Keeler News no. 3

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News Bulletin of the Harry Stephen Keeler Society No. 3 ............................................... March, 1997 The Services of an Expert by HSK According to Mike Nevins, Keeler wrote this story in 1914 and sold it the same year for the princely sum of $6.00. At the same time, he wrote a short play based on this story, which never sold. The original place of publication for the story is unknown, but it was reprinted in volume 1 of the 10-volume series The Worlds Best One Hundred Detective Stories, ed. Eugene Thwing (Funk & Wagnalls, 1929). Thanks to Eric Thorsen for providing a copy of the Thwing Thet edition. RP (Copyright by Harry Stephen Keeler. Dramatic rights reserved.) IT was close upon midnight. I had just placed my silk hat on the rack that hung at the side of the room when I heard the slight sounds coming from the direction of the fire escape. Then I detected the shadow on the window pane. I paused in the act of removing my gloves and felt quickly for my back pocket. My revolver was there. So I stood very quietly in the darkness and watched the man on the iron framework outside as he fumbled a moment and then raised the window. Since a small patch of moonlight, now outlined on the rug, acted as a weak source of illumination, I drew further back in the shadow of the door. After thrusting one leg over the sill, the in- truder drew in the rest of his body. For an instant he stood, glancing with uncertainty at the raised win- dow back of him. Then it was that I slid my right hand carefully along the wall until my fingers came in contact with the electric light switch. With my left I drew out the small, nickel-plated revolver that I have always with me for cases of emergency. Hands up! I said calmlyand snapped on the incandescents. He thrust his hands instantly above his head and stood blinking in the sudden flood of light. I had opportunity then, for the first time, to survey him from head to foot. He was a small and rather stockily-built indi- vidual, clad in a checkered suit; his face could be aptly described by the phrase roly-poly. On his head reposed a derby hat and, dropping from his collar, was a gorgeously red tie that lent the final touch to his general appearance of flashiness. Well, I remarked, advancing toward him with weapon still extended, whats your game, my man? He seemed to be yet dazed by the sudden turn of affairs for him. After a pause, he spoke. My game? Wellto tell you the truthI dont just know. A minute ago I was sliding in that win- dow back of me and now I seem to be well just waiting for something to happen. Dont worry, I answered grimly, Itll hap- pen. I stepped toward the phone that stood on the table, watching him all the while. He didnt blink an eye. So I stopped. I suppose youre one of these fly-by-night birds known as second-story men, eh? My voice took on a more sarcastic tone. Or perhaps youre only walk- ing in your sleep now. In a short while youll wake up and declare its some terrible mistake. Or possi- bly youve stumbled into the wrong house by error? His upraised arms were losing their rigidity. To satisfy myself as to whether he was armed, I stepped over to him and inserted my hand into each one of his pockets in turn. He had no weapons, how- ever.

Transcript of Keeler News no. 3

Page 1: Keeler News no. 3

NewsBulletin of the Harry Stephen Keeler SocietyNo. 3 ............................................... March, 1997

The Services of an Expertby HSK

According to Mike Nevins, Keeler wrote this story in 1914 and sold it the same year for the princelysum of $6.00. At the same time, he wrote a short play based on this story, which never sold. Theoriginal place of publication for the story is unknown, but it was reprinted in volume 1 of the 10-volumeseries The WorldÕs Best One Hundred Detective Stories, ed. Eugene Thwing (Funk &Wagnalls, 1929). Thanks to Eric Thorsen for providing a copy of the ÒThwing ThetÓ edition.

ÑRP

(Copyright by Harry Stephen Keeler. Dramatic rights reserved.)

IT was close upon midnight.I had just placed my silk hat on the rack that

hung at the side of the room when I heard theslight sounds coming from the direction of the fireescape. Then I detected the shadow on the windowpane.

I paused in the act of removing my gloves andfelt quickly for my back pocket. My revolver wasthere.

So I stood very quietly in the darkness andwatched the man on the iron framework outside ashe fumbled a moment and then raised the window.Since a small patch of moonlight, now outlined onthe rug, acted as a weak source of illumination, Idrew further back in the shadow of the door.

After thrusting one leg over the sill, the in-truder drew in the rest of his body. For an instant hestood, glancing with uncertainty at the raised win-dow back of him.

Then it was that I slid my right hand carefullyalong the wall until my fingers came in contactwith the electric light switch. With my left I drewout the small, nickel-plated revolver that I havealways with me for cases of emergency.

ÒHands up!Ó I said calmlyÑand snapped on theincandescents.

He thrust his hands instantly above his headand stood blinking in the sudden flood of light. Ihad opportunity then, for the first time, to survey

him from head to foot.He was a small and rather stockily-built indi-

vidual, clad in a checkered suit; his face could beaptly described by the phrase Òroly-poly.Ó On hishead reposed a derby hat and, dropping from hiscollar, was a gorgeously red tie that lent the finaltouch to his general appearance of flashiness.

ÒWell,Ó I remarked, advancing toward himwith weapon still extended, ÒwhatÕs your game, myman?Ó

He seemed to be yet dazed by the sudden turn ofaffairs for him. After a pause, he spoke.

ÒMy game? WellÑto tell you the truthÑI donÕtjust know. A minute ago I was sliding in that win-dow back of me É and now É I seem to be É well Éjust waiting É for something to happen.Ó

ÒDonÕt worry,Ó I answered grimly, ÒItÕll hap-pen.Ó I stepped toward the Õphone that stood on thetable, watching him all the while. He didnÕt blinkan eye. So I stopped.

ÒI suppose youÕre one of these fly-by-night birdsknown as second-story men, eh?Ó My voice took on amore sarcastic tone. ÒOr perhaps youÕre only walk-ing in your sleep now. In a short while youÕll wakeup and declare itÕs some terrible mistake. Or possi-bly youÕve stumbled into the wrong house by error?Ó

His upraised arms were losing their rigidity.To satisfy myself as to whether he was armed, Istepped over to him and inserted my hand into eachone of his pockets in turn. He had no weapons, how-ever.

