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Show Hay Confessed to Authorship He Admitted To a Curious Friend That He Read the Proofs of "The Bread Winners" and Ended Mystery. It was In 1SS3 that there appeared anonymously the novel called "The Bread Winners." At once a deep interest in-terest was taken in the problem of establishing the Identity of the author, au-thor, and while from time to time through the years many persons of authority attributed the novel to John Hay, the literary world generally did not know for a surety until after his death that he it was who wrote that once popular story. "But long before the general public knew for a certainty that Mr. Hay was the . author of 'The Bread Winner,' I became morally certain that he was, and in a rather amusing manner," said to me sometime ago that veteran journalist and lecturer, William H. McElroy, who was once associated with Mr. Hay In editorial work for a number of years. "At the time that 'Thr Bread Winners' Win-ners' appeared," continued Mr. McElroy, Mc-Elroy, "I was thoroughly familiar with Mr. Hay's literary style and methods and his views upon political and civic questions. So at the first reading of the book I couldn't help thinking that John Hay was its author. Yet I was somewhat perplexed by reason of the frequent, somewhat technical and cautious cau-tious denials from Mr. Hay's closest friends that he was the author of the story; and this perplexity lasted until the Court of St. James as our ambassador, ambassa-dor, he was entertained in Buffalo by an Intimate friend of both Mr. I lay and myself. "This friend, like many other Americans, Amer-icans, had puzzled his head greatly over the identity of the author of the book, and he, too, had come to the personal conclusion that it was the work of Mr. Hay. So all the time that the latter was his guest he burned to ask him: 'Did you write "The Bread Winners?'" Yet he did not know exactly ex-actly how to do this without seeming to infringe a little upon the rules of hospitality. "But upon the last day of Mr. Hay's visit his host took him for a long ride In the suburbs of Buffalo, and when they were far out in the country coun-try said to him: " 'I am going to be discourteous enough to ask you one question, and first of all to ask you If you will answer an-swer any question 1 put to you.' "Mr. Hay laughed heartily, and as he turned his face towards his companion com-panion his eyes twinkled merrily. Then he said: " 'I will answer any question you are likely to put to me except one.' " 'You think I am going to ask you If you wrote "The Bread Winners?" queried his companion.' " 'My experience would Justify that suspicion," laughed Mr. Hay. "'Well, you are mistaken; 1 am not going to ask you that question, was the good-natured retort. " 'Well, then,' cried Mr. Hay. "go ahead and put your question. I'll answer it.' "'My question is this: Did you read the pioofs of "The Bread Winners?"' "Again Mr. Hay laughed heartily. Then, finally, he said: " 'That's a fair question. I'll answer an-swer it. I did read the proofs.' " 'So I suspected,' exultantly shouted shout-ed our friend. 'And I'll never need again to ask anybody who wrote "The Bread Winners. (Copyright, 1910, by E. .1. Edwards.) |