came 5 day when publishers no longer made me tempting offers of large advance royalties; when editors ceased to solicit stories by me. I said to myself:

‘:L'.|!1)3.s is my opportunity to get away tmmw Japanese tales".

3 ‘itﬁifw ” three anonymous stories. I suhnitted than

anonymously to editors. sold. them anonymously and they were published

anonymously. They ran in three wellimown nagaainea, the century, the

Saturday Evening Post and Hearsts Magazine. my onn!ﬁ.IS8am£&.»:u€*+wni&$ty.. But then a. curious plnae came over me.

I was like one who had been running for a. long time in a. mode. lantally.

I was breathless.

:01,‘ 1. .‘ -- ’ :2 .. .~.- , I found myself unable to write. rreviously

. a» .,‘,.:—'~~

writing to me always been aooompliohed. with iaoility. I did. my ‘best work writing very swiftly, while the plot woe still hot in nw mind. low though my brain teamed. with plots and tub. when I not down to write it refused. to function. only the boldest, coldest phrases, stilted end. unin- 1 spires came. A terror possessed me that .-an I was done for —-Ir1tt~.en out. I had lost my single talent. And I was still, oomparitivoly speaking, 9- YOURS W0113113 During this period, someone was saying to me almost daily; "why write love stories. Live one. Lots out: all this out. Harry me, and we will so out west-northwest--.-out to some ;I_i,g_ country-..a country in the making! ‘.'.'1B.t do you say?" He was a. bigzellow, the kind one calls a men‘: men. I-illﬁﬁs

«*0. 2; ., k personality t-hue:-.r-age: a dominating, fine clean sort of strength. 3 t ,_ . WK.‘ ' Ind steady, keen, kind blue eyes and 9% ehin‘. inir or a noudosetipt

blonde color and one or those fine, straight noses tint are somehow

1;‘ - . k .. *3S'P1oa11y_‘7ﬁ'%.. ’ 1 lad been holding him at arm's length for one big