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ÒAll right,Ó I said. ÒLet Õem down.Ó I went overto the window, closed it, and drew down the shade.Then I returned to the table and dropped into theswivel chair, beckoning him at the same time intothe straight-backed chair that stood directlyacross. ÒSit down,Ó I commanded. ÒBefore I turn youover to the police IÕll have a little talk with you.Do you know where you are? Do you know whoseapartment youÕre in?Ó

ÒWell,Ó he replied, Òthe name on the doorbelldownstairs says Mr. Peter J. Dawson.Ó

Probably I was goading him with my remarksfar more than was necessary as I answered:

ÒYouÕre quite observing, IÕm sure, I presumethen, that since the doings of successful privatecriminal investigators and their families are ofsuch interest to our newspapers, you were merelyone of many who happened to read in the ChicagoDespatch that Mrs. Dawson left yesterday forAtlantic City, and that her illustrious husband,solver of the famous Wrangley counterfeiting case,the Abe Shaffner bond theft, the Cissy Rogers mur-der, and other bizarre little puzzles forming part ofour social fabric, was to leave the city this morningto direct the work on the Clyley kidnapping case atCincinnati. Put a little too much faith in newspaperdata this time, though, didnÕt you? How could yoube certain, for instance, that Millionaire ClyleydidnÕt alter his plans the last moment about whomheÕd employ to help him find his missing daugh-ter? What could you know of telegrams that mighthave passed since that news story was published?ÓI paused. ÒSuch nice plans as you have, too. Ofcourse you made sure, by telephoning first, that theservant was away tooÑHeaven knows where?Ó

He bit out his reply in short, angry words.ÒSay! If youÕre going to turn me over, hurry up anddo it. IÕm not going to sit here and listen to all yourgaff.Ó

ÒHere, here,Ó I said, ÒdonÕt get huffy, my goodsir. Even though I represent a phase of societythatÕs not at all liked by your ilk, I can still be avery good fellowÑa very good fellow at timesÑinfact, this is the one time of your life that you wantto cultivate my friendship, of all persons.Ó Iwatched him narrowly. Then I continued quizzinghim.

ÒConfess, though, now É you just strolled in, asit were, to see whether any of the famous Dawsondiamonds, achieved as rewards for an honorablecareer of hunting thieves much bigger than your-self, were lying around loose? They were most accu-rately described, I believe, in the newspaper ac-count of the big dinner party last week, werenÕtthey? How about it?Ó

His answer was non-committal, to say theleast.

ÒIÕm not confessing anything of the sort. Ring up

the cops and be done with it.Ó He laughed an oddlittle laugh. ÒAll the good cells Õll be filled upwith drunks in another hour. ItÕs midnight now.Ó

The more I thought of our unusual situation themore I felt that this man could possibly prove veryvaluable to me. My questioning now took on a defi-nite trend.

ÒWhatÕs your particular specialty, if I maymake so bold as to inquire? My experience, IÕll con-fess, has been with a higher order of criminals thanyourself. It seems really a rare treat to talk with areal second-story man; or are you perhaps a porchclimber? or a lock-picker? or a stick-up man? ormaybe even a safe-blower?

ÒFor example,Ó I went on, Òassuming that thejewelry youÕre looking for is over there in that ironbox,Ó and I pointed toward the massive safe thatstood in the corner of the room, Òjust what, may Iask, was your method of procedure to be?Ó

ÒFor the last time,Ó he said wearily, ÒIÕmtelling you IÕm not talking.Ó

I was quite determined, though, to continuealong the line on which I had already started.

ÒAh, yes!Ó I remarked soothingly, Òbut youmust talk. I feel a rather charitable impulse run-ning through my veins this eveningÑan impulsethat prompts me to be a trifle lenient with you.What do you know about safes?Ó

For the first time he betrayed a little interest.ÒOh, I know a little about Ôem,Ó he replied.

ÒFor instanceÑthat oneÑover thereÑÓ He mo-tioned toward the corner of the room. ÒI could tellyou a few things about itÑjust from where I sit.ThatÕs one of the earlier ones put out by theInternational Burglar-proof Safe and LockCompany of Utica, New York. ThatÕs their typeÑÓHe wrinkled his brow and pondered a moment. ÒÉ36 B.Ó

Things were shaping up better than I had ex-pected. My voice must have shown the satisfactionI felt. ÒGood. You are quite an educated fellow inyour line. Now that safe belongs to my wife. Not asoul knows the combination of it but herself. Ifrankly confess I donÕt. Is a safe like that reallyburglar-proof? Could you open it, all alone, un-aided?Ó

He crossed his legs. ÒI daresay I could,Ó he re-turned, gazing at me through eyes that had becomemere slits.

ÒFor you see it happens to be all in the way youspin your dial around and listen for the tumblersdropping into place.Ó He inserted his thumbs jaun-tily in his armholes and commenced to whistle agay little tune. ÒBut I donÕt intend to try,Ó headded.

Obviously, this was the man I required. Idropped my tone of banter and spoke seriously.

ÒNowÑas a sporting proposition and because

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IÕve never seen such a person as yourself actuallywork in front of my eyesÑif you could demonstrateyour ability by opening yon strongbox in sayÑfiveminutesÑnot a second more, you understandÑIÕd becareless enough to shut my eyes and let you walkout of here through the same fire escape windowyou came in.Ó

Exultantly, he rose to his feet. ÒSayÑare youdead in earnest? Are you on the square about thatproposition? DÕyou mean it? Will you let me walkout oÕ here if I can jiggle that combination open?Ó

ÒCertainly,Ó I assured him. ÒOf course I meanit. Can you do it?Ó

ÒI can make a try of it,Ó he said, walking to-ward the safe. Then he glanced over it.

The silence was suddenly broken by the sharpringing of the telephone bell which stood on the li-brary table at the side of the room.

I ignored it.Then it rang a second time.The little man returned to the table and stood

waiting, with his hands in his pockets.ÒGoing tÕ answer?Ó he inquired.ÒLet it ring,Ó I replied curtly.He watched me closely, his face breaking

slowly into a grin. Then he levelled his forefingerdirectly at me and launched forth into a scathingspeech.

ÒHuh!Ó he exclaimed. ÒIÕm a little next to younow. YouÕre afraid to answer that phone. May I askjust why you donÕt want anybody tÕ know you werehome in your apartment tÕnightÑon the night ofJune the twenty-fifthÑwhile the lady oÕ thÕ houseis in the EastÑwhile youÕre supposed to be on atrain going to a big case in Cincinnati? Eh? WhatÕscoming off here tÕnight? WhatÕs your gameÑMr.ÑMr.ÑDawson?Ó At this point he evidently ran outof either breath or denunciatory ideas.

That cursed phone then rang for the third time.I was not only quite flustered nowÑbut angry aswell. ÒThatÕs enough from you,Ó I growled.

His accusing forefinger was still pointed at meas the phone bell rang for the fourthÑand whatproved to beÑthe last time. He must have takengreat delight in making me squirm, for he startedoff again.

