The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-04-25

Soul, as original mattefI
A pause ensued. The ticking of n
clock on the mantelpiece alone broke
the silence of the room. The editor
watched the woman keenly. A sudden
spasm passed over her face and a
hunted look came into her eyes. Then
for the first time the man noticed her
paIlor and the poverty of her attire;
she had clasped her hands together, as
il to make an appeal, and he saw that
even her gloves were carefully mend
ed.
''If you would rather not answer" he
said gently and In a very different tone
from that which he had intended to
adopt toward MIR. Nottingham" you
need not do so. Only, | think you must
acknowledge that 1t Is impossible for
me to publish the story in my maya
zine"
aWill you tell me w-whyf" she ask
ed, trying TO control her voice. Il Will
own that | shouldn't have offered 1t
to you without an explanation. per-
haps. But -
For answer he took from drawer
newspaper and n pile of manuscript.
This is your manuscript" he remark
ed, watching her keenly as she put
out her hand for 1t. "aud this" he
added grayely. taking up the paper,
lis the journal In which n certain
story entitled The Liar appeared.
Now perhaps you will understand"
The girls hand tremlsed so that she
could hardly hold the printed sheet.
After a momentary glance she laid II
down again. and then, turning her
blanched face to him, she said tremn-
lousy, 81 ask your pardon"
"Will you tell me, Miss Chester" he
asked slowly, why YOU sent this to
me? Was it for the sake of getting
into print-a natural enough vanity.
I'll allow-or," he continued in softer
tone. "was the payment that you
would have received had the manu-
script been accepted an important con-
sideration?"
"Oh, Mr.. Baird" she exclaimed, try
ing to regain her composure, II know
1t was dreadfully dishenorable thing
to do, but-but you don't know how
hard 1t has been for me In London. \
woman has no chance at all, and for
girl like me, without interest or
friends, 1t seems impossible to get
work. I've lost heart utterly now, and
I'm so tired of 1t all"
"Haye you met with any success ut
all?" he asked sympathetically.
Eyes, little, but not very much and
nothing regular. | got some fairly reg
ular work on The Morning Comet, but
the paper failed last summer and left
some money owing to me. too" she
added sadly.
"That was hard lines. Did you write
much for IT."
Eyes, a good deal. did all those
articles on The Provincialism of Lon
dom and also the serial The Heart of
Woman with some short tales as
WELL"
by Joye! Was 1t you who wrote
THE Heart of Woman then| he ex-
claimed, with interest. "How silly of
me! l ought to have remembered the
name. 1t was n capital story. You
should get 1t published In volume form.
I'm sure 1t would succeed
1--WE tried to, but 1t was no good.
The first firm offered 1t to kept it for
seven months and then wrote to say
they would bring the story out If L
would bear the expense. The next peo-
pie who considered 1t were not so bad.
They asked me to pay only half the
cost. | knew they were good firm
and would treat me well. and so tried
to get the money before the book would
be too much out of date"
"That is why you sent this manu-
script to me thenT'
"Yes; ! saw that You We're offering
% guneas for the best 10000 word sto-
ny. The money meant such a lot to me,
and | was so awfully hard up! | be-
gan story and got half way through
with 1t, but 1t wasn't alive, and some
how couldn't get on with 1t. Then one
day | came across an old file of the
Cape Town Mercury In the reading
room at the museum, saw story
called The Liar In 1t and liked the
central idea very much. worked IT.
up and changed the construction lit
tie and added another chapter, and
then-well, then sent 1t here. | never
imagined any one would recognize II.
The paper was over ten years old and
had lasted only dozen numbers.
"And now think I've nothing more
to say" she went on, except that I'm
ever SO sorry about 1t all! | hope you
won't think too badly of me. 1t was
such n temptation! VIII you tell me,
though"-her voice faltered-"how II
was you found out? didn't think any
one In London could have read the
Cape Town Mercury or, even II they
had read The LIAR that they could
remember 1t now. 1t is a curious coin
cidence, of course"
yes" answered the man slowly. ian
extraordinary coincidence. The fact
Is, though-er-I myself happen to be
the original author of The Liar -
SEafch