writing had
so remarkable thing happened. Some
occult power had clearly been at work
on my brain, and directed me to write
story founded on fact in a degree
that was simply marvellous. The sit
uatiOn was so extraordinary that il
staggered me. / was here face to face
with the murderous creation Of my
own imagination.
Il have told you that I am Jasper
Gore. But that is only one of the
names under which authors have used
me in relating my exploits. You are
not the only writer who has employed
my deeds in fiction. You have re2S
BlandforG's novel. The Red Witr<r'?'
Well, am Paul Varnham. the man who
poisoned his brother and threw the
body into lime kiln. You have seen
the story in the last number OF the
Masterpiece Mage zine called The Case
OF Roland Wier? ! am Roland the
man who stole the bonds and stabbed
to the heart the only witness to the
/ deed. Why. the stains of the crime are
| still on my hands"
why do you come to tell me all
/ this?"
Il came to make proposal am
a man of many deeds-crimes. you
would call them. The world is getting
too hot for me- I am in danger from
the sleuth hounds of the law. Shelter
me; hide me, and l will sive you ma
stories that ever we're written. I can
keep YOU going for the rest of your
life with facts, sir. facts.
"The Rowner's Mill affair don't
know how you got hold of, but it was
not obtained fairly But / will not say
anything about that. Stand bv me-
and l will make your fortune and your
: everlasting fame"
Just then gentleman entered the
room.
Excuse me, sir" he said. II have
come for our good friend, Mr.. Rogers.
He lives with us at x"
x l knew to be the place where
a certain county lunatic asylum stands.
l saw everything in flash He hand
ed Rogers over to the care of another
man in the hall. and the poor fellow
went as meeklY as q lamb Then the