The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 251: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE LOG-BOOK. 237 I couldn’t hazard a guess, whereupon my visitor astounded me by the an- nouncement : “Seven years.” To be sure, he had had an income from commissions on collecting meantime, but he didn’t call this a reguldr job. The incident reminds me of the position in which the hero of “ The Forty Millionth Man” is placed. This is a short story by George Foxhall to appear.in THE ARGosy next month. But neither the flesh- and-blood individual nor the one of Mr. Foxhall’s creation are of the fiction- stereotyped down-at-heels, out-at-elbow variety. The fellow you will read about in the January issue makes a desperate, if jocularly expressed, attempt to turn crook, and the queer tricks fate plays him gives the story as many twists as a corkscrew. “COWARD, LIAR, AND THIEF.” TRONG terms these, to be employed by a lady. But you see the girl had S strong provocation, and the man to whom she applied them was her own fiancé, so of course she felt that he would at least wait to hear her out before calling in the police to carry a crazy woman to the observation ward. Bertram Lebhar has written the story surrounding this striking situation, and I am sure your sympathies will all go—does it sound very ungallant to say this? —with the man in the case. At any rate the plot of the tale 1s very unique and the moral thereof—well, possibly that may be summed up in the warning not to mix love and business. No, the girl isn’t a stenographer, nor does she preside at her employer’s telephone switchboard, nor is she the manicure in his barber-shop. THe Arcosy and “ Higher Literature.’’ I am very glad indeed to make space for this fine tribute to THE ARcosy from Cc. R. W., Solvay, New York, whose attitude toward our magazine is exactly that which the editor hopes is that of all its readers—the expectation of finding in its pages wholesome relaxation. I write not with the least desire to see my name or opinion in print, but with the earnest wish to refute a statement commented upon some time since in the Log-Book, namely: “No one could read THE Arcosy who reads and likes the higher: literature.” I read and like Tennyson—also ARGosy stories; also Shakespeare and THE Arcosy. Likewise Dickens—and THE Arcosy. The im- mortal Shakespeare is with me in all my travels, and I turn to THE Arcosy for relaxa- tion. Now William Wallace Cook’s story is started, and that is just what I want: An Improvement All Along the Line. Circulation and comments both testify that our fifteen-cent move, with the ac- companying betterment of the magazine, was a step in the right direction. Here is yet another booster for the change— Roy G. R., of Chicago, from whose let- ter I will quote as follows: I have been a constant reader of your maga- zine since I was twelve years of age and never had a fault to find with it. I like your Hawkins series by Edgar Franklin: they are good for the blues, but for complete novels I prefer “ Her Hero from Savannah,” by Marie B. Schrader; ‘At Thieves’ Paradise,” by Douglas Pierce; “A Silent Foe,” by Seward Hopkins; “ Heroes Both,” and “ Cleared for Action.” Among the serials I am int.rested in “ The Motor-Bus Mystery.” Your short stories are also good; in fact, THE Arcosy is the best magazine any one wants to read. Since you have put out the new fifteen-cent edition I think it has improved all along the line, es- pecially your complete novels. Hot Shot for the Critics. If A. S. M. will pardon me for a moment I should like to keep him wait- ing long enough to tell C. W. F., of Bos- ton, that we have on sale all copies of THE Arcosy for the years 1906 and 1907 except April, 1906, and September, 1907. A. S. M., whose home is in New York, but who wrote from Cincinnati, is in- formed that it 1s Spielman’s cleverness as a lawyer that enables him to get away with leading questions. I trust A. S. M. did not pass out when he found that “Making a Fan of Him” was not con- cluded in the October issue. He writes: You have made a constant reader of me by publishing book-length stories in one issue. I wrote you some time ago (from Detroit, I believe) on this subject, and I am glad to see that you have gratified my (?) wishes. Furthermore, some of the serials have got me at last. Couldn’t resist them, that’s all. CO CO MICLOOKS