ÒYouÕre got something shady scheduled here fortÕnight. I always knew the police were as crookedas the crooks. You donÕt dare answer that phone.When you get ready tÕ let me into your little game,then maybe IÕll do your dirty work. Not until.Ó Hesank into the straight-backed chair and stared atthe window in back of me.

I glanced cautiously behind me, realizing thatthis rascal was perhaps playing for time. A suspi-cion crossed my mind that possibly a confederatewas posted near the grounds. But we were quitealone. For about a minute I thought on the matter.

This man had arrived at a crucial moment for me.Without doubt, it seemed best that I render a de-tailed explanation to him if I wished to placatehimÑespecially in view of the fact that the tele-phone had complicated matters as it had. So Ileaned back in my chair and began, picking mywords with care.

ÒIÕm going to let you in on a family secret now.Of course, IÕm quite safeÑand, likewise, I donÕthave to do it. If I wish, I can turn you over anyminute and the little tale you might tell I couldbrand as a lie, pure and simple. But in some respectsyouÕre a valuable man to me tonight. You can do mea big service. In return, I do you the bigger serviceÑof saving you from five or ten years in the JolietPenitentiary.

ÒNow pay attention,Ó I commanded. ÒIÕm look-ing for something in my wifeÕs safe. No, not specifi-cally her diamondsÑexcept in a certain sense. ItÕs apacket of lettersÑa packet that means more to methan the diamonds themselves. And IÕve got to getthat packet.

ÒNo doubt,Ó I went on, ÒyouÕve often read in thenewspapers of some of the rich rewards IÕve re-ceived in the bigger cases IÕve worked successfullyon. And IÕve been like a gambler, for when rewardswere big, IÕve salted most of Õem away in diamonds.I made one fatal mistake, though: I gave all ofmine, as fast as I accumulated them, to my wife. ItÕsall she cares forÑall she could ever see.Ó

He was paying strict attention to my words; so Icontinued, punctuating my remarks with emphaticgestures of my clenched fists.

ÒThat is, my friend, itÕs all she could ever seetillÑtill these last few monthsÑtill she met thisparlor lizard that sheÕs fallen for. Oh yes, sheÕshad an affair. SheÕs received letters, and sheÕswritten them too; and the ones that sheÕs writtenwhich have come back to her because of his beingeternally on the move, sheÕs faithfully put away inthat private safe of hers till she could give Õem intohis own dear hands. Fool that she was, to think shecould carry on an affair under the very nose of acriminal investigator.Ó I paused. ÒWell, to chopthe story short, sheÕs got my fortuneÑa hundredthousand dollarsÕ worth in rings and geegawsÑallhoarded up in that safe of hers like a miser.Sticking tighter to Õem than a barnacle sticks to thebottom of a mud scow.

ÒAnd IÑwell, IÕm just a suckerÑthe benightedhusband. Minus his fortune, minus the evidence toget a divorce withÑfor sheÕs got to give me myfreedom. I can stand most anything but thisÑbeingmade a laughingstock of. IÕve still a chance to makea happy play for life with some good, right sort ofgirl.

ÒSheÑmy wifeÑleft this morning for a trip toAtlantic City. That part of the statement in the

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Chicago Despatch was quite true. She doesnÕtdream that I even suspect. The servant went to visita sick sister. And IÑwell, IÕm on a train bound forCincinnati to go to work on the Clyley kidnappingcase É not! É are you wise now? MillionaireClyleyÑmy old friendÑis simply helping me out abit, thatÕs all.

ÒInstead, IÕm back here in the apartmenttonight, reconnoiteringÑlooking over the landÑfiguring out whether I could procure tools from someof the joints I know in the underworld, come backtomorrow night, and drill, saw, hack, punch orchisel my way into that strong-box and get that ev-idence that will give me my freedomÑand thosediamonds that belong to meÑnot to her. Oh, IÕlltake care of her all right. IÕll be fair with her. IÕllgive her some sort of alimony. But IÕve got to protectmyself.Ó I paused. ÒThatÕs the situation, my friend.And along comes yourselfÑan expert in your line.Do you see now what I need you for? Can you helpme out? If you can, youÕre a free man.Ó I leaned backand mopped my forehead. I had talked for fivestraight minutes.

If I had expected sympathy, however, I failedwoefully in my expectations. He was coldly calcu-latingÑnothing more.

ÒYou got some jane on the string that you wantto marry, havenÕt you?Ó he said caustically.

ÒNo jane,Ó I returned.ÒI doubt it,Ó he said. He paused thinking.

ÒNow IÕm talking business,Ó he added. ÒWhatÕsthere in all this for me?Ó

So far as I could see, there was no necessity forme to dicker with this fellow, since it was quite ev-ident that I had the upper hand. So my reply wasshort and to the point.

ÒNot a red cent.ÓHe seemed still inclined to argue. ÒPretty hard

bargain, I call it.ÓI was becoming impatient. The unpleasant

thought of a possible confederate, in the hope ofwhose assistance he was delaying matters, againentered my mind. ÒTo my way of thinking,Ó I re-marked, ÒitÕs a pretty easy bargain.Ó

ÒWell,Ó he returned, Òwhat guarantee have Igot that youÕll let me go if I do the jobÑthat isÑif Ican?Ó

Really, the manÕs stubbornness was aggravat-ing. ÒNumskull,Ó I said, restraining myself withdifficulty from shouting at him, ÒÑif I can get atthat property, which all came from my own pocketsin the first place, itÕs to my decided advantagethat you, the mysterious burglar, get away. IÕll ac-count for my possession of the divorce evidence bysaying I bought it outright from the man whobrought it to me. As for you, itÕs to your undeniablebenefit to keep a quiet tongue in your head after-ward. Then, too, havenÕt you my promiseÑmy word

of honor?ÓHe did not lose the opportunity to deliver a

thrust.ÒA lot oÕ faith,Ó he jeered, ÒIÕd put in the word

of honor of a guy thatÕd steal from his own wife,soÕs to marry some jane heÕs struck on. I donÕt believethat story about Mrs. Dawson and this parlorlizard. YouÕre making that up. Say,Ó he finishedwith a leer, ÒarenÕt you yourself the Gay Lotharioin this case? And arenÕt you one of those thingscalled Indian-Givers?Ó

This was going just a little too far, I decided. Iwas commencing to feel decidedly wrathful, so I de-termined to use up no more valuable time discussingthe offer. ÒWeÕre wasting precious moments,Ó I saidsharply. ÒWhat do you intend to do? Is it thisÑorthe police?Ó

Evidently he realized that he was hardly in aposition to do otherwise than comply with mywishes.

