"TEN SHILLINGS A YARD."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 395, 2 January 1909, Page 13

"TEN SHILLINGS A YARD."

Hamlet Blair poured himself out another cup of coffee, ho always regarded it as a good piclc-mo-up. And he wanted one as he roviewed his morning's letters, for they, were •enough to depress the soul of an ordinary man, let alone a minor poet's. And.no one' could challenge his right to belong ,to the ranks of that minority. -Yet .this was what that confounded publisher's letter- suggested:. He read it once moro: ' . Dear Sir, —Wo regret to inform you that wo hdvo not sold a single copy of your poems ."Love's Lodestar;" and as we'find it inconvenient to store ;so many:, unsaleable public-, tions, wo shall, pending counter-instructions from you, offer the entire edition for sale at a_ somewhat reducod rate. It is with much difficulty buyers can be, found for poetry at present, so we; imagine you will readily agree to our availing ourselves of a favourable chance of selling. . . . Faithfully yours, " GAFFER : AND DOBBS. j : And to this pass the Muse had come 1 The least conceited man,would have.felt the iron}* of the situation; Hamlet. Blair, was—• Vfcai, by iw means destitute of vanity.: What bard is without his share? But /yet an-l other letter rftnliled, nhd it must >be confessed it;was. a somotfjiftt bitter billet doUx that morning's post ; had. brought him frbm the lady of. his alfeotions.. He looked again 1 at the dainty sheet with,its rather obtrusive gold crest. . - ryy: •• . '■ v . '-The Towers, Twickenham, June 1. • "My darling Hamlot,-—lt is too dreadful the news I have to.-break to you, and' 1 tremble to think he'v yeur eensitivo poet's WUI will'feel it. ! ■ Think of it; my father declares our engagement must be broken off ut onee; beoause: you, have no' prospects j he fittys-joh, darling, I shrink from writing it "—that* you have not made a natno in the world,; and . that' if you Were -famous,-.it Would bb. a' different affair. I told him' I should never- never, love anyone' else." y Hut the rGjeoted loverrcad nb'fufbher; it. Was bad ' enough to be'''chucked" by this public; it was wbr'so still to be thrown Over by the girl he adored, who, moreover,'; had inspired. hh finest .aonri©tkl ! "As he flung the letter .down, the postscript on the outer sheet caught.his eyo. • y .-y- ;> •" , '"Pray Come, and ysee me as soon as you can, : to. talk over this -horrid' affair;'father, is frantically, busy-, having, his. hew library fitted up, and so you: 'won't see. much of him,;but I will bo m the garden to-morroW afternoon; to give you some tea under tho trees;;, perhaiis ,you will .be': able .to .write a po em ■ah out itYour Broken-hearted Pussio." ... .-v:,:.y ; The poet;groaned.Dear little, soul]: She : was still faithful to hini; . then; - iii' spite,' of her father's prejudice in /favour of. ;-"aVname.M . Mr. Theophilua ;Wiggifis_haid himself, made,' not,a. name, ; :but 'i ,''/:msoapy 'which is. just practical priri pios.os- when yoU"balanfce'; qdvantageSi; Besides, .he,, too,. had acquired'fame^ydf. a 'kind, thei ,kmd;:Whiohyplacarded' his.yaohidvements on every advertisement ; hoarding 'as the discoyerer.of. ''the world's greatest ,'sotip." When, only written, unsuccessful -sonnets;it ..is a bit. depressing • to ho ; reminded. of. .your inferiority in this way. . . Pussie was as, good as , her word. She had'tea' for' her poet under: if he 1 trees, and ppured'it.out "with' her owivfair hands,'','as the romancers,-sayj''.only they"really were very prettjr ones. '', Moreover,,,the charming , pink ■ 'tfnmmer-y gowii, ; .- with, iits"froufrous I '' : of y-lace arid knots' of: ribbon,: was iii itself enough to inspire ah ode;- r'-' 1 :-. ; Hamlet;':' Blair 'played * regretfully with his Dresden • teacup as ; he: gazed on his ' idol, with. ,Uio' eyes. of the lover arid: the' '{wot. . ' y,'Sd' ! ;ybii ; really think he,'means '.what he says, Pussie, darling?" . . "Oh, certainly, dear, I know it; he's so determined: it's determination,'as ho often 'says, that -has niade his fortune. "Yesy.it is, really." .. . .Y ' vy;' -'',y,;y-' ;,. ;,y; two, people' can, play at that game'. :'As c 'rt' , happens, I,' am'-determined, 'mineifib win'ybu'for. my sweet:little 1 wife at' : all coifs." - '. Hoitilet'Blair/adt. down the'frtsh cup of. tea vhis' host-ess 5 had 'just .