MYSTERY OF A WOMAN WRITER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3051, 12 April 1917, Page 3

MYSTERY OF A WOMAN WRITER

The mystery of the authorship "of the ni.gtny-successful novel, "Half a Gipsy, more reminiscent of early A'ictorran authors than those of the present day, has just been solved- in a ratner curious way. Some time ago Messrs. Andrew Melrose, Ltd., received by registered post irom abroad the manuscript of a novel. It was unaccompanied by any name or anything which would afford a clue as to the identity of tko writer. But Mr. Melrose decided to publish it *l the w ork of an anonymous author. liiG book proved such a success that soon a considerable sum inv royalties accumulated. ■ . Anxiou3_tl\at the money should reach its rightnd owner, Mr. Melrose advertised for the .anonymous author. His efforts for some time were without avail, mil .at last light has been thrown on the mystery by 'a communication he bas just received' from Mrs. AVhitla, a meinoer of the Eyceum Club. In a visit she paid Mr. Melrose she told hun that sfie "identified the book as the work of a young lady, Miss Frys. I'This lady," she added,-'..'died in Canada last year from pneunSonia. She was an orphan, and an adopted member of our family, and for some time, had acted as governess in a Russian family. None of us had any idea she was writing a book, and it was only by the accidental recognition of a letter in the book, which was a replica of one sho had written to me some time before, that I was able to determine the authorship with certainty." Mr. Melrose-told a "Lloyd's News" that he had talked the matter over with Mr. Clement Shorter and Mr. AV. L._ Courtney and Miss E. M. Smith-Dampier, who have been looking after the author's interests, and, as the relatives of the authoress explicitly state that they waived all claim to the money which has accrued, they bad determined to pay it to the Red Cross Society.