His income
enabled him to live well enough to make a good appearance among, and
share somewhat at their expense in the life of, others of far greater
means; but it was too small to bring him many of the things which,
while not absolutely necessities, could not well be termed luxuries,
considering his tastes and his temperament. A little more was all he
needed.
"If I could afford to write only when I feel like it," he said, "how
happy I should be! But these orders--they make me a driver of men,
and not their historian."
In fact, Harley was in that unfortunate, and at the same time happy,
position where he had many orders for the product of his pen, and
such financial necessities that he could not afford to decline one of
them.
And it was this very situation which made his rebellious heroine of
whom I have essayed to write so sore a trial to the struggling young
author.
It was early in May, 1895, that Harley had received a note from
Messrs. Herring, Beemer, & Chadwick, the publishers, asking for a
story from his pen for their popular "Blue and Silver Series.
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