-handed, hirijiiiitistedj< andy frowhed 1 ' igloomilj: at ; >th« ,HBa-; /offered .-.him',ythough they; might have appealed to the; most epicurean. ■ ;..y'',Oh, Hamlet, don't let it spoil your tea!('.: cried Pussie,' whose blue' eyes were ' already' beginning to fill with-tears. • ; ; ;:'y-."'j: '.; ■" Spoil: my t-oa—spoil: my lifo, you mean; 1 As if it -did! not mean" spoiling my whole career, to lose ;, you.' As if I could ' write •ftnything without, you;. Where Would■' Love's. Lodestar! -,have., been. without-; you?''. ■ Biijb; iust then the poet remembered his publisher's letter, and - where the book actually.'wasi And answered that; confounded letter.! ; :' y..: y.; ;y I'.y,y ; , ".Of* course, you are a Rreat pQot,"'went on; Pussie .soothinglj;,and I told father' so,' ;ahd he. said—he said—but poor ,Pussie could get no further, with her revelation',-and burst into helpless tears.. ; '.ylt;.todk: some Tittle' time to dry them; besides, what,lover :would wish to hasten that process?;. -But.he .was. anxious' to know' what I it was that Mr; Wiggins had-really^said,.arid I persuaded.Pussie;,to-tell :him, after: a good deal of hesitation. .;-r" ; ■ .y .'... y '/ ,-

:•" However can I,tell, youP" sho mnrraured,' .between her sobß'■(well, ho. put -it, so*. unkindly,! don't know how to." ■■.■• ' "■Nonsense, darling,',we must all face : the. bitter, truth some time 6r.''other',!'.. , and i .the poet thought:of his publisher's lotter- bndo more. " He said," sobbed:-, Pussie, he would nevor let -me marry a man who wrote poetry s that—that—rnobody. -read, and that if he : cow".; over see your ' works ' in demand.' he ;shouldn't!,mind.And ~p,ow;:can I.over tell it. you?—that if>you had ■ invented . a .new soap, ,he could .have seen tho sense, of/it, but that to be a minor poet. ,was jWorse. than being nothing at all,!' , , , /' AndPu'ssio's i revelations • being. out,. ,she .abandoned 'herself, to a fresh flood of tears; by - the appearance of . Mr. ' >\lg^lns ; hlmsqlf, as lie jauntily strode across tho' lawn up to .tho tcartablo. -■' .' ;."... . - We.Map-kihg's' iqlly, "rubicund face clouded .as.he glanced .at.the'lbvers j.Pussie's.red eyes told-their'own tale.. .He threw the cigar-he was smoking aside,;, and nodded fo "his guest.' Howvdo, Blair? ■ How's' the poetry?"—: Hainlet'winced, this-.was, adding insult • to "B.y % way, you'should have been with, mo this afternoon.. -Fitting, up', the' new library m .'fino Btyle.i. Had Dobbstho bookseller. here from ttownV. Knows his business, too. .' Going . to ,-fix the whole ■ thing up choose, the-books rand all." And the owner of, Towers'! passed his cup to Be-Ve-filled. Pussio poured out some tea in' silence,' and Blair fidgeted nervously ■with His hat. . J "I'm sorry, sir, I.must be going. I have to go and sendj a wire," ho said, -for ■ thero fras that wretohed letter to. answer. •• '-.. . '• -tliat reminds me, I want, a .word , with; you,, .: and. the soap-magnate rose to escort his guest, to the drive'.'- The poet ; shook hands :with Pussie, not daring to meet her gaio, !':andl:turned. reluctantly awaj-: • it might- be the.liist -time he AvaS destined to look on that, fair face. ' Miv Wiggins lit another cigar.- -•■■'■-■ ■ - •• .''Look- here, 1 Blair,". he said, when they' .wero-out of earshot, of Pussie, 'fvou understand, Ttcan't have this-soirtf of : thirig : goinK on any longer between you and ; Pussie. When my daughter marries, I want her 'to choose a man who has made a name in tho world—at his own trade,'at any rate Whether it's-pork or; poetry, it's all tho same .to me. Now,.as a pork merchant you might havo been famous by this; as-it!is; no one •knows .'you,- and no ono seems, to-read yeu.M The neglVctod poet repressed' & strong' deSire to Swear. ' • ' • • ■ "Now take . it onoe for all. When T'seo your books in active ■ circulation;' I'll donsent to- this' engagement, not before. • I can't find anyone who has read your stuff so far,'except • Pussie. So no more minor poems fori mo.. Do something substantial to show-before you come here againi" And tho master of "Tho Towers" took a chilly leave of ..his woUld-be son-in-law. • A quarter of an hour later, Hamlet wns m tho tokgraph office. 1 'Do as you like'' waß.tho laoonio message that Messrs. Gaffer and Dobbs recoiv<s that evening. And they acted on■ instructions..'. . Mr. Dobbs contemplated his work with un.di«nuiMd satisfaction, -as ho. regarded' ■ tho well-nllod bookshelvos in tho • newly-formed

