The Mystery of Murray Davenport: A Story of New York at the Present Day

In Short

Set in turn-of-the-century Manhattan, this novel follows Thomas Larcher, a cheerful magazine writer, as he stumbles into the life of Murray Davenport, an intensely melancholic illustrator convinced he is cursed by bad luck. After a theatrical producer steals Davenport’s profitable play, Davenport vanishes from his lodging-house under suspicion of theft. Soon after, an urbanely fortunate gentleman named Francis Turl appears, displaying uncanny insights into the missing man. Stephens crafts an inventive early psychological thriller about identity, self-reinvention, and the persistence of past ties, enduring as a clever exploration of whether a man can truly escape his own history.

The Story

The story opens in rainy New York City, where young writer Thomas Larcher receives a surprise summons to the Savoy Hotel from his sweetheart, Edna Hill. Their reunion sets Larcher's career into motion, leading him to collaborate with Murray Davenport, a brilliantly talented but deeply disillusioned illustrator. Davenport lives in a modest boarding house, burdened by an overwhelming belief in his own chronic ill luck. Years prior, Davenport wrote a successful play, only to have his former roommate, the coarse theatrical manager George A. Bagley, claim the work as his own and pocket twenty thousand dollars. When Bagley unexpectedly returns to Davenport’s life, he treats the artist with brazen condescension, dismissing Davenport's true authorship of the play as a delusional hallucination.

Shortly after Larcher introduces Davenport to fresh magazine commissions, Davenport disappears without a trace. The plot thickens when Bagley publicizes that a large sum of money left in Davenport's care for business transactions has gone missing, framing the vanished artist as an embezzler. Larcher, convinced of his friend's integrity, joins forces with a eccentric rural poultry dealer named Mr. Bud, who leases a quiet New York apartment for occasional rest. Investigating the apartment, they find a soot-covered notebook cover that Davenport previously used to hold the cash, proving he visited the room before vanishing.

Meanwhile, Larcher and Edna's circle of acquaintances is joined by Francis Turl, a charming, effortlessly prosperous gentleman who moves into the same building as Florence Kenby—a young woman quietly mourning Davenport, the man she loved before his disappearance. Turl possesses an unshakeable philosophy of living entirely in the present, casting off old friends and past obligations. However, Larcher notices peculiar overlaps in Turl’s habits and insights. Bud also catches sight of Turl and experiences a vivid sense of recognition.

Larcher slowly piecing together the truth: Davenport did not die, nor did he steal Bagley's funds out of malice. Driven by desperation to rid himself of his unlucky persona, Davenport utilized surgical techniques, cosmetic alterations, and intense psychological discipline to erase his physical features and cultivate an entirely new persona—Francis Turl.

Turl’s plan to live unburdened hits an obstacle when he realizes the depth of Florence’s continued affection for his former self. Unable to abandon the woman he loves, Turl reveals his true identity to Florence and Larcher. To settle the unresolved conflict over the twenty thousand dollars without legal exposure, Turl confronts Bagley in private. They cut cards for the sum; Turl wins, prompting a guilty Bagley to accept the outcome and keep the secret. Having legally reclaimed his stolen wealth and the devotion of Florence, the transformed man leaves his tragic past behind to embrace a fortunate future.

How It Unfolds

The chance collaboration Thomas Larcher meets Murray Davenport to offer him illustrative work for a magazine story. Davenport accepts the commission with quiet astonishment, explaining that good fortune has evaded him his entire life.

An old grievance surfaced At a dinner, the pompous theatrical manager George Bagley boasts of making a fortune off a play he claims to have written. Davenport silently endures the humiliation, though Larcher learns Bagley stole the script from Davenport years earlier.

The vanishing artist Davenport abruptly disappears from his East Side lodging-house after paying his landlady a month's rent in advance. Shortly after, Bagley publicly accuses the missing illustrator of absconding with twenty thousand dollars of corporate funds.

Clues in the quiet apartment Larcher partners with Mr. Bud, a visitor from upstate who keeps a hidden Manhattan room for solitude. Searching the hearth, they discover the discarded, coal-dusted notebook cover Davenport used to hold the missing cash.

Arrival of the lucky stranger A refined, cheerful man named Francis Turl arrives in town, easily charming Larcher and Edna Hill while moving into the lodging-house of Florence Kenby. Turl preaches a cool philosophy of cutting ties with the past and embracing new identity.

