Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-03-08

heap of the same book, and on asking
the clerk how this book was selling hi
answered. Like hot cakes" Driving
home, I saw it we'll in evidence at va
rious bookshops. 1t was evidently big
success, and wondered rather envious
| ly how Ross had managed to obtain this
for SO very worthless production.
had purchased copy at Victoria, ant
looking over it in the cab had had my
first opinion of it confirmed 1t was
wretched piece Of work, and, moreover,
disgraoefully produced, badly printed O,
cheap paper and SO carelessly bound
that long ere reached my lodgings il
had come to pieces in my hand.
However has he managed it,"
cried as I remembered the very small
sales that my books, on which / had
spent SO much time and trouble, and
which had been published by some Of
the first houses in London, had reached.
The mystery was solved to me as |
looked over the pile of letters which had
collected during my absence. Among
these was a thin post card, addressed
in an unfamiliar hand, upon which was
written the following communication:
DEAR S1R-A sincere friend considers it his
duty to point out to you that you are cruelty
and scandalously libeled in miserable shil-
ling book called "a Disgrace to Society,"" pub
lished by Messrs. Anderson 6 Maitland. You
owe it both to yourself and to your friends to
take measures to put stop to the circulation
Of these falsehoods about you
A TRUE WELL WlsHER.
Now, as soon as had read this, hay
ing in the meanwhile forgotten all about
Ross and his book, my first impulse was
to rush out to the nearest bookstall and
to ask for copy Of the work referred
to- Then suddenly it flashed across my
mind that had the book in my pocket,
and remembering what l had seen at
Ross rooms I began to understand the
advertising scheme of which he had
spoken SO sanguinely, and which, ac-
cording to what l had seen and my
own impulse at the moment, had read
the post card, seemed decidedly an ef-
fectual one.
l happened to meet Ross that same
evening just as he was alighting from
hanson outside a fashionable Regent
street cafe. As soon as he saw me he
rushed up and cried out: "What did I
tell you, old chap? Is it success, or is
it not? We are printing the sixtieth to
SEVENTEEN thousand at this moment. -
II suppose it is to you owe this
highly interesting missive?" l said,
holding out the post card that / had re-
ceived.
Ross glanced at it, and turning rather
red said: IT didn It know that your name
was in the directory, or l would have
given instructions that you were not to
be written to- Not that it matters much
now that the success of tho book is as
sured. Well. yes, that was the idea, and
famously it has worked, as you have
seen. We sent cards to everybody in tho
Who's Who, in the clergy list, in the
court section of the London directory
and in the law list. Of course everybody
who received a card Immediately rushed
off to the nearest bookseller to get the
book and to find out how it referred to
him. You see, everybody has more or
less Of a skeleton in his cupboard, and
there you are, don't you know. A fresh
batch of post cards is going out tonight
Tell me, what do you think of the
idea?"
II don't know" said "It's origi-
nal certainly. Perhaps on the point Of
tasto'-
ooh, taste be hanged!" cried Ross
Money is the thing to be got, and mon
ey am getting. That wretched little
book which l dashed off on my type
writer in fortnight has already brought
me in over e400, and ! wouldn't sell
my interest in it at present for twice as
much again. And then look what start
it gives me as literary fellow. Won't
the publishers be after me soon, Ross,
the author of the book which, without
being advertised or reviewed in the pa
pers, ran through over 100 editions in
six weeks? tell you my fortune is
made, thanks to that happy thought Of
mine. /"
said nothing and shortly afterward
quilted him.
His sanguine hopes were not destined
to realization, by curious example Of
the irony Of fate. On the very next day
after had met him suit for libel was
commenced against him by clergyman
in the north Of England named Burrell,
who, having his attention called to a
libel ON him in the form Of story in
which the names were so thinly dis
guised as to be recognizable by any one
Of his acquaintance, and seeing i'll the
story malicious and grossly exagger-
ated version Of certain circumstances
which had occurred in his family, in
structed his solicitor to commence pro
oeedings. While these were pending the
publishers, to reduce their responsibility
to the lowest degree possible, suspended
the sale Of the book, in spite Of the fact
that the demand for copies increased
daily. Very heavy damages were claim
ed by the plaintiff. The affair was,
however, settled out Of court, settle
ment which left Ross considerably out
of pocket by his first and last literary
venture.
II never heard Of this fellow Burrell
in my life," he told me mournfully.
1.-THE story, such as it was, came out of
my head. But of course I couldn't go
into court and give myself away. The
laugh would have been against me.
And SO no doubt it would have been.