The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-01-10

what we want" said the manag-
ing editor. "in our serials is plot We
must have our characters or some one
of them at the end of an installment
hanging over a precipice a thousand
feet deep. to be rescued In the next,
tumbled overheard In midocean, left
to drown, rescued again, etc. And you
needn't bring 1t all out happily in the
end. Kill the hero if you like. There's
Tess of the D'Urbervilles, who was
strung up at the end of the story, and
the whole world read it and wept over
it Big sales, large profits"
You want it true to life, don't your"
Truth is stranger than fiction. II
you'll strike plot that every one says
couldn't possibly have happened you'll
get selling story. The critics will
call it rot but the people win want
to read it. Try to do something
startling. My object is to put the
paper on its feet. Many newspaper
has been made by an ingenious serial"
/ had no confidence in the papers
being established by any serial l could
write. however improbable / should
make It, and l told Heaton SO, but he
told me to get out and do as he had
instructed. He had no more time to
talk about the matter. "You know
what we want" he said; "go and do
it."
l puzzled for a considerable time
over plot, but could invent nothing
original Then 1t occurred to me that
there is nothing original except In real
incidents that occur from time to time,
and even these repeat themselves.
After all, the novel Heaton had quoted
had nothing startling in the plot 1t
was the writing of it and the tragedy
at the end. l determined to be con-
tent with a commonplace plan and
rely on hanging somebody to do the
rest. would drag in all the horrid
details of an execution. and / hoped
in this way to serve the managing edi-
tors purpose to limited extent. In
order to make the story more harrow
ing l determined that the man who
dangled at the end of a rope should
be the innocent victim of circum-
stances.
Haycroft was my hero, Gwendolin
Montclaveries my heroine. They
loved. Haycroft was distant con-
nectiOn to a millionaire who was a
bachelor, and, since Hayeroft was the
only child Of several generations Of
older children descending from the
millionaire's only brother Tor sister,
for that natter, In case the million
aire died without will Haycroft would
inherit all his property. Pitblado, the
william Of the story, also loves Gwen
dolin, and must invent some plan for
him to get Haycroft out of the way.
1t was very easy for me to kill the
rich man under suspicious circum-
stances-at least / had Pitblado manu-
facture the circumstances-whi went
to show that Haycroft had poisoned
the old gentleman to get his money.
The ingenuity required was to weave
a lot of circumstances that would con-
Wet Haycroft and yet he must be In
nocent.
Nothing very original about that, you
say. Well, If there is any originality
in the matter at all / didn't supply 1t.
Fate lays all the plots for stories, and
all we scribblers do is to write them
up. Nevertheless, though / didn't
know it, was doing the biggest Job
of my life. And do you know while
thought l was writing a blood and
thunder love tragedy l was turning
bitterness and gall In real household
into great happiness.
The story was coming out, the In
stallments appearing once a week. l
had convicted the hero, and he was
waiting the result of an appeal which
I intended to have denied by a mer-
CHESS judge. was writing the de-
scription Of the hanging and intended
as soon as it was over to drive the
heroine insane and conclude with her
shrieks dying away gradually as doors
were closing behind her In a mad
house. The issue of the paper had ap-
peared containing an explanation Of
that chain of circumstances which had
convicted the murderer. Though they
were not to save him, felt bound to
show my skill in finding a key to them
which If brought to light would save
the victim. But, relying as i did on a
double tragedy at the end. proposed
to bring out the key when 1t was too
late to do any good. You see, didn't
intend to spoil the tragic effect by be-
ing chicken hearted. especially as the
people involved were merely creatures
of my own brain. Besides, remem-
bered the Instructions of the manag-
ing editor. and l was TO attract the
attention of the reading public. which
increases the circulation of the paper
and brings in the advertisements, the
ultimate object of the whole thing.
About a week after the appearance
of the issue containing the explana-
ton of the incidents that had proved
Haycroft guilty. while / was engaged
writing the removal of Gwendolin to
a madhouse, servant knocked at my
door to say that man was downstairs
who wished to see me.
Get out of here" cried, land tell
the man to get out tool I'm doing
work that must not be interrupted"
The maid went away and returned
to say that she thought the man was
having At. II required something Of
the sort to cause me to break of from
my work. and, throwing down my pen,
FASTENED away. The man had buried
his face in the lounge pillows and was
giving way to violent spasmodic con-
tortions. Hearing me enter, he arose
and faced me- l never saw greater
agony on any face. He looked from
me to the maid and pointed to the
door. l told her to leave us and closed
the door behind her. Then l turned
to my visitor.
How did you get on to It'll" he asked.
his eyes starting out Of his head.
Get on to whatY
my making up that prescription
wrong"
what prescription
THAT killed the man In your story"
KILLED the man in my storyY' re-
peated. my eyes bullying with astonish
ment. had been writing of an imag
mary lunatic, and my first impression
was that / had a real one before me.
"You called him Chesterton."
"Wellr'
"Oh. my GodI He was Middleton
You might as well have given the real
name as one so like it."
/ stood staring at the man for awhile
then said to him:
my friend, you must pardon me fol
excusing myself, but have no time tc
devote to cranks. am putting the
finishing touches to the serial YOU