Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-07-08
The Mysterious
Stories
By EVERETT ]. MARKLE

leisure hours. I began writing stories
After amusing myself at this work for
awhile I constructed story that l
thought pretty good and tried it on
magazine. To my surprise, it was ac-
cepted. l sent out more and was re-
warded with more acceptances.
When / came to be troubled with in
somnia my story writing furnished me
with occupation during hours Of wake
fitness. l have written many a story
or part of a story between l and 4 in
the morning. l boarded with a lady.
Mrs. Stoughton, and her daughter.
Kate. l may admit in passing that
when man boards with a lady who
has daughter, especially if that
daughter is attractive, he is likely to
put matrimonial rope around his
neck AT any rate, an affair was
brewing between Kate Stoughton and
myself. She used to twit me for sit
ting up in the middle of the night
scribbling. for l didn't admit that
was troubled with insomnia. But Kate
was always joking me. and anything
she said was acceptable.
One evening | went I'D to nv room
carrying a magazine with me to read
during my evening awake. Turning
over the leaves, | came to Il story by
some one who had the same name as
myself. | read the story. and it seem
ed to me as if i might have dreamed
it myself But our mental faculties
are very subtle. and it occurred to me
that my seeming connection with il
might have come from an infnitesimaI
~ small period Of suspended ANNA
ton. at the awakening from which |
fancled | had seen the story before
But this did not explain my name
being used as the author of the stories
L was puzzled over this. especially be
cause | was not familiar with any
magazine writer of my name-Truce
1t is not an uncommon one, and doubt
less there were other scribblers bear
ing it, but l knew none such. especially
with my initials.
| didn't think much Of this at the
time. for my business, which had been
running so smoothly, began to give
me a lot of trouble, and l was finally
on the verge of closing it out was
hanging by my fingers, so to speak.
when l saw another story with my
name to it. and, strange to say, there
was the same faint dreamy knowl-
edge Of it that had pertained to the
former one. The fellows stories evil
IDENTITY pleased magazine readers, for
they began to appear quite often
read every one l came across, and my
establishment grew with each, for
there was none but reminded me of
something l had heard or read OF
dreamed
Then it occurred to me to go to
some of the magazine Offices and find
out who the writer was. l went first
to an editor knew best
''HellO!" he said. You're just the
man want to see. l sent a check to
you the other day for one of your
stories, and the letter inclosing it came
back unopened Have you taken tC
scribbling for no pay?'
Il haven't sent you a story for
months"
Not The MoonshinerY
No" This was one of the other
fellows I had read.
The editor looked at me, puzzled
Then I told him what had happened
He had supposed the stories with my
name attached to them came from me
and he had no explanation Of the mys
terry to offer. He handed me a fat
check, but l declined it and went te
see other editors in whose magazines
the other scribbler's stories had ap
peared- They had all supposed tina,
l was the author of the manuscripts
sent in. and all had credited me with
the amount due-in all more than 6
thousand dollars
Now, had got through my business
troubles, all but thousand dollar note
coming due in a few days. All hal
to do was to accept checks in paymen
for my stories and l would be ''out Of
the woods" But l had not writer
the stories and had no right to take
the real author turned up would bt
liable to prosecution for swindling.
/ was in a condition of mind where
man needs to cOnfide in some one
That evening l saw Kate StoughtoI
and told her the whole story. including
the fact that the use Of thousand
dollars would save my business.
Then go to morrow" she said. ''an(
draw the money from the magazines
One morning mother found a manu-
script in a drawer Of your desk; the1
another and another at intervals. On'
night she saw you writing and SPOKE
to you. You didn't answer. You were
writing in your sleep or some stmila
| condition. ! read the stories, and +
| occurred to me that it would be goOt
| joke to send them out to magazines
I did so, and they were all accepted
In some instances letters came for yol
from the magazines. Some opened
and found checks inclosed- resealet
the envelopes and returned them
Such is my confession. l am sorr.
now that I didn't give them tO Won !"