The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02

I shuddered. for the door was moth
ing more than a coffin. the blackboard
knocked out. set on end in the thick
ness OF the wall AS I hesitated. the
silence Of space was cut by a sharp.
shrill whistle. like that Of live shell.
which rapidly grew louder and louder.
Get away from the door" said the
Devil Of Discomfort quickly. Here's
a soul coming to its place" I took
refuge under the broad vans Of the
Devils wings. The whistle rose to
an ear splitting shrek and a naked
soul flashed past me.
Always the same" said the Devil
quietly. "These little writer's are so
anxious TO reach their reward. HIM.
/ don't think he likes his'n. though"
A yell of despair reached my ears and
I shuddered afresh. who was he?"
I asked. Hack writer for a porno-
graphic firm in Belgium. exporting to
London. you'll understand presently
and now Well go in" said the Devil.
II must apologize for that creatures
rudeness. He should have stopped at
the distance signal for line clear. You
can hear the souls whistllng there
now"
Are they souls Of menu I whis-
pered.
"Yes-writer men. That's why they
are SO shrill and querulous. Welcome
to the Limbo OF Lost Endeavor."
They passed into domed hall,
more vast than visions could embrace,
crowded TO its limit by men. women
and children. Round the eye of the
dome ran Pickering fire. that ter
rihle quotation from job: 'Oh, that
mine enemy had written n book"
Neat. isn't it?" said the Devil, fol-
lowing my glance. Another joke OF
the Masters. Man of Us, y know.
In the old days we used to put the
characters into a disused circle OF
Dante's Inferno. but they grew over
crowded. So Balzac and Theophile
Gautier were commissioned to write
up this building. 1t took them three
years to complete. and is one OF the
finest under earth. Don't attempt to
describe 1t unless you are quite sure
you are equal to Balzac and Gautier in
collaboration. Look at the crowds
ana tell me what you think of them"
! looked long and earnestly and saw
that many of the multitude were
cripples. They walked on their heels
or their toes. or with a list to the
right or left. A few of them possessed
odd eyes and particolored hair: more
threw themselves into absurd and inn
possible attitudes; and every fourth
woman seemed to be weeping.
Who are these?' ] ssid
Mainly the population OF three
volume novels that never reach the
six shilling stage. See that beautiful
girl with one gray eye and one brown
and the black and yellow hair? Let
her be an awful warning to you how
You correct your proofs She was
created by careless writer q
month ago. and he changed al
colors in the second volume
so she came here as you see her
There Will be trouble when she meet.
her author. He can't alter her now
and she says she'll accept no apology. ;
"But when will she meet her au
thor"
mot in my department Do 70,
notice general air of expectanc,
among all the characters? They ar,
waiting for their authors. Look
That explains the system better than
can"
lovely maiden, at whose feet
would willingly have fallen and wor
shipped, detached herself from tn
crowd and FASTENED to the doc
through which had just come. Their
was prolonged whistle without, a sou
dashed through the coffin and fe
upon her neck. The girl with tn
particolored hair eyed the couple en-
viously as they departed arm in arr
to the other side OF the hall.
THAT man." said the Devil, "wrot
one magazine story, OF twenty-fou
pages. ten years ago when he was DIES
perately in love with n flesh and bloc
woman. He put all his heart into tn
work and created the girl you hav
just seen The flesh and blood woma
married some one else and debts
way they have-but the man has thi
girl for his very own and she will ever
lastingly grow sweeter"