library at "The Towers." '"Guaranteed complete, sir," he was .explaining to' its' master proudly. "Complete in every respect. I told yon I'd do 'em at the cheapest rate, and if you don't call ten shillings a yard cheap for that upper shelf, all I can say is, you are hard to please. And all of 'em well-known authors. . Maybe, some of the sets are -not quite complete, but it doesn't show-in the least, and your , library presents a thoroughly up-to-date appearance; stocked with the newest works. After all, you don't, buy your books to read,, so why shouldn't we fit ■ you out with some to look at? .Of course, it would cost a fortune to fill these dozens of shelves with rare books. Our. plan of supplying them by the yard .'.works wonderfully ■tor 'fill-ups,' and all these books are readable, even ' granted they- are 'throw-outs.' . Good covers, and all that sort:of''thin<;." .. And Mr. Dobbs looked; admiringly, at the.rows of miscellaneous volumes overhead. - '•' > ,'•■ "I hopo you've thrown in somo poetry," suggested- the soap-king i timidly. . .He ' felt; shy of airing his v literary tasto before anyexpert.y "My daughter likes poetry." - "Poetry, I should just:, think sol'.'Why,' here 'are the complete works .of the rising' poet, Hamlet Blair; she can't ask 'anythingbetter than his verses, they are.;the; latest, pht.And. thp purveyor of books pointed fo. lolig line of volumes in delicately , artistic bindings (Hamlet had bargained for them to be bound in a style worthy of their contents,' as ho told himself). : ■ ' "Why, bless my soul, so there are. So you do look upon Mr. Blair as a rising man, then P, I had an idea his books didn't go. And you really think he will make a name "Make Viiame? Why, of course; he has done so already I; I .shouldn't have given, his works'a place, in 'The Towers' library if not," exclaimed Mr. Dobbs iii an injured tone. He' did 'not 'explain that'the : 'poems only ran into three volumes, and; th'afr'no less"' than" a yard, and a half of books at the top'of the' shelr were all copies of ■ "Love's-Lodestar," ' but thoy'#er6 tip up for ah^pne ! te'find it out; and they made an excellent show. It 'was aYqUestioii of filling the sHelv4s|! riot of cho.psiiig books', 'after all; and'it was riot -the'-first ■library.■'they; had' stobked 'for;on-this'.jnew principle; ' ' Y y ;. y;v':.'; v.: r ; v ' " H'm," pondered the owner .of the library ; to .himself,,"queer thing:that,. l about' Blair: I've made..;a..wfong shot,'after,all." Perliaps he'll be. Poet Laureate before, he dies;Dobbs, : wouldn't have included them'if-they- hadn't been popular; he bargained for popular books when he-contracted,-arid. J-really, forfet_ how', many yards; "TOy,'üß'sie; looks' as if her eyes : out-." : '-.'Tv'.''.;. -' ■ ' .'That' was .exactly what; that;'young- lady, had doing, but at hqr' father's ■ jbqiiest she came'in .to .ins'pe'cY the now library. v-V • . "There's one author; : represented' • you know,. at : 'any' v rate,^' said Wiggins, l''soothihi»ly, as; he pointed to where Hamlet Blair's. : dainty' stood' outbindings over the others. '. r, : v.-; ,y " Oh, papa," cried Pussie, ". why, 'cu have got "—she faltered at, the name—" ' Love's Lodestar;'" ' ■ " Yes, Dobbs says he is quite a 1 rising nan," admitted her father, " and he ought to '.know.; And, Pussie, dear,; perhaps;! was a'bit hard. on him this afternoon; ' When liis book's' : are, reckoned the', thing far lip-tb-da to library.; shelves they must'be read.; And Dobbs ,is doing jt .finely, ten. to; thirty shillings; a yard!- But you had --better';' writ« " :'ask' Blair tb ! dinner .to-morrow to' see' the i; ne\v library, and: V;And' tl at letter was soon posted!— Andrew Harlestone - ■ m "M.A.P." ■Vr ■" - '■ - ,