We have so often agreed that causes are more interesting than the most
dramatic results, that I feel you are the right person to receive the
dedication of my story about Elsie Palmer, in which I have tried to
reconstruct the psychological developments that led, by inexorable
degrees, to the catastrophe of murder. These things are never “bolts
from the blue” in reality, but merely sensational accessories to the
real issue, which lies on that more subtle plane of thought where only
personalities are deserving of dissection.
For what it is worth, I offer you an impression of Elsie Palmer’s
personality.