Suspicion and recognition Mr. Bud glimpses Turl in a hallway and experiences an intense flash of familiarity, insisting he has seen the young man under similar circumstances before. Larcher begins connecting Turl's habits to Davenport's vanished presence.

The surgical secret revealed Turl admits to Larcher and Florence that he is indeed Murray Davenport, having surgically altered his facial features and changed his voice to escape his cursed past. He confesses that his love for Florence drew him back from complete anonymity.

A final game of chance Turl confronts Bagley in private to resolve the matter of the twenty thousand dollars without public scandal. They settle the claim over a high-stakes cut of the cards, which Turl wins, securing his freedom and his new life.

The People

• Murray Davenport / Francis Turl: A skilled illustrator and former medical student who feels haunted by lifelong misfortune. Wanting to escape his identity after being defrauded of his play, he uses surgical skill and psychological willpower to alter his face and voice, re-emerging as Francis Turl. As Turl, he seeks an unburdened life of natural good luck, but his enduring love for Florence forces him to reconcile his dual existence.
• Thomas Larcher: A good-natured, practical young writer living in a New York bed-sitting room. He becomes Davenport’s loyal partisan, refusing to believe the police reports framing Davenport as a thief, and acts as the amateur sleuth who ultimately pieces the mystery together.
• Florence Kenby: A patient, soft-spoken young woman who sings at home while refusing to compromise her standards for commercial stage work. She remains steadfastly devoted to the memory of Murray Davenport, enabling Turl to risk exposing his secret.
• George A. Bagley: A coarse, boastful theatrical manager who rose from poverty by claiming credit for Davenport's original play. He projects an aura of magnanimous success while secretly harbouring a troubled conscience over his fraud.
• Mr. Bud: An eccentric poultry dealer from upstate New York who rents a private city room to escape his bustling family. His sharp observations provide crucial clues during the search for Davenport.
• Edna Hill: Larcher’s spirited sweetheart, who offers sharp social wit and warm companionship during the investigation.

In Its Own Voice

“Now, good luck is a thing that never by any chance has fallen to me before; never from the beginning of things to the present. So, in spite of my senses, I'm naturally a bit incredulous in this case.”

Murray Davenport explains his deep-seated conviction that misfortune is an inescapable part of his nature when Larcher offers him unsolicited magazine work.

“The only place to be reely alone is where thur's so many people that one man don't count for anything.”

Mr. Bud shares his rural philosophy on why he keeps a private city room in Manhattan to escape the chatter of his daily life.

“Why clog the present with the past?”

Francis Turl reflects on his detached personal doctrine, arguing that changing circumstances make old friendships obsolete and that reinvention requires letting go of who one used to be.

What It's Really About

At its core, the novel examines the malleability of human identity and the psychological weight of self-fulfilling prophecy. Davenport’s obsessive belief in his own "bad luck" functions as a mental cage, driving him to perform extreme physical alterations just to break free from his past narrative. The narrative questions whether character is fixed by history or if a person can actively manifest good fortune simply by believing themselves to be someone new.

Additionally, the book explores the dark side of urban anonymity and theatrical ambition. Through Bagley’s casual theft of Davenport's play, Stephens critiques how aggressive opportunism often triumphs over quiet merit in a fast-moving metropolis. Ultimately, the story asks if an individual can ever truly erase their origin without severing the genuine emotional bonds—like love and loyalty—that give life its real value.

Why Read It Today

The Mystery of Murray Davenport offers a refreshing, early 20th-century twist on the traditional detective novel. Instead of focusing on a standard violent crime, it presents a fascinating proto-sci-fi character study centered on intentional cosmetic identity theft. Modern readers will enjoy its crisp depiction of turn-of-the-century Manhattan life—from boarding-house parlors and crosstown streetcars to the quiet luxury of the Savoy Hotel.

The book’s pacing is light and engaging, balanced by lively dialogue and a satisfying resolution. Readers should note minor period details: some dialect spelling appears in the speech of minor characters like Mr. Bud, and the story relies on a somewhat melodramatic sci-fi conceit regarding how quickly and completely facial surgery could be self-administered in the 1900s.

However, the core narrative holds up remarkably well. Anyone interested in classic mystery, stories of radical self-reinvention, or the moral dilemmas of starting over will find this forgotten public-domain gem to be a swift, intriguing, and surprisingly warm read.