Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-09-14
Trapped by a. a Novel
A GENTLEMAal--a Mr.. Portman
IN to see you, Sir, !" said my land

Piled, without glancing up from my
manuscript.
A few moments later Mr.. Portman,
an entire stranger to me, was ushered
into my room. He came forward
man Of large build, some 40 years Of
age, with a slight stoop -and, fixing a
pair Of dreamy, dark eyes upon me, he
inquired, in a low, earnest tone:
MI. Cecil Lawrence, I believer .s 49,
Yes. Be seated a moment, will
.yon?' replied, indicating a chair.
He accepted the offer silently, and
waited my leisure, his eyes fixed upon
the cracking logs inthe CRATE, and his
tchin resting upon his hands,.
What can I do for you, Alr.-eeMr.
Portman?" / asked, presently, putting
e down my pen and turning round upon.
my visitor.
''Y gu are Mr.. Cecil Lawrence. the
author, are you not?" he returned.
Eyes,
s.The author Of "A Romance in Blue
Dye'?''
Eyes,
..Do you mind telling me how you
came by the plot for that story ?" he
said, his dreamy eyes lighting up for:
an instant.
I'm afraid I cannot give you any in
formation upon that matter" I replied.
Authors do not generally commune
cate their methods of work and thought
to strangers, and my time is at present
SO much occupied that, unless you real
~ have some important business with
me, I really
Il have important business with
you'll" he exclaimed, almost angrily.
s'Do you fancy that have come down
all the way from Lancashire to ask a
mere slip of an author his methods of
worll?''
From Lancashire?'' said, in sur
prise. Indeed, no; no sane man would.
But please state your business" ,..
evil you answer my question:" he
cried, rising impatiently and folding
his hands behind his back. "How did
you come by the facts in your story?"
Since you attach. such undue i'm
portance to the NATTER" replied cold
ly, Il can only say that owe some of
the plot of my Romance in Blue Dye
to newspaper paragraph CHANGED
upon some 1S months ago.
ssCan you show me this paragraph"
Really, unless you can tell me in
what way this matter is of so much.
Importance to you, fear I must de-
cline to continue this interview, for,
as have already told you, I am exceed
ingly busy
He looked at me steadily for mo-
ment in silence, and the light came
into his eyes again.
"My name is Portman-John Port
man, of Portman & Stayle, Dyers and
Cleaners, Rochdale," he said, in pc
culiar tone I could not understand.
edo YOU understands
mo. I may be very dense, but /
don't understand in what way the
statement of your identity proves the
Importance of your VISIT" responded,
becoming annoyed with him, his man
ners and his tone.
''You don't, eh?' he blurted out.
swell, Stayle, my late partner, was the
man who was found in the vat of dye.
You are a picturesque liar, you know"
I started-not at the fellows insult,
but at the germ of an idea that was
-dawning upon me. This man, then,
was the actual being whom I had Gre
\ ated,s as I thought, in the person of
james Saxon, the murderer Of his part
ner. I fully understood now how
greatly this man, whose actual exist
.ence had never suspected, must have.
been annoyed by my book; for, doubts.
less, persons who had read it and knew
of the manner in which. my visitors
unfortunate partner had met his death:
had commented upon the matter un-.
pleasantly to my visitor.
ssDo you understand me now?", my
visitor demanded, seeing was not pre-
pared to say anything about his pre-
vious speech. Is
eyes, I fear SOL I replied, with a
sickly smile. 'sBut, if you have come
here with the intention Of bullying me,
YOU made an error in the address. My
solicitors, Messrs. Wright & Wright,
Ely Place, are the people to call upon
He looked at me and frowned. Then
) he crossed the room, locked the door,
and put the key in his pocket.
ssWhat the deuce do you mean?" I
.cried, starting up Indignantly. 'Yous
are presuming: unpardonably Replace
& the key and unlock the door!" And I
went over to him as spoke.
Gently, gently. my good SIR he
said. 81 am not nearly satisfied with
our chat yet. Look at this, and sit
down quietly
s1This," which he held in my face
was a revolver. Was I at the mercy of
"a mailman?
You are at the wrong end ofit, you
!. know, so sit down and be civil. =
Ishrugged my shoulders and returned
ITO my chair, having the unpleasant
sensation that he was Covering me,
all the time. sF
When I had seated myself he came
I. and sat down at the other side O.. my