Evening star., 1917-10-28

tGopyrght by Metropolitan Magazine Company
EIEMPTATIoN came to me when
was in the worst possible posi-
tion to resist it.
1t is way temptation has.
Whenever j swear off drinking invari-
ably am invited to an ushers' dinner.
Whenever i am rich only the high
brow publications that pay the least
want my work. But the moment ! am
poverty-stricken the Manicure GIFTS
Magazine and the Rot and Spot Week
ly spring at me with offers of 81 a
word. Temptation always is on the
job. When l am down and out temp
tation always is up and at me.
When first the Farrells tempted me
my vogue had departed. On my name
and past performances" l could stiii
dispose of what ! wrote. but only to
magazines that were Just starting. The
others knew I no longer was a best
seller All the real editors knew it. SO
did the theatrical managers
My books and plays had fourished IN
( the dark age of the histor.cai-romantic
novel. My heroes wore sauntlets and
long swords. They fought for the car
dinal or the king and each loved a
high-born demoiseile who was a ward
of the king or the cardinal. and, with
feminine perversity, always of which
ever one her young man was fghtinE
With people who had never read
Guizot's History of France my books
were popular, and for made a great
deal of money. This was fortunate, for
my parents had left me nothing save
expensive tastes. When the tastes be
came habits the public left me 1t turn
ed to white slave and crook plays and
70 novels true to life, so true TO life
that one felt the author must at one
time have been a masseur in a Turk
ish bath.
So my heroines in black velvet and
my heroes with long swords Were
"scrapped" As one book reviewer put
it. ITO expect the public today to read
the novels of Fletcher Farrell is like
asking people to give up the bunny
hug and go back to the lancers."
And to make it harder l was only
thirty years Old.
1t was at this depressing period in my
career that 1 received a letter from
Fairharbor, Mass. signed Fletcher Far
rell. The letter was written on the
business paper of the Farrell cotton
mills, and asked If J were related to the
Farrells of Duncannon OF the County
Wexford. who emigrated to Nassachu-
setts in 1860. The writer added that he
suggested we might be related. From
the handwriting of Fletcher Farrell and
from the way he intre3ted the kings
English | did not feel the ties of kin
ship calling me very loud. | re-
piled briefly that my people originally
came from Youghal. in County Cork.
that rs early as 1850 they had settled
in New York and that all my relatives
on the Farrell side either were still a
Youghal dead. Mine was not an en-
couragtng letter, nor did ] mean it to
be. and / was greatly surprised two
days later to receive telegram read
ing, something TO your advantage to
communicate: wife and self calling On
you Thursday at noon. Fletcher Far
reH. ! was annoyed. but also interest
ed The words something to your ad-
vantage always possess certain
charm So when the elevator boy tele-
phoned that Mr.. and Mrs. Farrell were
calling I told him to bring them up.
Ny first glance at the Farrells con-
vinced me the interview was a waste
OF time. l was satisfied that from two
such persons nothing to my advantage
could possibly emanate- On the con
trary, from their lack of ease 1t looked
as though they had come to beg or bor-
row. They resembled only a butler and
housekeeper applying for a new place
under the disadvantage of knowing
they had no reference from the last
one. OF the two l better liked the man
He was an elderly. pleasant-faced
lrfshman, smooth-sheven, red-cheeked
and with white hair Although it was
July. he wore frock coat and carried
a new high hat that glistened AS
though he thought at any moment il
might explode. he held it from him and
eyed 1t fearfuily. Mrs. Farrell was of
more sophisticated type The lines in
her face and hands showed that for
years she might have known hard phys
ical work. But her dress was in the
latest fashion, and her fingers held
more diamonds than, out OF a show
case, / ever had seen
With embarrassment old man Farrell
began his speech Evidently 1t had been
rehearsed, and as he recited it in swift
asides his wife prompted hira. but to
note the effect he was making She kept
her eyes upon me. Having frst COM
pared my name, fame and novels with
those OF Charles Dickens. Walter Scott
and Archibald Claverfng Gunter. and to
the disadvantage. OF those gentlemen
Farrell said the similarity OF our names
often had been commented upon and
tnat when from my letter he had learn
ed our families botY were from the
south OF Ireland he had a premonition
we might be related. Duncannon, where
he was born, he pointed out was but
iorty miles from foughal. and the fish
ing boats out of Waterford harbor often
sought shelter in Blackwater river. Had
any Of my forbears. he asked. followed
the herring?
Alarmed lest at this 1 might take Of
tense, Mrs. Farrell interrupted him
The Fletchers and O'Furrells of
Youghal," she exclaimed, were gentry,
What would they be doing in a trawl-
er?'
L assured her that SO far as L knew
1850 being before my time, they might
have been smugglers and pirates
All ! ever heard OF the Farrells" I
told her. begins after they settled in
New York. And there is no one I can
ask concerning them. My father and
mother are dead: all my fathers rela-
tives are dead, and my mothers reIa-
tives are as good as dead. / mean" /
added, I'VE don't speak"
To my surprise, this information ap-
peared to afford my visitors great salts
faction. They exchanged hasty glauces
Then exclaimed Mr.. Farrell, eager
~. eff I understand you, you have no
living relatives at all-barring those
that are dead"
Exactly" / agreed.
He drew a deep sigh of relief with
apparent irrelevance. but with care
lessness that was obviously assumed.
he continued.
"Since / came TO America ] have made
heaps OF money" As though in evidence
of his prosperity, he flashed the high
hat In the sunlight il coruscated like
one of his wife's diamonds Heaps of
money" he repeated. The mills are
still in my name" he went on. but five
years since ] sold them. We live on the
income. We own HarboT Castle the
finest house on the whole water front"
When all the windows are lit up
interjected Mrs. Farrell. its often took
for a Fall River boat
7 btEiIdIrrr ,nr,-