The Monitor., 1892-04-22
NOT A BAD DEAL.

The little volume of verses entitle,
TO Lalage" made quite a stir in tn
literary world. One critic of note sal,
that it was instinct with classic grace
another that it was informed by tn
true spirit of Hellas; a third that it ha,
Whit of Hymettus; a fourth that i
was hardly suitable for family reading
and, on the strength of al this lauda
ton, ITO Lalage" was a success, ant
several copies We're bona fide sold tx
complete strangers. Imagine, then, the
bitterness of heart with which Adrian
Pottles, the gifted author, saw himself
compelled to maintain strict anonymity
and to conceal from world thirstine
to know him that he was the "a. P.
whose initials appeared in Old English
letters on the title page. Yet he did
not hesitate; for he knew that if his
uncle, Mr.. Thomas Pottles, of Clapham
Common, discovered that he wrote not
only verses, which was bad, but anna
tory verses, which was atrocious, his
means of present livelihood and pros
poets of future aff1uence would vanish
into thin air.
For Mr.. Pottles was a man of strict
views, and whether one regarded this
world or the next there could be no
question that bank clerk of evangel-
ical connections committed grave fault
in writing love poems. So poor Adrian
had to make up his mind to remain un-
known, and to hold his tongue even
when he heard that another man had
been claiming the authorship of ''To
Lalage." Luckily, perhaps, he failed to
find out who this miscreant was, or prob
ably his indignation would have over
come his prudence, and he would at any
cost have claimed his own. The secret
was well kept, and Adrian received the
usual check at Christmas time, and with
it the usual invitation to spend the festive
season with his uncle and to bring with
him his young friend, Peter Allison, to
whom old Mr.. Pottles had taken great
fancy. Peter was man of many en-
gagements, but, sought after as he was
and proclaimed himself to be, he re-
membered the good cheer at Mr.. Pot
ties, and accepted the invitation. They
went down together, Adrian bewail-
ing his hard fortune and denouncing
the impostor, Peter warmly sympathiz-
ing, but counseling continued silence
and prudence.
''Ah, if could only claim it.'' cried
Adrian, opening his Gladstone bag and
gazing fondly at half a dozen neat, clean
copies of ITO Lalage." Il should be
the lion of the season, Peter"
Peter smiled and shook his head. "A
fortune is better than fame, Adrian"
said he.
For day or two all went well at
Clapham. The old gentleman was in
the best of temper, and the two young
men did their best to keep him in it, in
dorsing all his views as to the lax moral
ity and disgraeeful tone which pervaded
modern literature and modern society
and when they had done their duty in
this way they rewarded themselves by
going in next door and having tea with
Dora Chatterton, a young lady whom
they both thought charming.
Indeed, Adrian thought her so charm
ing that after a short acquaintance he
sent her copy of ITO Lalage," with the
authors kind regards. Now, Miss Dora
Chatterton adored genius. She had
thought both Adrian and Peter very
pleasant young men; she had perceived
that they both thought her very pleas
ant young woman, and she had been
rather puzzled to know which of them
she would, in a certain event, make up
her mind to prefer. ''To Lalage'' set
tied the question. It was the gifted
author, A. P, who deserved her love,
and A. P. obviously stood, not for Peter
Allison, but for Adrian Pottles.
The very next morning she called early
at Mr.. Pottles'. She found him alone
The boys, he explained, had gone for a
walk. Dora was disappointed; but, fail
ing the author himself, she was content
to pour her praises into the ears of an
appreciative and proud uncle. She did
SO, expressing immense admiration for
Adrian's nodesty in not having told Mr..
Pottles of his achievement
''Humph!' said Mr.. Pottles; 'let me
see these-er-things.
The effect of '.To Lalage'' on Mr.. Pot
ties was surprising, and particularly SO
to Dora. In less than ten minutes she
found herself being shown the door and
intrusted with a letter to her mother in
which Mr. Pottles stated that she had
been reading wicked books and ought in
his opinion to be sent to her own room
for an indefinite period
And shall know if you don't give it
to her." said Mr.. Pottles yiciously
Thus it happened that Adrian and
Peter, as they were returning, met poor
Dora on the steps with this horrid note
in one hand and her pocket handkerchief
in the other; for Mrs. Chatterton shared
Mr.. Politics. views and Dora did not en-
Joy having to deliver the note. They
were just Fastening up to speak to her,
when Mr.. Pottles himself appeared Oh
the steps holding out "To Lalage" in
his hand. Adrian grasped the situation.
For heavens sake, Peter" he whis-
pered, "say you wrote the beastly thing;
I'm ruined if you don't"
''Eh? But he'll kick Inc out"
.sFll stand pony"
Two" said Peter firmly.
well, two; but be quick"
Then Peter spoke up like man and
accepted the blame of ''To Lalage."
"But your initials aren't A. P.," OBJ
jected Mr.. Pottles.
To avoid suspicion reversed the Or
der; mine is p. A."
James," said Mr.. Pottles to the foot
man, pack Mr.. Allison's bag"
But Dora gave Peter the kindest and
most admiring glance as she murmured
A l.