ÒIÕll make the best of it,Ó was his reply. ÒMycopper friendÑyouÕre a mighty hard man to dealwithÑand if anything goes wrongÑdonÕt blame iton anybody but yourself.Ó He paused. ÒWellÑhereÕs where I get down to work. I never use tools.Too crude.Ó

He removed his coat.I watched him with interest, wondering how on

earth he could open a supposedly burglar-proof safewithout an instrument of any kind. I had heard ofhis kind, but never so far as I could remember had Imet up with an authentic case of a Òtumbler-feeler.Ó He seemed, however, quite self-confident.

He folded up his coat and deposited it on thechair which he had occupied. Then he unfastenedeach cuff and turned it back, clear to the elbow. Heglanced at me.

ÒSay, friend,Ó he queried, Òif I can do it, donÕt Iget one little jewel for myselfÑsay a little half-carat ring?Ó

Seeing the preparations he had already goneto, I had not been inclined to yield jot nor tittle. Hispersistency, though, had exhausted my patience.

I plunged my hand into my pocket and broughtforth the only bill that there was on my personÑacrisp, yellow fiftyÑwhich I flung on the tablewithout a word. He seized it cheerfully and tuckedit in his vest-pocket.

After allÑwhat did a mere $50 matter? Thedifference between his remuneration and mine wastoo great.

He walked slowly over to the safe and rappedon its sides and top with his knuckles. Then, withgreat mysteriousness, he wet the tips of his fingers,one at a time, on his tongue, and wiped them on hisrolled up sleeves.

He stooped over.Then he went through a series of puzzling ac-

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tions. At times he spun the dial. At other times heworked it slowly, pressing his ear close to the irondoor, and listening with a far-away look on hisface. Occasionally he glanced in my direction out ofthe corner of his eye.

For nearly a minute I watched him. Then sinceit was summer time and the room had begun to feelstifling, I stepped casually over to the window,raised the shade, and opened it to its full extent,letting in a refreshing breeze from Lake Michigan.

This accomplished, I turned around to see howmy expert was coming along with his task.

Great CaesarÕs Horn Spoon!ÑWhile my back was turned he had quietly suc-

ceeded in swinging open the door of the safe andhad extracted therefrom a huge blue-steel revolverwhich, in less than a second, he had raised,pointed in my direction, and fired with a thunder-ing report great enough to wake twenty neighbor-hoods.

I dropped flat to the door and lay still as a log.Hurt? Not a bit of it! He probably missed me by

a mileÑbut I was taking no chances of receiving an-other broadside from that villainous-lookingweapon. While I lay prone, never moving, he stoodstock still for a quarter of a minute. Then, with fourgiant strides, he cleared half the room and landedin the swivel chair with his back to me.

Cautiously, I raised my head. Silently, I re-gained my knees and feet. I tiptoed backward a stepto the window and out on the fire escape, where Icrouched down, watching the little man in theswivel chair.

Excitedly, he was jerking the receiver hook ofthe phone up and down. Finally he must haveroused Central, for I heard him say: ÒHÕlloÑhÕlloÑÕloÑNorth Shore Police Station, pleaseÑÓ

After the lapse of a few seconds he must haveobtained his connection for he shouted into thetransmitter:

ÒStation? Police station? North Shore? Allright. Shoot an ambulance or a doctor and a squad ina red-hot hurry to 725 Franklin RoadÑthe secondapartmentÑthe DawsonÕs apartment. IÕve woundedÕr killed a man. Killed him, I guess. Nope, donÕtknow himÑwas on my way to Cincinnati and sawthe headlines in the late papers announcing theClyley girl had been foundÑso came back onhomeÑhad lost my latchkeyÑcame up by fire-es-capeÑfound him hereÑyes! yes! yes!Ñoh hello,Cap, sureÑthis is Dawson himself speakingÑsureÑyes, Peter J. DawsonÑÓ

I had heard enough. I slid silently down theiron fire-escape ladder and hastened forth into thenight, my last two dimes jingling as I ran. N

Postscript: Once Keeler had found a goodidea, he always reused it. Over two decadesafter writing this story, HSK would write an entirenovel told by a mysterious narrator (T h eMysterious Mr. I, Ward Lock, 1937; expandedinto The Mysterious Mr. I and T h eChameleon, Dutton, 1938-39). And the plot ofÒThe Services of an ExpertÓ is the seed thatturned into one of HarryÕs wildest and strangestflights of fancy (so as not to spoil anyoneÕs fun,I wonÕt be more specific).

Finally, as Eric pointed out to me, we mustgive credit to Keeler for a very early use of theÒ...not!Ó construction (as in, Ògo to work on theClyley kidnapping case ... not!Ó). Keeler wasabout 70 years ahead of his time on this one.

Progress ReportThe HSK Society has been getting some

good publicity. Word is out on the Internet, andis spreading by means such as a mystery loversÕe-mail list (Dorothy-L). The Society is alsobeing publicized by a new and ambitiousproject, the Archives of Detective Fiction. (Theproject director is Sharon VillinesÑsee ourmembership list.) And our Web page continuesto draw in new members.

So far our members live in the U.S., Canada,and England. But IÕve heard that there areKeelerites all over the world. I am trying toreach a Keeler fan in Iceland, and a dealer tellsme that he sells many Keelers to Japanese cus-tomers. The International Keeler Conspiracy isafoot! N

Forthcoming in Keeler News:

¥WhatÕs in a Signature? Keeler andgrapho-analysis¥Race in Keeler: some pieces of thepuzzle¥Boucher on Keeler: was our foremostmystery critic a closet Keelerite?¥How to write book-length mysterystories: sound advice from HSK¥The art of the Keelerian dedication:some of HarryÕs best

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Membership ListKnown carriers of Keeleritis É

Benoit, Bob, P.O. Box 51042, Livonia, MI48151, [email protected]

Bradley, Geoff, 9 Vicarage Hill, South Benfleet,Essex, SS7 1PA, England

Cox, Randy, P.O. Box 226, Dundas, MN55019-0226, [email protected]

DÕAvis, Greg, 910 S. Pitkin Ave., Superior, CO80027, gd'[email protected]

du Plessis, Stephanie, 1569 Clay Street, SanFrancisco, CA 94109,[email protected]

Fried, Gregory, 110 Irving St., Cambridge, MA02138, [email protected]

Henry, David R., 3627 10th Avenue North,Grand Forks, ND 58203,[email protected]

