The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-06-19
N A CHANGE OF SCENE. IT.
M BY j. HERBERT WEIGH. @w
WZMIE=MlE= lE=zMIZQllE=MN=
Observation-Disclosures
BY j. HERBERT WEIGH.

ing facts and writing them out at the
rate of q thousands words or more an
hour. Duncan had 1t made evident "a
him that his weakness was this gather
ing OF facts. lie accepted In humble
spirit the chidings OF the city editor
and the unseeing superiority OF the
"star reporters" lie was waiting fof
his chance.
The city editor strode over 10 him
and laid the damp sheet Of rival af
ternoon edition In front Of him on the
table. Huge black letters reached
across the page announcing:
LIVINGSTON TAYLOR HAS DIS
APPEARED"
"Mr. Taylor" said the city editor
not noticing that the young man he
was addressing was sitting rigid In
his chair and staring at the letters
blankly, lust read this story OF the
disappearance OF your namesakc, the
novelist, and go up and see Mr.. VIII
cox, who knows him, think. The
novelist may be in the city, and II he
Is. wilcox may be able 10 help us To-
ca,s him. If you should happen Ia
1na the disappearing Taylor, get a
good Interview with him. There may
be n beat for us In this"
Taylor seized his hat lie wanted
TO get out into the open air as quickly
as possible. On the steps leading 10
the street he read the story. II was
brief enough. Tucked away under the
| big headlines were n few sentences 10
the effect that Mrs. MacMahon, the
| housekeeper OF Livingston Taylor, had
notified the police OF ROcktOn that the
young man had disappeared In the
| night about two weeks before, and
that she had neither seen nor heard
from him since. His departure had
evidently been very hurried, as his
room had been left In a state OF great
disorder That night he had had n
caller, n stranger to Mrs. MacMahon.
| Although Il was not known that he
had an enemy In the world, murder
was feared. Taylor laughed. 1t was
painfully evident that Mrs. MacMahon
| has not found his note.
But nc wanted to consider this mat.
| ter sanely. He could not do ii here
| in this teemlng thOroughfarc, so he
enterel cafe and sought out little
stall. His name pursued him. A man
at the bar was reading the story. This
thing must be stopped He decided
that the first thing to do was to put
the fears of Mrs. MacMahon and Rock
ton at ret by telegraphing. What
would he do next? lie ordered some
thing to aid him in helping to solve
this problem. In n moment his course
became clear to him. After an interval
of an hour and half-the time he had
decided to give himself In running
down and interviewing the novelist
he went back to the Office, reported
to the city editor ns briefly as possible
that he had found his man, and began
TO write.
Taylor, the novelist. had evidently
been in an expansive mood when he
was interviewed by Taylor, the re-
porter, for his remarks touching upon
the sensations OF n man who discovers
In the newspapers that he has dlsap-
pearcd were very clever and humorous.
His talk had n literary flavor unusual
in newspaper interviews. After the
paragraphs of the story he looked
across the room at Taylor with the
light Of appreciation In his eyes. But
when he reached the last page he
frowned and came over TO the young
man. with the copy in his hand.
"Mr. Taylor" he said. this is good
stuff, very good stuff. but you'll have
to be more specific in your location
of the novelist This is the point of the
story, you know. Just in the city
won't do? Where did you see him?"
Taylor turned red He could think Of
own boarding house came suddenly
into his mind and he hastily mentioned
II, justifyng himself with the remem-
brance of his face in the mirror there
that morning.
Now it's all right. It's very good
suringly, totting down the address.
Taylor did not wait ut the office TO
see how his announcement Of the dis
covery of the lost novelist looked In
print, but while he was lingering over
his coffee in q French restaurant up
town newsboy offered him the paper.
They had given the interview promi-
nent place; II read very well. ne
thought.
Aftcrward. while ne was waiting
| for n car in front of the ISayhouse n
newsboy offered HIM the paper. Taylor
of his ubiquitous name again. Ii was
the night edition that had first printed
the story Of his disappearance Its
headlines were as assertive rs those of
the afternoon. They stated with much
positiveness:
TAYLOR HAS NOT BEEN FOUND" D."
His landlady had waited up for him.
MIR. Taylor" she cried. hurrying out
of the back parlor and catching him
on the stairs. 1--WE been having the
funniest time this evening. There's
been at least dozen newspaper re.
porters here asking for Livingston Tay'
Tor. the novelist. None OF them seemed
to believe me at first when | told them
| lad never seen. much less. boarded
him. | told them that you were the
only Mr. Taylor | had. They've got
you mixed up some way. Funny,