The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-04


readers nerves, and cleared up some pages
later Many of these planned in advance a
few suggest themselves the writer goes along,
others are real inspirations which have suggested
themselves during the writing and are substituted
for planned but less effective climaxes Such is the
incident cited above where two trains, one bound
south and the other bound for Canada, meet and
pass at the little mountain station
It is frequently said that the whole art OF
mystery story or detective story of the kind Mrs.
GREEN writes is to direct suspicion at every person
except the right one until the end! This Is clever
and partly true but it takes account OF the vast
amount of construction which must go forward be-
fore a sentence of the story can be put on paper IL
ignores the fact that the criminal to be convincing
must have figured in the story from the start, 1or
otherwise he will appear desperate invention TO
help the author out of otherwise nsouble sltua-
ton
Looking at DARK HolLow in retrospect 1t is quite
easy to see why certain things had to be-so Judge
OsTRANDER had to be the murderer because he was
the person least likely to kill his dearest friend
OLIVER had to be under suspicion TO make Judge
OsTRANDER' confession plausible. The Judge mad
to be the murderer furthermore. that REUTER-
SCovuLE might not be an unfit person to become the
wife of OLIVER. OLIVER had to be cleared that he
might be fit to mate with REUTHER.
Yes YES but all this wisdom after the event gets
nowhere 1t does not penetrate to the heart OF the
action and throws no light the author S cunning
Do YOU suppose for a moment that she made her
story out of such nice little expediencies as hese'
You can't build story that way. 1t won hold
together for a moment.
The Real Starting Point.
No. The real starting point in Dark HoLlou was
the conception on the part of Mrs. GREEN OF man
who should in a moment s fit of passion, slay his
closest friend and who should thereafter for twelve
years. infiict on himself peculiar punishment, I'M
prisoning himself in a cOnvict's cell IN has OGn
home!
All the rest-the painting of black band across
the eyes of his son s portrait that they might not
look on his father murderer and coward; the send
ing of that son away from home for all time; the
building of double fence to guard against lntru-
sion by much as an eye at a knothole-all these
followed. Then this solid foundation of single
life single idea single stricken conscience arose
course by course the complicated and wonderful
but solid and sound) structure of the book
That is the talent of ANNA KATHARINE GREEN ex-
planned, analysed and illustrated. Things there are
about it that cannot be explained or analysed.
These we pass. We have said that she cannot write
1t is true The Leaveaworth Case and The Mystery
of her many books is wretchedly written, full Of
trte and cheap expressions, full Of cliches, dotted
with ludicrous trihes of thought and expression,
spotted with absurdities, as where the negro bella
is struck and fatally injured by automobile at
the outset Of Dark HoI0p. The inflicted ter
rible cash in his head and informed that it
took a sixty horse power racing machine going at
high rate of speed to kill him. And then it didn t
do it instantaneOusly!
If Mrs. GREEN could have had collaboration with
only average literary skill she would carry every
thing irresistibly before her. Her mind, Joined to
pen capable of writing freshly, simply, with
dramatic effect but without theatricsm, without
sentimental mawkishness, would have achieved
books to be put the shelf alongside the stories Of
PoE classical, perfect, immortal.
But if she is not immortal she will live long,
long time! Without ever having created charac-
ter to compare with SHERLOCK HOLMES she has con-
structed tales more battling than any of the crimes
Sir CONAN DoYLE's detective solved. She has not
had to resort to exotic coloring DOYLE has some