"It was a letter, evidently written by some girl to a man at the
'varsity. Finding it there, forgotten and defenseless, I could
not resist reading it. It was a very charming letter, not too
intimate, but full of a delicious virgin coyness and reserve.
Then a great idea struck me. Why not take the people mentioned in
the letter and use them as the characters of our story? We know
that they are real people; we know their first names; that's all
we know about them. The rest can be left to the invention of the
Scorpions."

Generous laughter greeted the idea.

"Let's hear the letter!" cried someone.

"Yes," said Forbes, "before reading my chapter I'll read you the
letter. And then remember that our story is to be built up solely
upon this document. There are to be no characters in the story
except those mentioned in the letter, and our task must be to
delineate them in such a way that they are in keeping with the
suggestions the letter gives us. Here it is."


X X X X
These are from Fred.

318, BANCROFT ROAD,
WOLVERHAMPTON
October 30, 1912.