_Emile Erckmann (born 1822, died 1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (born
1826, died 1890), natives of Alsace-Lorraine, formed a literary
partnership in 1847 and wrote many charming novels and plays which
attained a great vogue. These, appearing under the signature of
Erckmann-Chatrian, were supposed to be the productions of a single
writer until 1863, when the collaboration was announced. It is said
that their first stories were rejected by all the newspapers of
Paris._
_"The Mysterious Sketch" is from "Les Contes Fantastiques."_