"Come down at once," was what you said, and I went; and then came the terrible _dénouement,_ and yet a _dénouement_ which was pleasing to me since it relieved my conscience. You handed me the envelope containing the story. "Did you send that?" was your question. "I did--last night, or rather early this morning. I mailed it about three o'clock," I replied. "I demand an explanation of your conduct," said you. "Of what?" I asked. "Look at your so-called story and see. If this is a practical joke, Thurlow, it's a damned poor one." I opened the envelope and took from it the sheets I had sent you-- twenty-four of them. _They were every one of them as blank as when they left the paper -mill!_ You know the rest. You know that I tried to speak; that my utterance failed me; and that, finding myself unable at the time to control my emotions, I turned and rushed madly from the office, leaving the mystery unexplained. You know that you wrote demanding a satisfactory explanation of the situation or my resignation from your staff. This, Currier, is my explanation. It is all I have. It is absolute truth. I beg you to believe it, for if you do not, then is my condition a hopeless one. You will ask me perhaps for a _résumé_ of the story which I thought I had sent you. It is my crowning misfortune that upon that point my mind is an absolute blank. I cannot remember it in form or in substance. I have racked my brains for some recollection of some small portion of it to help to make my explanation more credible, but, alas! it will not come back to me. If I were dishonest I might fake up a story to suit the purpose, but I am not dishonest. I came near to doing an unworthy act; I did do an unworthy thing, but by some mysterious provision of fate my conscience is cleared of that. Be sympathetic Currier, or, if you cannot, be lenient with me this time. _Believe, believe, believe_, I implore you. Pray let me hear from you at once. (Signed) HENRY THURLOW. [Illustration: "'LOOK AT YOUR SO CALLED STORY AND SEE'"] II (_Being a Note from George Currier, Editor of the "Idler" to Henry Thurlow, Author_.) Your explanation has come to hand. As an explanation it isn't worth the paper it is written on, but we are all agreed here that it is probably the best bit of fiction you ever wrote. It is accepted for the Christmas issue. Enclosed please find check for one hundred dollars. Dawson suggests that you take another month up in the Adirondacks. You might put in your time writing up some account of that dream -life you are leading while you are there. It seems to me there are possibilities in the idea. The concern will pay all expenses. What do you say? (Signed) Yours ever, G. C. THE DAMPMERE MYSTERY