The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-02-02
The Mysterious
Z Stories
BY EVERETT ]. MARKLE.

the necessity OF finding something 10
occupy and divert my mind during my
leisure hours. ! began writing stories.
After amusing myself at this work for
awhile constructed story that
thought pretty good and tried 1t on a
magazine. To my surprise, 1t was &c.
cepted. ! sent out more and was re
wsrded with more acceptances.
When came to be troubled with in.
somnia my story writing furnished me
with occupation during hours Of wake
fulness. ! have written many a story
or part of story between ] and 4 IN
the morning. ] boarded with lady,
Mrs Stoughtop. and her daughter
Kate ] may admit in passing that
when man boards with lady who
has a 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 ] didn't admit that !
was troubled with insomnia. But Kate
was always joking me. and anything
she said was acceptable.
One evening ] went up to my room
carrying a magazine with me to read
during my evening awake Turning
over the leaves, came to story by
some one who had the same name as
myself read the story. and il seem
I'D IN \ 1s<~I,k
1t myself. But our mental faculties
are very subtle, and it occurred to me
that my seeming connection with il
might have come from an infin1tesimaI
ly small period Of suspended anima
ton, at the awakening from which
fancied l had seen the story before.
But this did not explain my name
being used as the author of the stories
j was puzzled over this, especially be-
cause 1 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 II, but knew none such. especially
with my initials,
didn't think much OF this at the
tsihts AOi any DuSlINHos NHiCb Dteu
running so smoothly, began to. give
me lot of trouble and I was finally
on the verge of closing 1t out. ! was
hanging by my fingers, SO to speak,
when ] 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
fNrpnnr h. nxu,s., c%r ~
IDENTIFY pleased magazine readers, for
they began to appear quite often.
read every one came across, and my
establishment grew with each, for
there was none but reminded me of
something I bad heard or read or
dreamed.
Then il occurred TO me to 20 to
out who the writer was. went first
to an editor knew best
"Hell0W 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 1t came
back unopened. Have you taken to
scribbling for no payY"
u"Nch nSht Sou hpViy Aoi
months"
mot The MconshinerT
No" This was one OF the other
fellows / had read.
The editor looked at me, puzzled
| Then ! told him what had happened.
He had supposed the stories with my
name attached 10 them came from me.
hI1 hu .,., In nf hn
terry TO offer. He handed me a fat
check, but ] declined II and went to
see other editors in whose maya zines
the other scribbIer's stories had ap.
peared. They had all supposed that
| was the author Of the manuscripts
sent in, and all had credited me with
the amount due--in all more than a
J thousand dollars
Now, had GOT through my business
troubles, all but a thousand dollar note
coming due in a few days. All had
| TO do was to accept checks in payment
| for my stories and would be "Out Of
the woods" But | had not written
the stories and had no right to take
J pay for them Besides, II did so and
eht itnh VII ! NouiN ~
liable to prosecution for swindling.
| | was in condition OF mind where
a man needs 10 confide In some one.
That evening saw Kate Stoughton
and told her tho whole story, Including
the fact thnt the use Of Thousand
dollars would save my business.
''Then so 10 morrow" she said. ''and
draw the money from the magazines
One morning mother found manu-
script in drawer Of your desk; then
another and another at intervals. One
night she saw you writing ana spoke
to you. You didn't answer. You were
writing in your sleep or some similar
condition. read the stories, and II
occurred to ME that II would be good
joke to send them out TO magazines
l did SO, and they were all accepted
IN some instances letters came for yon
from the magazines Some opened
and Gund checks Enclosed. resealed
| the euyelOnpS and returned them