Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-23
Mary Roberts Rinehort,
Novelist, Dead at g

NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (AP) .
Mary Roberts Rinehart. 80,
best-selling author Of mysteries
and novels for so years. died in
her sleep last night in her Dark
avenue apartment.
There, until writer's cramp
afflicted her two years ago. she
applied her pen every morning
to one of the most successful
careers in the history of pub
fishing.
From her pen flowed so FULL
length novels. hundreds OF short
stories, verses and plays-suc-
cess following success like chap
tiers in a book.
Estimates on the number Of
copies Of her books sold range
over IL million. A publisher
once figured that her millions
Of readers paid some $27 million
to read her works and see her
plays.
She tempered the murders OF
her mysteries with love and
humor and helped the crime
story to come of age.
First Book q Success
Her first book, 1.-THE Circular
Staircase" published in 1908,
achieved a storybook success
right of the presses and has
sold some 100000 copies over
the years. 1t is still in print
With the late Avery Hop
woods collaboration, she re-
wrote the book as a play en-
titled 1.-THE Bat" in 1920. More
than 10 million persons paid
over SO million to see the play
produced in seven different Ian
guages.
Her second book, "The Man
in Lower Ten" was in 1909 the
first American detective story
to make the annual best-seller
list. In 1910 she followed ii
with when A Man Marries'
and 1.-THE Window at the White
Cat"
Success followed success. Her
1945 mystery "The Yellow
Room" was among her most
popular thrillers.
Wrote Books in LOnghand
Among her best-known work;
were a series of short stories
about fish," a droll maiden
lady who had many odd ad.
ventures.
At the age of 80. Mrs. Rine.
hart was forced to halt hel
Literary work when she con.
Itracted writer's cramp.
This was a serious ailment
for her, because she wrote al
her books in longhand, usinl
lone favored fountain pen fol
.I24 years. A painstaking crafts.
man, she polished her book
laboriously. writing at leas
three drafts for every one. Sht
was unable to write any othel
way.
Il do hope it will clear VI
soon," she said then, "for
love to work. I'm very much a
a loss now that I'm not writ
ing"
While she was writing-ovel
a span Of half a century-sh,
worked at it with Spartan de.
votion. Each day she followed
a rigid schedule, writing from
10 am. to 3 pm. She produced
from 1000 to 5000 words each
day.
with her husband, Mrs.
Rinehart moved to Washing
ton in 1922 after he became
clinical director of tubercu-
losis at the Veterans Bureau.
After two years he left that
post and devoted his time to
management of his wife'S af-
fairs. They lived at 2419
Massachusetts, avenue NV,
where for many year she en-
tertained Capital society.
Later, Mrs. Rinehart lefr
Washington for a time, re.
turned again, and in 1885,
moved to New York;
In recent years Mrs. Rinehari
spent eight months Of eacl
year writing in New York. Tit
other four she spent in Florida
and Bar Harbor. Me-, which
served as the setting for man!
of her novels.
In New York she lived in al
apartment, surrounded by sym
bols of elegance.
mot a bad achievement TO
one woman working all alonI
with a pen at DESK" she said
Pen a Symbol to Her
The pen was a symbol to her
She valued it more highly thai
the Gainsborough and Raeborl
oils that hung in her Fiftl
avenue apartment. She KEEP
it in a box beside her bed Will
she slept.
/ Il might leave a diamond
bracelet lying around" she said
"but never that pen. I've nevel