Munsey's Magazine, November 1925

His Dead Life — Munsey's Magazine, November 1925 This complete novelette by Louis Lacy Stevenson concerns two men apparently existing as one person—John Dean of Leesville and Philip Brent of Detroit. The narrative opens in the town of Leesville, established a century and a half prior, where the Dean and Moore families constitute the town's social elite. John Dean, a lawyer of independent means, and Grace Moore, daughter of the town doctor, have been expected to marry. Both share passionate devotion to sports—sailing, golf, and driving. William Traverse, a former bricklayer-turned-lawyer, arrives in town and gradually builds a successful practice. When Traverse begins calling on Grace Moore, Dean realizes his assumption of her eventual acceptance may be mistaken. Desperate to secure financial stability before proposing marriage, Dean invests trust funds entrusted to him in an electric lamp company, gambling that quick profits will restore his position. Grace refuses his proposal nonetheless. The story details Dean's emotional devastation following her rejection.