Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-25

girl? OF course. she was fair, as YOU
know. Her real name was Mabel, but
that doesn't matter
"YOu are quite
"Stnl you have hit off Maltby TO a
T."
1.-THE story 7 assure you, was
written under pressure Of time?
Yes. have no doubt of it, But your
description OF the old mill is exact.
RoUner's mill Is, of course, RadfOrd's
mill near B."
ALLOW me to explain"
Quite unnecessary. I assure yop.
You we're perfectly justified in chang
ing the name But that passage in
which YOU describe the act Of venge-
ance on Malthy is remarkably powerful
and accurate. All here il is. Seeing
his victim powerless. Jasper Gore. with
the strength Of a giant. seized him in
his arms, and for one moment held
him above his head in front Of the
open window. Then he hurled the
wrerched man into space. Down, down
he fell, until, with a splash that was
inaudihle amid The roar and rattle of
the mill Maltby disappeared i'm the
deep wafer of the race and was instant
ly battered TO q shapeless mass by the
huge revolving water wheel
3ut surely you know"
con, yes; / know every inch OF the
place. OF course, YOU are a litle bit
r0u4h on me-
"Ca y0u?'
ayes, sou see, Jasper Gore"
I rose ,9 my feet. So FAR I had hard
'y been able TO ser word I'M edgewavs.
I had NOT the slightest idea what he was
driving at He was eXhausting my pa
thence.
Look here sir" 7 shouted warmly;
81 haven't yes the pleasure Of knowing
who YOU ares What the-wNl YOU
kindly ten me what YOU are talking
a10u-2'
why my dear sir. en- talking
about This story of yours called The
Mystery Of RCwner's MIL 1 was just
saying that YOU had made me-Other-
wise Jasper Core"
Gore is one O. my characters. un-
ders-and Your name is Rogers
The man leaned back and roared with
laughter I sank into my chair in
state of evaporation.
Excuse my laughing" he said. but
when Won put on chat innocent air &c is
rresisjbiy funny. What does it mat
ter which name use-Gore or Rogers
are not they one and the same9 What
was easier? You took my real name
Rogers. rejected the last TWO letters.
transposed The others, and then you
had i--G0re"
/ was ROW quite out OF temper.
VI don't know what Your a1iect is"
I said, lin coming here and talkinglhis
nonsense. The story is pure fction-a
simple creation Of my own brain-from
beginning TO END. So far as know. the
characters never lived, The incidents
never happened, the mill described
never had eny existence except in my
own Imagination "
My visitor watched NE as | spoke.
and a grin slowly brCadeued on his
face. until he again burst into loud
laughter.
81 should never have believed it," he
said.
Believed what2"
You novelis-s it would appear. are
so STEPPED i'm fiction that YOU lose all
regard for TRUTH
What 60 You mean. sir?' 1 cried. in
dignantly
us 1t necessary to explain? Here,
In this magazine, I have a story every
essential detail of which is actual truth.
and YOU cooliy tell me that it was evol-
we'd ont OF Your own brainw
Certainly. So it was"
Now. what is the use of talking like
that TO me-tO me? I am Rogers
Rogers is Gore / Ccall me by which
name You like am the man whose acts
are described in this story"
DO YOU mean to sit there and tell
me that YOU actually committed q crime
identical with that I have described"
Precisely. say the story is true in
every essential detail Every action of
the plot. every motive of the characters.
all the descriptions of places. and even
portions Of the dialogue are absolutely
true. I say again. I am Jasper Gorei'
Imagine my feelings, Never before
in the history Of fiction writing had so
remarkable q thing happened. Some
occult power had clearly been at work
on my brain. and directed me to write
@ story founded on fact in q degree that
was simply marvellous. The situation
was so extraordinary that it staggered
me. / was here face TO face with the
murderous rufian Of my own creation.
What was TO Doe done? I glanced at
the bell az his elbow.
Never mind that bell" he said
Eve shall no, want TO use that. Listen
to mer'
He brought his chair toward me until
our knees were nearly touching With
his hands on his thighs and his body
bent forward. he fixed his penetrating
eyes ON mine.
81 have told YOU that I am Jasper
Gore. But that is only one of the
names under which authors have used
me i'm relating my exploits. You are
nos the only writer who has employed
my deeds in fiction You have read
B.andford's novel The Red Winess?'
Well. ! am Paul Varnham. the man who
poisoned his brother and threw the
body into the limekiln. You have seen
the story i'm the last number of the Mas
terpiece Magazine. 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.
I shuddered visibly, and cold sweat
was on my forehead.
'Me,aphorically speaking, ne added.
with a smile. Il suppose YOU have
read
Stop I cried. what is il YOU
want Of me- Why do YOU come to tell