The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-09-21


and at half-past twelve next day they
reached Mr.. Rolfes door; an old fashion
ed mean-looking house. In one OF the
priskest thoroughfares OF the metropolis.
cab-stand opposite 10 the door, and
tide OF omnibuses passing IL.
Lady Bassett viewed the place discon-
tently and said 10 herself, What a poky
| little place for a writer to live in; how
noisy how unpoetlcalr
They knocked at the door. II was open
| ed by maid-servant.
Us Mr. Rolfe at homer"
Yes maam. Please give me your card
and write the business"
Lady Bassett took out her card and
| wrote line or two on the back OF H.
The maid glanced at II. and showed her
into room. while she took the card 10
her master
The room was rather long. low, and
nondescript; scarlet flock paper: curtains
and sofas gree Utrecht velvet wood work
and pillars white and gold; two windows
looking on the street: at the other end
FOLDING doors with scarcely any wood
work. all plate-glass but partly hidden
| by heavy curtains OF the same color and
material as the others. Accustomed TO
large, lofty rooms. Lady Bassett felt her
| self In a long box here: but the colors
pleased her. She said TO Mary Wells,
What funny, cozy little place for a
gentleman 10 live In
WI fNollt WdS tHHdReQ with some one.
she was kept waiting; this was quite new
to her. and discouraged her: already in
undated by the novelty OF the situat ton.
she tried 10 encourage herself by saying
II was for her husband she did this un-
usual thing; but she felt very miserable
and inclined 10 cry
Al last bell rang: the maidnrame In
and invited Lady Bassett TO follow her.
she opened the glass folding doors, and
TOOK tnem into n small conservatory
walled like grotto, with ferns sprouting
out OF rocky, tissues. and spars sparkling,
water dripping Then she opened two
more glass folding doors. and ushered |
them into an empty room, the like OF
which Lady Bassett has never seen: II
was large in itself. and multiplied ten !
ioid by great mirrors from floor to cell !
ing. with no frames but narrow oak |
beading; opposite her, on entering. was a |
oay-window all piate-glass, the central |
pahes or which opened, like doors upon 4
pretty little garden that glowed with /
color. and was backed by fine trees be- /
longing TO the nation: for this garden raj |
up the wall OF Hyde Park
Tne numerous and large mirrors all
down 10 the ground laid hold 10 the gar
den and the flowers, and by double and
treble reflection the room with delightful
nooks OF verdure and color
TO confuse the eye still more. a quanti-
~ OF young India rubber trees. with
glossy leaves. were placed before the
large central mirror
Ihe carpet was warm velvet nile
the walls were distempered French
gray, not cold, but with a tint of nauve
tnat gave a warm and cheering bloom.
TINS soothing color gave great effect
10 the one or two masterpieces OF paint
Ing that hung on the walls. and to the
GIT frames. the furniture. oak and mar
dueterie highly polished: the curtains
scarlet and merno. through which the
sun shone, and, being a London sIn
uiHused mild rosy tint favorable to fe-
maie races Not sound OF London could
be heard
so FAR the room was romantic: but
mere was prosaic corner to shock those
VINO Fancy that fiction IL the spontaneous
overflow OF poetic foundation fed by
nature only; between the fireplace and
the window. and within foot or two ~
the wall stood a gigantic writing-table
with the signs OF hard labor on II. and
OF severe system Three plated buckets
each containing three pints. full OF let
terS TO be answered other letters 10 he
pasted into classified guard book. loose
notes TO be pasted into various books
ard classified for this writer used 70 {
sneer at the learned men who saw 'T
VIII look among my papers for IT." he
helo that every written scrap ought
either to be burned, or pasted into a c,as-
sined guard-book. where II couId he
found by consulting the index). Ave /
Things like bankers bill-books into |
whose several compartments MS notes |
ana newspaper cuttings were thrown. as
q preliminary toward classification I'm ,
books. =
ohderneath the table was n formidable {
array OF notebooks, standing upright {
and labeled on their backs There were $
ABOUT twenty large folios OF classified
iacts, ideas. and pictures-for the very \
wood-cuts were an indexed and ciassi- r
ned on plan OF tradesmans ledger: I
mere was also the receipt-book OF the /
year, treated on the same plan Receints
Dn file would not do for this romantic
creature. If tradesman brought a bill
ne must be able TO turn Ia that trades
mans name In n book and prove in n
moment whether II had been paid or not +
ihen there was a collection Of solid
luartos. and OF smaller folio guard books
'ahed indexes. There was Index re-
'um ct journallum''-"Ind rerum Of
lororum Index rerum ct hominum." r
mo lot more; indeed so many that r
" way or climax. there was n fat folio q
edger entitled Index ad Indices" o
BY the side OF the table were six or e
even thick pasteboard cards. each about
ne size OF a large portfolio and on those ,l
he authors notes and extracts were col -
ected from all his repertories into some
hlng ike focus for present burmese 4,
VI was writing a novel based on facts y
Incidents, living dialogue pictures. re-
lections, situations were all on these
ards To choose from. and arrangoa ~
eaded columns; and some portions ~
ne work ne was writing on the basis %
and drudgery Law on the a
able In two forms. his own writing ard :
rs secretarys copy thereof. the latter q
DIRECTED for the press. This copv wa. !
af margin. and 80 provided for ad- !.
itions and improvements. bu, for one
nd small e' m
Lady Bassett had just time 20 take IN "
nc beauty ana artistic character OF the o.
lace and to realize the appalling drud- u
erF tnat stamped IL workshop. when -
ne author, who had dashed into his rar- -
on Tor moments recreation. came to o'
le window, and furnished contrast No -
For he looked neither like n noe, =
or drudge but great fat country -
lrmer He was rather tai. very portly 6,
nallish head. commonplace sea,,ro. III