Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-04-15
TRAPPED BY A NOVEL.
OF the orchard over the hill.

"A gentIeman-a Mr.. Portman-to
see YOU, sir" said my landlady, look
ing in at my door.
"Show him up, Mrs. Jennings. | re-
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-a
man of large build, some forty years
of age, with slight stoop-and, fixing
a pair of dreamy eyes upon me, he in
nuired, in low, earnest tone:
"Mr. Cecil Lawrence, l believe"
Yes. Be seated moment, will
your" l 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?" / asked presently, putting
down my pen and turning round upon
my visitor.
You are Mr.. Cecil Lawrence, the
author, are you not?" he returned.
yes"
THE author of a Romance in Blue
Dyer"
do you mind telling me how you
came by the plot of that story?" he
said, his dreamy eyes lighting up for
an instant.
"I'm afraid cannot give you any in
formation upon that matter 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, I'M
less you have some important business
with me l really
Il have important business with
you" he exclaimed, almost angrily.
do you fancy that | have come down
all the way from Lancashire to ask
mere slip of an author his methods Of
work ?"
From lancashire" | said, in sur
prise Indeed, no; no sane man
would But please state your bust
ness"
will you answer my question: he
CRIED. rising impatiently and folding
is arms behind bis 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, Il can only say that l owe some of
the plot of my Romance in Blue Dye
to a newspaper paragraph | CHANGED
upon some eighteen 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 yous l fear | must de-
cline to continue this interview, for,
as | have already told you, | am ex-
eceedingly busy"
He looked at me steadily for mo-
nent 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 a pc
culiar tone 1 could not understand.
do you understand"
mo. l 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 of
dye. You are picturesque uar, 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 1 had Gre
ated, as I thought, in the person OF
James Saxon, the murderer of his
partner. 1 fully understood now how
greatly this man, whose actual exist
ence l 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 Wis
itor's unfortunate partner had met his
death had commented upon the matter
unpleasantly to my visitor.
do you understand me now?" NV
visitor demanded, seeing | was not