James, Wyatt, 452 15th St., Brooklyn, NY11215, [email protected]

Kelley, George, 351 Belmont Ct. East,N.ÊTonawanda, NY 14120,[email protected]

Kimber, Nick, 24 Tunstall Rd., Wymering,Portsmouth, Hants, PO6Ê3RT, England,phone 01705 387179

Kruse, Felicia, 1731 Ella St., Cincinnati, OH45223

MacKay, Matthew, PO Box 1355,Summerside, PE C1N 4K2, Canada,[email protected]

Martin, Terry, 5300 South Shore Dr. #31,Chicago, IL 60615,[email protected]

Nevins, Francis M., St. Louis University Schoolof Law, 3700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO63108-3478, [email protected]

Polt, Richard, 828 Newell St., Walla Walla,WA 99362, (509) 529-6116,[email protected]

Poundstone, William, 1646 S. Orange GroveAve., Los Angeles, CA 90019,[email protected]

Pronzini, Bill, P.O. Box 2536, Petaluma, CA94953

Sconce, Jeffrey, 1035 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh,WI 54901, [email protected]

Scott, Art, 855 Mayview Way, Livermore, CA94550, 510-447-8269, [email protected]

Stumpf, Dan, 1401 Oak Hill Rd., Blacklick,OH 43004, (614) 868-9726

Thomas, Brian, 6438 N. Hamilton Ave.,Chicago, IL 60645-5608,[email protected]

Thompson, Lang, P.O. Box 49604, Atlanta,GA 30359, [email protected]

Thorsen, Eric, 325 Huntington Avenue #94,Boston, MA 02115,[email protected]

Villines, Sharon, Empire State College, 225Varick Street, New York, NY 10014,[email protected]

Warren, Barry, 1725 Berkeley Way, Apt. B,Berkeley, CA 94703,[email protected]

LettersGood luck in building the HSK Societymembership. Old Harry was truly sui generisand he deserves to be honored by those of uswhose brains have been scrambled by one ormore of his Webwork plots.

Bill PronziniPetaluma, Cal.

Thanks, Bill!ÑEveryone else, make sure not to missBillÕs Gun in Cheek and Son of Gun in Cheek, allabout the delightful also-rans of crime writing (Sonincludes a fine chapter on Keeler). His Sixgun inCheek, an affectionate guide to the worst ofWesterns, is forthcoming this summer fromCrossover Press.

Thanks for Keeler News No. 2 which was ofgreat interest, and fun too. Keep up the goodwork. IÕve now got 15 unread Keelers on theshelfÑ9 of which I bought this weekend. Thebookseller who sold me most of them expressedan interest in joining the HSK Society.

The most interesting copy I ran across wasThe Voice of the Seven Sparrows which is in pa-perback. This is the only Keeler IÕve ever seen inpaperback and surprisingly is published byWard, Lock who I didnÕt know did a paper-back line. ItÕs from around 1936, has a plain or-ange front cover with the title and authorÕsname in a white panel running diagonally fromtop right; near the bottom is a horizontal whitepanel which reads ÒWard LockÕs PopularNovels.Ó Above this panel is the price in whiteon the orange backgroundÑ Ò1/6 net.Ó As wellas title, author and publisher the spine has thenumber 83 on it. The back cover is white with alist of other Ward, Lock authors. Does anyoneknow of any other Keelers that made it intopaperback?

Nick Kimber, Wymering, Hants, England

Great discovery! First paperback Keeler IÕve heard of.

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Keeler News No. 3 7

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8 Keeler News No. 3

Keelerganza Bonanza!I recently wrote to dozens of mystery dealers in the U.S. and England to see what they hadin the way of Keeler. The response has been good. And I donÕt have the need or money forall these booksÑso I share them with you. If you order, you might mention that you sawthe books advertised here; that way, dealers are likely to keep us informed of other Keelerarrivals.

For those who are new to Keeler, I offer a few observations.

Prices on Keelers range from around $5 to $100, or even higher. The average price in thefollowing listings is somewhere around $25, but as you will see, there seems to be noÒstandardÓ price: some dealers treat Keeler as highly collectible, others treat him as justanother obscure writer. IÕve even included items that I consider outrageously expen-sive, just to give you an idea of what the range is. As a rule, prices are cheaper if yourun across a book by chance in a store, instead of inquiring from dealers as I did.However, at that rate youÕll never build up a large Keeler collection.

Condition: ranges from splendid to wretched. Or, to use dealersÕ terms: mint, very fine (vf),fine, near-fine (nf), very good (vg), good, fair, reading copy. Of course itÕs nice to have apristine copy, with bright dustjacket, inscribed by the author (these are more commonthan you might thinkÑHarry was generous to his fans). But if you just want to read themasterÕs words, these factors are irrelevant, and a beat-up copy is the way to go. Oftenthe markings on well-used Keelers tell interesting stories in themselves.

Rarity: KeelerÕs Dutton editions (1928-1942) are not rare, but the earlier ones are morecommonly found. Dutton editions were often reprinted by presses such as A.L. Burtand Triangle. KeelerÕs Phoenix editions (1943-1948) are scarce. KeelerÕs Ward Lock edi-tions (1929-1953) are plentiful through the mid-thirties, but get scarcer and scarcerthereafter; some late Ward Locks are especially valuable, because they are the only edi-tions of these novels (the only example of these in the list below is The SteeltownStrangler, for $150).

Completeness: Editors were not very nice to HSK. Titles published by both Dutton andWard Lock are significantly more complete in the Dutton editions. Titles published byboth Phoenix and Ward Lock are much more complete in the Ward Lock editions;however, the Ward Lock editions have also been cut and edited, and often the Phoenixeditions include some material not in the Ward Lock editions.

Why buy now? I suspect that now would be a good time to buy. Probably many of thesebooks have been lying around for some time, waiting for a buyer. ÒNewÓ Keelers maytrickle back into these dealers only slowly. In addition, with the founding of ourSociety, itÕs almost inevitable that demand for Keelers will increase, supplies will godown and prices will go up (a sad byproduct of our organization).

IÕve added some notes on selected titles. The year given is the year of original publication(unless noted otherwise); this may not be the year of the printing. No dustjacket unlessmarked Òdj.Ó

Abbreviations: nf=near-fine, vg=very good, vf=very finedj=dustjacket, x-lib=library copy, 1st=first edition

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Keeler News No. 3 9

First, I have some duplicates myself which IÕm happy to share with my comrades in Keelerdom.Richard Polt, 828 Newell St., Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-529-6116, [email protected]. Postageincluded in price.

