The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-10-24
TRAPPED BY A NOVEL
Being an Illustration of the Adage,
"An Evil Conscience Needs
No Aecuser."



waited my leisure, his eyes fixed upol
the cracking logs in the CRATE and hi
chin resting upon his hands.
What can do for you, Mr.-Mr
PortmanT' l asked presently, putting
down my pen and turning round upo1
my visitor.
You are Mr.. Cecil Lawrence, tn,
author, are you notY he returned.
Yes"
"The author of "A Romance In Blue
Dyer"
Yes"
do you mind telling me how yor
came by the plot for that storyY ht
said, his dreamy eyes lighting up fol
an instant.
Pm afraid l cannot give you any in
formation upon that matter" l replied
Authors do not generally communi
cate their methods of work and thought
to strangers, and my time is at present
SO much occupied that unless you real
ly have some important business with
me really
II have important business with
you" he exclaimed almost angrily
DO you fancy that have come dow1
all the way from Lancashire to ask q
mere slip of an author his methods OF
work."
"From Lancashire?" l said in sur
prise. Indeed, no; no sane man would
But please state your business"
"Will you answer my question:" ht
cried, rising impatiently and folding
his hands behind his back. How die
you come by the facts ia your story?"
"Since you attach such undue i'm
portance to the matter" replied coId
ly, Il can only say that owe some OF
the plot of my Romance In Blue Dye
to a newspaper paragraph l CHANGED
upon some Is months ago"
Can you show me this paragraph"
Really, unless you can tell me il
what way this matter is of so much
Importance to you, l fear l must de
cline to continue this interview, for, al
have already told you, am exceed
ingly busy
He looked at me steadily for a mo
ment in silence, and the light came in
to his eyes again.
''My name is Portman-John Port
man of Portman & Stayle, dyers ant
cleaners, Rochdaie,' he said in pecul
lar tone ! could not understand. "Dc
you understand"
'No. / 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
well, Stayle, my late partner, was
the man who was found in the vat oil
dye. You are q picturesque liar, you
know
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 had ere
ated, as thought in the person Of
James Saxon, the murderer of his part
ner. / fully understood now how
greatly this man, whose actual exist
ence 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 deaM
had commented upon the matter un
pleasantly to my visitor.
do you understand me now" my
visitor demanded. seeing l was not pre-
pared TO say anything about his previ
,ous speech.
Eyes, fear so,' replied with a sick
| lly smile. But if you have come here
with the intention of bullying me yor
made an error in the address. My so
licitors, Messrs. Wright & Wright, Ely
place, are the people to call upon"
He looked at me and frowned. Their
he crossed the room, locked the dool
and put the Key in his pocket.
what the deuce do you meanY'
cried, starting up indignantly. "You
are presuming unpardonabIy Replace
the key and unlock the door, and
went over to him as | spoke.
Gently, gently, my good sir" ht
said. II am not nearly satisfied will
our chat yet Look at this and si
down quietly
"This," Which he held in my face
was a revolver. Was at the mercy Of
mailman?
you are at the wrong end Of it, yoJ
know. so SIT down and be civil"
shrugged my shoulders and return
ed to my chair. having the unpieasan
seDsation that he was Covering m
all the time
When l had seated myself, he cam
and sat down at the other side of IN
table, laid his revolver in front of hiil
and began to bite at his nails. l wlit>
his pleasure silently, wondering what
could best do.
Its like this he said, so suddenl
that he startled me out of my thought,
Il had partner That partner get
drowned at our works in butt of pun
ple-not blue, mind you-dye. You Sc
the bare facts mentioned In the paper
this is what you say and write stor
about it. You make me, John Sake
of your accursed book, murder my par
ner. and you bring me to justice, eh|
"Yes. that's it." replied as easily a
could. Il offer you my sincerest apo
ogles for the unpleasantness it mus
have caused you, but l assure you, o
my honor, | never dreamed that 70
really existed, or l should not hay
used such plot"
But you must have known! Yo
mast have seem he cried, leaning owe
the table and kissing his words int
my face.
What would have happened if tn
meaning of his words had flashed IL
stead of dawning slowly upon me
cannot think. | never want TO know
Hut, coming upon my worried brai
slowly, the meaning did not make N
start, and my visitor, who evidentl
realized he had spoken without thinl
ing how he spoke, probably trusted
had missed his second sentence.
Tt help him to that belief / al
swesed:
Row could have knswn the III
fortunate dyer had partner? realiz
my horrible mistake now, of course.
ought never to have written the boo
witlout first .inquiriAg whether m