Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-10-05
Trapped by a Novel
&c
A GENTLEMAN-a Mr.. Portman

\ to see you, SIR" said my Ian

manuscript.
A few moments later Mr.. Portman,
On entire stranger to me, was ushered
into my room. He came forward-a
man OF large build, some 40 years of
age, with q slight stoop-and, fixing a
pair of dreamy, dark eyes upon me, he
inquired, in a low, earnest tone:
"Mr. Cecil Lawrence, believer"
Eyes. Be seated moment, will
your" 1 replied, indicating chair.
He accepted the offer silently, and
waited my leisure, his eyes fixed upon
the cracking logs in the CRATE, and his
chin resting upon his hands.
what can DO for you, Mr.-Mr.
Portman?" 1 asked, presently, putting
down my.pen and turning round upon
my visitor.
"You are Mr.. CecN Lawrence, the
author, are you not?" he returned.
Yes"
The author of "A Romance in Blue
Dye"
yes"
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" replied.
Authors do not generally communi-
cate their methods Of work and thought
10 strangers, and my time is at present
so much occupied that, unless you real
ly have some important business with
ME, really"
~ hove important business with
ycu!" he exclaimed, almost angrily.
DO you fancy that 1 have come down
all the way from Lancashire tc ask
mere slip of an author his methods of
work."
''From-L Lancashire? 1 said, in sur
prise. "If@eed, no; no sane man would.
But pleasesstate your business"
"Will 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 matter" replied cold
ly, II can only say that 1 owe some Of
the plot of my Romance in Blue Dye
TO newspaper paragraph I CHANGED
upon some 10 months ago"
Can YOU show me this paragraph"
Really, unless you can tell me in
what way this matter is of so much
Importance to you, l fear 1 must de-
cine to continue this interview, for,
as 1 have already told you, am exceed
hgly 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 u pc
cuIiar tone l could not understand.
do you understand"
mo. 1 may be very dense, but l
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.
"Well, Stayle, my late partner, was the
man who was found in the vat of dye.
You are picturesque liar, you know. y
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 l had Gre
ated, as l thought, in the person OF
James Saxon, the murderer of his part
ner. l fully understood now how
greatly this man, whose actual exist
ence 1 had never suspected, must have
been annoyed by my book; for, doubt
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 I'M
pleasantly to my visitor.
DO you understand me now? my
visitor demanded, seeing L was not pre-
pared to say anything about his pre-
vious speech.
Eyes, 1 fear So" I replied, with a
sickly smile. "But, 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.
''What the deuce do you mean" 1
cried. starting up Indignantly. "You
are presuming unpardonablyl Replace
the key and unlock the door!" And L
went over to him as 1 spoke.
"GenHy, gently, my good sir" he
said. 81 am not nearly satisfied with
our chat yet. Look at this, and sit
down quietly"
This" which he held in my face,
was a revolver. Was 1 at the mercy Of
mailman?
"You are at the wrong end of it, you
know, so sit down and be civil"
Ishrugged my shoulders and returned
TO my chair, having the unpleasant
sensation that he was covering" me
all the time.
When 1 had seated myself he came
and sat down at the other side of my
table, laid his revolver in front of him,
and began TO bite his nails. Iwaited his
pleasure silently, wondering what 1
could do best.
Its like this!" he said, so suddenly
that he startled me out of my thoughts.
81 had a partner. That partner gets
drowned at our works in butt Of pur-
ple-not blue, mind you-dye. You see
the bare facts mentioned III the papers
(this is what you say!), write a story
about it. You make me, John Saxon Of
your accursed book, murder my part
ner, and you bring me to justice, eh? p
Eyes, that's it," replied, as easily as
I could 81 offer you my sincerest
apologies for the unpleasantness 1t
must have caused you; but I assure
you, upon my honor, 1 never dreamed
that you really existed, or I should not
have used such plot
lypovCrt Won