The Case of the Transposed Legs. Phoenix, 1948, 1st, vg, x-lib, $25. A landmark of peculiar literature.Weird whydunit by Harry incorporates a story by Hazel about Eluk, the evil Eskimo, and acatalogue of the Keeler Òkats.Ó

The Fourth King. Dutton, 1930, 1st, vg, $20. Relatively sane, interesting tale of intrigue in the Chicagofinancial world.

The Portrait of Jirjohn Cobb. Dutton, 1940, vg in good dj, $20. First in the ÒBig RiverÓ trilogy (the othertwo are CleopatraÕs Tears and The Bottle With the Green Wax Seal). Unbelievably boring, but in afascinating way. One of the weirdest books ever written.

The Riddle of the Traveling Skull. Dutton, 1934, 1st, vg, $20. 1930s advertisements for Tacoma,Washington businesses pasted inside covers. First Keeler I ever read, and a good introduction toHSK: absorbing, tightly narrated, and utterly bizarre.

The Search for X-Y-Z. Ward Lock, 1944 (2nd printing; original was 1943), vf in fine dj, $40. A really nicecopy of a wonderful tale (see my review in KN #1).

The Washington Square Enigma. A.L. Burt reprint, 1933, vf in fair-to-good dj, $20. One of KeelerÕsshortest is advertised prominently as such on the dustjacket. (His previous two novels were wellover 700 pages each.)

X. JonesÑOf Scotland Yard. Dutton, 1936, 1st, vg with some stains, $20. This Òdocumented novelÓ ismy favorite Keeler so far. Sheer, exuberant wackiness, with abundant illustrations. Second volumein a trilogy which is arguably KeelerÕs masterpiece (The Marceau Case, X. JonesÑOf Scotland Yard,and The Wonderful Scheme of Mr. Christopher Thorne). DonÕt forget to include the Keelerian dash inthe title!

From Robert M. Wynne, 227 Lurgan Ave., Shippensburg, PA 17257, phone 717-532-8213. 15%discount on all prices listed below. Postage included.

The Amazing Web. Ward Lock, 1929, 1st, fair, $20. ÒThe worldÕs worst legal mysteryÓÑMike Nevins.Behind That Mask. Dutton, 1938, 1st, vg in good dj, $45. Second in a pair. The first is Finger! Finger!

(one of the best novel titles of all time).The Box From Japan. A.L. Burt reprint, 1932, vg in good dj, $20. Miniskirts in 1942, 3-D intercontinental

television, sugar-producing cacti, an emperor who believes he can turn his blood invisible, a canalacross Nicaragua, the Liao Keng Ru, a Papuan tribe that believes all flying things are devils, and onand on and on, for over 750 pages. ÒPerfectly adapted to jack up a truck withÓÑHSK.

By Third Degree. Ward Lock, 1948, 1st, vg, $25. British version of The Sharkskin Book, Dutton, 1941.One of a series of novels that involves the book of Chinese wisdom The Way Out.

The Case of the Canny Killer. Phoenix, 1946. Spine bent, good to vg, $37.50.CleopatraÕs Tears. Ward Lock, 1940. 1st English ed., good, $30.The Crilly Court Mystery. Ward Lock, 1933. Vg to fine in dj, $50. British version of The Face of the Man

From Saturn. Includes HSKÕs story ÒJohn JonesÕ Dollar,Ó a classic science-fiction paean tocompound interest.

The Defrauded Yeggman. Dutton, 1937, vg in good dj, $30. Part of HarryÕs Vagabond Nights sequence, inwhich hoboes are stuck in the middle of a crazy war and tell their tales. (Sequel: 10 Hours.)

Find Actor Hart. Ward Lock, 1939, 1st, good in good dj, $50. British version of The Portrait of JirjohnCobb.

Find the Clock. Dutton, 1927, fair to good, $20.The Five Silver Buddhas. Blue Ribbon Books reprint, 1935, vg in good dj, $20. Five little Buddhas

covering their eyes ... do they bring bad luck or good? Incorporates a couple of entertaining Keelershort stories.

The Fourth King. Dutton, 1930, vg, $30.The Fourth King. A.L. Burt reprint, 1930, vg in good dj, $25.The Green Jade Hand. A.L. Burt reprint, 1930, reading copy, x-lib, dj, $20. Put together a little six-

fingered Chinese hand, a rare book, and Simon Grundt of the Lincoln School for the Feeble-Minded... and watch the sparks fly!

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10 Keeler News No. 3

The Matilda Hunter Murder. A.L. Burt reprint, 1931, vg in vg dj, $40. Murder by atomic bomb? WatchTuddleton Trotter try to figure it all out. Over 700 pages of Keeleria.

The Mysterious Mr. I. Dutton, 1938, 1st, x-lib, fair, $25. One of HSKÕs most original: a mysteriousnarrator changes from one identity to the next in a most bewildering way. Sequel: The Chameleon.

The Mystery of the Fiddling Cracksman. Dutton, 1934, 1st, good, $25. A Keeler classic and one of hismost popular books.

The Mystery of the Fiddling Cracksman. Triangle reprint, 1934, vg in good dj, $20.The Peacock Fan. Dutton, 1941, 1st, vg, $35. One of the most blistering and bizarre attacks on the

publishing industry ever written. This one may have cost Harry his relationship with Dutton.The Portrait of Jirjohn Cobb. Dutton, 1940, vg in fair dj, $50.The Riddle of the Yellow Zuri. Dutton, 1930, good, $15. A search for a Zuri snake intertwines with an

attempt to crack a safe, the Federal Bureau for Investigation of Fraudulent Mining Claims, etc.Typical early webwork plot, gleefully implausible.

The Riddle of the Yellow Zuri. A.L. Burt reprint, 1930, good, $15.Sing Sing Nights. A.L. Burt reprint, 1928, fair, $16. HSKÕs most popular book; it inspired two (or

three?) awful movies and includes, among much else, KeelerÕs own ÒMetamorphosisÓ: ÒThe MissingLink,Ó a tale of a man whose brain is transplanted into a gorilla. A good place to start with Keeler.

10 Hours. Dutton, 1937, 1st, x-lib, reading copy, $15. Sequel to The Defrauded Yeggman.ThievesÕ Nights. Dutton, 1929, good, $15. Another of HSKÕs ÒnightsÓ booksÑstories about stories.ThievesÕ Nights. A.L. Burt reprint, 1929, good, $15.The Voice of the Seven Sparrows. Ward Lock, 1920Õs, fair to good (lower inch of spine missing), $20.X. JonesÑOf Scotland Yard. Dutton, 1936, 1st, vg in vg dj, $50.X. JonesÑOf Scotland Yard. Dutton, 1936, good in fair dj, $25.

