Talk:The Marriage of Meldrum Strange

A word from Talbot Mundy concerning his story in this issue
(From "The Camp-Fire" section of the issue, p. 180)

Having grown a little tired of always seeing the hero of a story win hands down, and reason confirming record that no human hero can be found without some human weaknesses, I have trusted the reader to be patient while the hero, Ommony, sustains a rather sharp defeat—although poetic justice deals fairly by him in the end.

Another thing: I’m sore with the theory that rich men must always get the worst end. They don’t in real life. So I’ve invited you to dislike Meldrum Strange as heartily as you see fit, but to concede him elements of manliness, even as Ommony has his streak of venom. The weight of Meldrum’s money bags is too enormous for him to have emerged any thing but a winner, at least to some extent.

Chullunder Ghose is a bad, fat rascal, but I like him. Zelmira Poulakis has appeared before in “A Secret Society” and it seemed unfair to leave her in the horrible predicament she was in when that story closed. As Lady Molyneux she may rise like the Phœnix from the ashes of an awkward past. Kate Ommony is new. The Ommony I used to know in real life had no sister, but he should have had.

It is not an unknown thing for temple nautch girls to be sent to entertain distinguished strangers; nor for Hindu priests to play off Codlin against Short.—.