The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-09-24
That Last
Chapter
Now a Detective Story
Was Finished.
BY F. A. Mitchell

aaAs chapter of that detective story is
Hsrkgng."
-9ssssing?"
'4EesS-
~SSc1gc Scott! What are we to do
HsssExusuy read 1t, and l sent up the
nnEnnscri9t just as l received 1t from
NAnEa- Nsu say 1t is detective story?''
Essl That's what the title indi-
s1asesss'
dssn was a beautiful situation. A
oikssexsiye story with the last chapter
Sr.Haang! Connolly was the only per-
Rxgs counected with the office who had
gxSz st, and he had gone away. or
ekEye& N search made for the missing
a.siNgrcx without success. Nothing re-
vszszDed but the author. called to
G&sr ae5sphone operator. "Give me No.
$x7sS Psnfield."
20 seemed an hour, though it was
ySag fmty seconds, before l heard a
Fsxn&s and a woman's voice answered:
weHr
-Yx this Miss Quigley?"
'~yatS IS Miss Quigley's home, but
EsxsEs not here. She sailed this morn
sSsfSr Japan"
I've groan l gave was doubtless audi
SflE TO- Tie woman on the other end OF
lsatEn wire, for she asked If anything
WINES aEie matter. In reply asked her
~ Nsss Quigley had left any manu-
lExyts or parts of manuscripts with
ASdE The reply was that before leav-
a1E stSe authoress had burned every
Izssngp Of paper she had except a de-
tspxtfxH story in the hands of her pub
ESSSxrs. I groaned again and hung up
ssse Dsceiver without even thanking
sxx person for her information.
Tfsse was nothing for 1t but to read
s3sn' s&ury and write the last chapter
Eyxeit Just think-make an ending
ssS detective story, detective story
IswxtsD by a woman famed for weav-
&N- Ssats that no human being but her
s&eE could unravel! / must first wade
fsfgSsugh a labyrinth of incidents in
sEQsSed to throw the reader off the
Gsrgss. my head at the same time being
&xlzSsT other matters. Connolly attend
eHa Sc such work, and l knew little or
zars2aag about 1t. He had gone into
G,&Tzg to escape legal summons and
led ese- sut himself knew where. With
sgsssuthoress in the middle of the big
gssx ncean on earth, there was no res
Irfae for me. took up the telephone
Zxczxzer again.
-2exd me the manuscript of that de-
Essxfye story at once. There's been
agxue COMPOUNDED carelessness some
Iesge, and whoever is to blame will
sqs MS head taken off,
Vie latter part of this message was
Gnq@rduous. 1t was merely blowing
EaT gf the mad that was In me. The
nxxnzscript came down, and, placing it
'sxs'tae- desk at one side, the rest being
SwgrId with an infinite variety of
ESd,tssr; principally galley proofs, page
.sroofs and everything else that can
ssune from printers to distress nm ed
tSisss r turned to the first chapter and
Snyrrn to- skim, for had altogether too
lGuctt 20 occupy me to give the matter
cnSEEyided attention. While reading
INV Erys chapter / gave orders concern
-aVg trse making Of pictures, the buying
at Sxsqlies, the turning down Of sub
y'rxszssi manuscripts. l apologized for
.xSrSrg, offended suffragists, anti-suf-
ts1Gssss; prohibitionists and winebib-
hE,rR
rs have given this information re-
mssscsSug the interruptions attending
ny reading Of the first chapter simply
.igr sample of the rest When fin
&zisH' al of the story l possessed 1
GcEys no more about the plan on which
~ Wits written than of the last chapter
Slat ( had formed some idea Of what
xfss6s possibly be thrown In to worry
fb5. reader-it certainly worried me
zfzs3 went over 1t all again, this time
~ Egt comprehensive view, and the
ncr9ss was more satisfactory. But as
IN who stole the watermelon-it was
Es&sx a. watermelon or sapphire as
zk9s Ms watermelon-I had not the
ehsiEfest conception. However, since
s2aTy must be a conclusion l selected
ffsn q number of intended misleaders
sac HAT thought would be the easiest
~ xnke fit the conditions. This done,
X Kicked my desk and went home to
sEaner
1T 9 o'clock / sat down to write the
Es7 chapter of "The Gem Of Good
Kf9e" My work consisted in fitting
zy 4enouement to the rest of the sto-
~ ". rather, I'm fitting the rest Of the
rxsvy to my denouement. Whoever
sfrr fried to work out one of those puz-
ztcas Fn which there Is always one
ssIwy which cannot be made to fit in
issp vroper place will understand the
1asvr racking task in which was en-.
Egzrd- Just as had come to believe
-znT was meeting with some success
smoke and heard a commo-
sxm below.
Esmaing downstairs, found an in
afspsznt fire In the kitchen back Of the
aauagv ana set about putting It out.
ytmsr one had turned in an alarm, and
s&s few minutes the clanging.fire ell
sxsxs we're pulling up before the door.
viP house was filed with firemen.
x~-<u hove yofar md sn1oka Forth.