From Chris Eckhoff, 98 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 (sorry, I donÕt have a phone for him).Postage: $3 for first book, 50¢ per book thereafter. Insurance: 75¢ per $50 if desired.

The Case of the Barking Clock. Phoenix, 1947, 1st, vg with part of jacket flap glued inside, $20. Aged,impoverished investigator Tuddleton T. Trotter returns from the pages of The Matilda HunterMurder and from a graveyard in PincheonÕs Corner, Wisconsin, to inhabit this odd tale. Includes astory by Hazel. This Phoenix edition has been cut ruthlessly, so it makes even less sense than usual.

The Case of the Canny Killer. Phoenix, 1946, 1st, red cloth, vg, $20.The Case of the Mysterious Moll. Phoenix, 1945, 1st, vg, $25.The Case of the Transposed Legs. Phoenix, 1948, 1st, x-lib, vg, $20.CleopatraÕs Tears. Dutton, 1940, 1st, x-lib, good+, $25.The Five Silver Buddhas. Dutton, 1935. Vg+ with stained cover, $30.The Man With the Crimson Box. Dutton, 1940, 1st, vg+, $25.The Peacock Fan. Dutton, 1941, 1st, review slip laid in, vg+, $50.10 Hours. Dutton, 1937, 1st, vg, $35.ThievesÕ Nights. A.L. Burt reprint, 1929, good, $10.The Washington Square Enigma. Dutton, 1933, 1st, vg-, $30.X. JonesÑOf Scotland Yard. Dutton, 1936, 1st, x-lib, vg, $25.

From John Mitchell, Mitchell Books, 1395 E. Washington Bl., Pasadena, CA 91104, phone 818-798-4438, fax 818-798-0100:

CleopatraÕs Tears, Dutton, 1940, vg+ in vg dj, $50.

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From David and Bonnie Pollard, Last Seen Reading, P.O. Box 1423, Palo Alto, CA 94302, phone 415-321-3348:

CleopatraÕs Tears. Ward Lock, 1940, 1st, vg, $15.The Mystery of the Fiddling Cracksman. Dutton, 1934, 1st, good+, $10.The Tiger Snake. Ward Lock, 1931. 1st English ed. Good, $15. (British version ofThe Riddle of the Yellow

Zuri.)

From Nelson Freck, Second Story Books, 12160 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852, phone 301-468-9689:

CleopatraÕs Tears. Dutton, 1940, 1st, vg+ in nicked dj, $100.The Fourth King. Ward Lock, 1920Õs, vg in nicked dj, $25.The Five Silver Buddhas. A.L. Burt reprint, 1935, nf in worn dj, $35.The Steeltown Strangler. Ward Lock, 1950, 1st, nf in clipped dj, signed by author, $150.10 Hours. Dutton, 1937, 1st, vg, $30.The Wonderful Scheme of Mr. Christopher Thorne. Dutton, 1936, 1st, vg in fair dj, $45.

From Claude Held, P.O. Box 515, Buffalo, NY 14225 (sorry, no phone). Send payment with order;include $1.50 for first book, 75¢ each additional for postage, double these on foreign orders. New YorkState customers include state and local taxes.

The Amazing Web, Dutton, 1930, 1st, vg, $15.Find the Clock, Dutton, 1927, 1st, vg, $15.The Green Jade Hand, A.L. Burt reprint, vg, $8.The Matilda Hunter Murder. Dutton, 1931, good+, $8.The Mystery of the Fiddling Cracksman. Dutton, 1934, vf, $15.The Mysterious Mr. I. Dutton, 1938, 1st, vf, $20.The Portrait of Jirjohn Cobb. Dutton, 1940, 1st, fine, $18.The Riddle of the Yellow Zuri. Dutton, 1930, vf, $12.50.The Spectacles of Mr. Cagliostro. Dutton, 1929, 1st, vg, $15. What would you do if your multimillionaire

father, creator of Lotsapep, willed you just $75 a month plus the obligation to wear a ridiculous,heavy, 18th-century pair of blue spectacles for a year? This absorbing novel dedicated to Òthosebest of all good fellows, our lunaticsÓ reflects HSKÕs own experiences in an insane asylum and is insome ways his most serious book.

ThievesÕ Nights. A.L. Burt reprint, 1920s, $6.ThievesÕ Nights. Dutton, 1929, 1st, good+, $12.The Voice of the Seven Sparrows. A.L. Burt reprint, 1920s, fine, $10.

From Green Lion Books, 2402 University Ave. W., Suite 409, St. Paul, MN 55114, phone 612-644-9070.Add $4 for shipping & handling.

The Mysterious Mr. I. Dutton, 1938, 1st, vg+, $22.Sing Sing Nights. Dutton, 1928, nf, $10.ThievesÕ Nights. Dutton, 1929, vg/f, $8.50.

From The Mystery Nook, 1907 Knox St., Peoria, IL 61614, phone 309-685-3840:

The Matilda Hunter Murder. Dutton, 1931, 1st, vg, signed by HSK, $50.ThievesÕ Nights. A.L. Burt reprint, 1929, good reading copy, $8.

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12 Keeler News No. 3

From Canford Book Corral, Drawer 216, Freeville, NY 13068, phone 607-844-9784(call 5-10Êpm):

The Book With the Orange Leaves. Dutton, 1942, 1st, vg+ in good dj, $35. Mrs. Czeszcziczki needs brainsurgery, a reporter is assigned to take a picture of an invisible eggÑand another Keelerganza is offto a good start!

The Peacock Fan. Dutton, 1941, 1st, x-lib, vg, $15.The Spectacles of Mr. Cagliostro. Dutton, 1929, 1st, vg in chipped dj, $20.

From Paul Garon, Beasley Books, 1533 W. Oakdale, Chicago, IL 60657, phone 773-472-4528, fax 773-472-7857, e-mail [email protected]:

Four typed letters by HSK to a Chicago book buyer, signed. Two are on KeelerÕs stationery. All dealwith in-store promotion of Keeler titles, window displays, and HSKÕs willingness even to donatemanuscripts for the windows. All fine, around 1 page each. $60.

From Ming Books, 1 Penrose Avenue, Watford, Herts WD1 5AE, England, phone 0181-421-3733, fax0181-428-5034. Payment by credit card, US checks accepted, postage additional at cost.

