Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 185: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE LOG-BOOK. until it is completed, and it sometimes makes tiresome waiting. Hoping you may some time cut them down to at the most two or three part stories, I am ever and sincerely yours, W. E. Torrey. MAKING ARGOSY READERS Fresh light on the manner in which Arcosy readers are made. In view of what he says, I suppose I must count Mr. Edgerly as voting for fewer short stories. Blue Mound, Kansas. A neighbor who was moving away gave me several Arcosys for the latter months of the year 1899. I read them and became a perma- nent reader with the January number of 1900, and during these nearly seventeen years I have never missed a number nor a story, and in all these years I have never found a poor story in THE ArGosy except the Hawkins stuff. That was certainly rotten. I think that the book-length stories are infinitely better than the short ones, and I wish there were more of them. I save the magazines until I have all of a serial story, then I read it as I would a book in one or two evenings. That way is far more satisfactory to me. I take seven other magazines, but none fills the place that THE Arcosy does for good, clean, interesting fiction. I find very many interesting letters in the Log-Book, and you may publish this if you wish. L. C. EpcERLy. THE BEST STORY Here’s an early response to my request in the April Log for readers to tell me what they con- sidered the best story they had read in THE Arcosy. “The Land of the Central Sun,” by Park Winthrop, is not out in book form. | Quincy, Illinois. I just purchased THe Arcosy for April, and turned to the back pages to the Log-Book as I have always done since the Log-Book has been printed. I saw a letter from A. B. telling of the best short story in THE Arcosy. The best story I ever read in THE ARGosy was a serial which began in the July number of 1902. It was “The Land of the Central Sun,” and that story has kept me buying THE Arcosy every month since, and I -do not intend to miss one as long as I live, and I know that my son and daughter will do likewise. I know full well my old friend A. B. will want to know the best short story I have read in THe Arcosy. Now, my kind friend A. B., I have no choice. They are all good, good, good. Will you please let me know if “The Land of the Central Sun” is published in book form, and where I can pur- chase it? C. G. Morrow. “A RANCH SECRET” WINS FOR HIM This is fine—having my readers: answer so promptly the questions I ask. Here is another 527 reply to my desire to know the best short story. Mr. Peck will be delighted to hear. that the complete novel for August will be by Seward W. Hopkins. Lake Providence, Louisiana. I am a regular bookworm, and have been a regular reader of T11E ARGOSyY ever since it was first published. I have always thought that the complete novels and serials were the best, as it gives the author a chance to deepen the plot and explain it in a more satisfactory manner. This don’t prevent me from reading and en- joying the short stories. In your April number you ask what is the best short story. In my opinion “A Ranch Secret,’ by Seward W. Hop- kins, is about the best I ever read. If it had been written as a serial, it could have filled one hundred pages or more of interesting read- ing and made the author famous. I hope yet to read a long story by the writer. I read nearly all the best magazines, but I like THe Arcosy best of all. D. F. Peck. WEST AND NORTH TO THE FORE Here’s a case of off again on again with THE Arcosy. Possibly I can arrange for a serial of England in the long ago. A new story of the North is now under way, and I have in stock a fresh one by Raymond Spears. Canterbury, Connecticut. I was reading THE Arcosy in the year 1909, I think, when the magazine was bound in yel- low covers; but the stories did not suit me. In my opinion they all seemed to be in the same vein, so I did not buy it long. After a year or so my brother brought home a copy that he got from a neighbor. The complete novel was entitled ‘“ Waters of Strife,’ by H. Bedford-Jones, and all of the stories were good, and I have not missed a copy since. In the sime issue was a serial story of England. Give us some more stories by H. Bedford-Jones, also a serial about England of the long ago. I like Western stories and stories of the North. Give us a good Western serial. Keep the authors busy—Katharine Eggleston, G. W. Ogden, R. Spears. I have no fault to find with THe Arcosy. Better than ever at ten cents per copy. : Epcar H. PARKHURST. A FINE THREE MONTHS’ SCORE THE Arcosy is certainly making a great 1917 record with its novels. The January ‘“ Southwest of the Law” set the ball rolling with a perfect chorus of praise. February followed hard on its heels with an avalanche of good things said about ‘The Blue Limousine,” and now “ Four- Forty at the Fort Penn,” in March, is scoring heavily. The author of “The Man With the 44 Chest” was E. J. Rath. Hazelwood, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have been a reader of THe Arcosy for a number of vears. and I want to sav it is the hest cCloOolkkK