The Amazing Web, Ward Lock, 1929, good+, spine loose one side, £5 / $8.35.The Crilly Court Mystery, Ward Lock, 1933, vg-, £5 / $8.35.Find the Clock, Ward Lock, 1920Õs, fine, £6 / $10.The Green Jade Hand, Ward Lock, 1930, 1st, vg, £6 / $10.The Voice of the Seven Sparrows, Ward Lock, 1920Õs, vg, £5.50 / $9.18.

From Rushton H. Potts, 100 W. Main St. #5, Hyannis, MA 02601, 508-862-0500:

Behind That Mask, Dutton, 1938, nf in vg dj, $65.

From Dick Wilson, Mordida Books, PO Box 79322, Houston, TX 77279:

The Man With the Crimson Box. Dutton, 1940, 1st, vg in good dj, $75.The Mysterious Mr. I. Dutton, 1938, 1st, fine in vg dj, $85.X. JonesÑOf Scotland Yard. Dutton, 1936, 1st, fine in dj, $165 [sic!].

From Glyn Watson, GlynÕs Books, 6 The Avenue, Lyneal, Ellesmere, Shropshire SY12 0QJ, U.K. Tel:01948 710591; Fax: 01948 710591. From outside the UK dial: 44 1948 710591. Email:[email protected]. (Glyn is a book finder; he will connect you to other dealers who have thesebooks.)

The 16 Beans. Ward Lock, 1st, vg in dj, £30. Yet another Òstrange willÓ plot, rife with Keelerisms.Cheung, Detective. Ward Lock, 1938, 1st, good+, £20.

From Thomas L. Coffman, 9 N. College Ave., Salem, VA 24153, (540) 389-3555:

The Mysterious Mr. I. Dutton, 1938, 1st, good, $15.

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Keeler News No. 3 13

From Black Hill Books, The Wain House, Black Hill, Clunton, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 0JD,England. [IÕll never understand British addresses! ÑRP] Phone 01588-640551, fax 01547-530306:

The Fourth King. Ward Lock, 1932, vg, £4.The Magic Ear-Drums. Ward Lock, 1939, 1st, mottled boards, else vg, £4. First in a four-novel sequence

of infinite weirdness.ThievesÕ Nights. Ward Lock, 1931, 1st, no dj, vg, £5.The Wonderful Scheme. Ward Lock, 1937, 1st, x-lib, good, £3. British edition of The Wonderful Scheme of

Mr. Christopher Thorne.

From E. Greenfield, Ergo Books, 46 Lisburne Rd., London NW3 2NR, England, e-mail [email protected] include airmail to US; checks in dollars acceptable.

The Magic Ear-Drums. Ward Lock, 1939, 1st, fine in vg+ dj, $85.The Book With Orange Leaves. Ward Lock, 1943, 1st, nf, $35.

From Dunn & Powell Books, The Hideaway, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1714, phone 207-288-4665, fax 1-800-566-3244 in US, 510-472-6624 outside US, e-mail [email protected]:

The Face of the Man from Saturn. Dutton, 1933, 1st, vg, $25.

From Michael Lange, MikeÕs Evil Deeds, 170 Auburn St., Newton, MA 02166, (617)Ê332-6269, [email protected]:

The Mysterious Mr. I. Ward Lock, 1937, 1st, vg+, $20.The Magic Ear-Drums. Ward Lock, 1939, 1st, vg+, $20.The Man With The Crimson Box. Dutton, 1940, 1st, edgeworn, good in vg+ dj, $45.

And finally, the pi�ce de resistance, from Lew Buckingham, Buckingham Books, 8058 Stone Bridge Rd.,Greencastle, PA 17225-9786, phone 717-597-5657, fax 717-597-1003:

Finger! Finger! Dutton, 1938, 1st, inscribed by author: ÒHi-ya Jack Ñ here yÕare, H.S.K.Ó Fine in vg dj,$250.00. (ThatÕs not a misprint, IÕm afraid! I believe Harry made little more than that from PhoenixPress for some of his novels. ÑRP)

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14 Keeler News No. 3

FOMENT KEELERDOM!

MYSTIFY FRIENDS

AND RELATIVES!

Now available from Richard Polt: 4" ´ 6" glossypostcards featuring the classic portrait of ourhero in his prime. (To quote Eric Thorsen: ÒIf hisface were a book, only he could write it.Ó) Onback: ÒHarry Stephen Keeler (1890-1967).Master of the webwork plot.Ó 15 for $5, 40 for$10, postpaid to anywhere on this planet.

Fun with dustjacketsSoon all the dustjackets listed below will be viewable online at The Keeler Dustjacket Vault

(http://members.aol.com/rpolt/jackets.html). Surf on over! For those who want better-than-digital-quality copies, I am happy to make color photocopies of any of these jackets. The quality of thesecopies is very good, but their price (at least in Walla Walla) is a little steep. U.S. members send $3.25per jacket, and a large, sturdy, self-addressed, stamped envelope; other members send $5 per jacket,and I will take care of postage and envelope. The back ends of most jackets will be cut off, but I willmake a black-and-white copy of them. In some cases, the jackets are glued onto the books in such away that I can only make color copies of the front cover; I will include black-and-white copies of therest if possible. These are marked Òfront onlyÓ and cost $2.50 ($4 abroad).

The Amazing Web (Ward Lock)The Book With Orange Leaves (Ward Lock)The Box From Japan (A.L. Burt)The Case of the Barking Clock (Phoenix)The Case of the Ivory Arrow(Phoenix), front onlyThe Case of the Mysterious Moll (Phoenix)The Fourth King (Dutton)Murder in the Mills (Ward Lock)The Mysterious Mr. I (Dutton)The Portrait of Jirjohn Cobb (Dutton)

The Riddle of the Traveling Skull (Dutton)The Riddle of the Yellow Zuri (Dutton)The Search for X-Y-Z (Ward Lock)Sing Sing Nights (Dutton)The 16 Beans (Ward Lock)The Steeltown Strangler (Ward Lock)10 Hours (Dutton)Two Strange Ladies (Ward Lock)The Vanishing Gold Truck (Dutton), front onlyThe Washington Square Enigma (A.L. Burt)

Keeler News is perpetrated more-or-less monthly by:Richard Polt Keeler Society Web site:828 Newell St. http://xavier.xu.edu:8000/~polt/keeler.htmlWalla Walla, WA 99362 USA509-529-6116 [email protected]

Republished by: Harry Stephen Keeler Society, 4745 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45232