The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-26
A BOHEMIAN ROMANCE.

IlTn OF anu
Lane was exceedingly anxious to OBJ
tain a book manuscript from the popu-
lar young author, Eusebius Smith.
Young Smith had gone up like rock
| ct, so to speak, and was now scintillat-
ing broadcast in the armament with no
apparent exhaustion of pyrotechnics,
nor intention of returning darkly to
earth, after the manner of the proverb-
ial stick He had sprung into "imme-
date and gratifying popularity
cording to the reviewers, upon the pub
LEGATION of his first volume. THE Wings
of Salt, and was, therefore, a typical
modern man of letters, worshiped by
all femininity with a kind of Hobson-
ian hysteria- and surreptitiously envied
by every man jack of his own sex, and
particularly of his own profession.
To announce a new volume by Fuse
bus Smith. Lansing and Lane per-
ceived, would be the browning achieve
publisher. 1t would be the talk of the
book-world. heralded and advertised
far and near. The sales would imme-
diately advance by overlapping thou
sands towards the phenomenal, and all
the literary and trade journals would
be describing the clangor, by day and
by night, of multiplied lightning presses
upon the tons of white paper flowing
into Eusebius Smiths new book. That
Mr.. Smith already had a book manu-
script on the eve of completion, all
the literary gossips averred. The inter-
esting question was, what publisher
Presumably the ChapweIIs. said ev-
erybody. The Chapwells had publish
ed Mr. Smiths two former volumes, and
pushed them, or at least steered them,
to enormous sales. But popular men
Of letters are freaky. You can't depend
on them, especially if they are young.
Variety is the spice of life, even in the
matter of publishers. and though an
author has been well served, he is new
er quite sure that he may not be served
better by another agent. So, while the
ChapweIIs were rubbing their hands
with mingled expectation and nervous
ness, the other publishers were guard
eddy putting their best foot forward. in
the customary approaches to the liter
airy lion of the day.
Mr.. E,usebius Smith compIacently
allowed himself to be wined and dined,
went to ride with the ladies of rich
publishers families, tried the shooting
on various choice preserves, and, in
fact, accepted all the delicate courte-
sizes extended him in a manner as affa-
bly, unconscious as that which marked
the profer of them.
But in the meantime he was debat-
ing The Messrs- ChSpwells had treated
him fairly enough in the matter of
royalties on his first two volumes, and
had made him a handsome cash offer
for the third-but there were others.
Richards had made him a better cash
offer by 500 dollars. Orchards bah)
Lansing and Lane produced much bet
ter looking books than the Chapwells-
real works of art. externally, whereas
the GnapWellS' DOCKS were mere DOCKS
OF paper and pastebOard-clay paper at
that. But Lansing and Lane were
chary of advertising, and Indifferent
about pushing a book. Furthermore.
they had fallen out of touch with the
booksellers, having refused to allow the
latter the customary undertaking privi-
lege. Lansing and Lane provided
choice, select books for the select few
books of literary flavor, without liter
airy substance, the cream-puffs of liter
ture Their books were VIGOROUSLY un-
salable. and were commonly printed
from type in editions of go, half of
which found their way to parlor tables
and the luxurious dens of literary men
of leisure. and the other half to the
omnivorous junk bag. No. it would ne
suicidal to give the new manuscript TO
Lansing and Lane. Even his own pop
ularity, modestly reflected Mr.. Smith.
would scarcely float a book having
their imprint.
Still, there was an undeniabla fas-
cination in looking over the new issues
of this firm, each one a unique model
of dainty Notwithstanding. 1t was gen
compete with Lansing and Lane in re-
spect of artistic book-making-
Eusebius Smith had to drop in at
their offices every few days, in spite of
himself, to see what new delight for
the eye and the touch was on the point
of coming out. This tendency on his
part was, of course, warmly encour-
aged by both Mr.. Lansing and Mr..
Lane, and the Observation-Disclosures easy
chair, looking westward through the
vista of small rooms occupied by the
firm, was always waiting for him, with
the latest publications arranged on a
stand near by.
Lansing and Lane were distinctively
English in their tastes and surround
ings. Their offices consisted of a suite
of small, low rooms, upstairs. opening
directly into each other from east to
west, and furnished den fashion,"
which, as the reader well knows. i'm
niles cOIIChPS- heavy hanOinPS
-bracs. and the like, bathed in a
rich. wine-like glow of intercepted sun
light.
As one sat in the big, leather-covered
chair of the ''den,'' looking westward
through the several rooms, there was
one window, at the end of all, left I'M
curtained; and on bright afternoons
the sun always poured through this
west window in a flood of glory. Fuse
bus Smith, 1ounging in the big chair,
could not help seeing, day after day,
certain patch of brighter gold in the
midst of the sunlight 1t was wom-
ans shining head, always with the face
turned away from him, bending over
some absorbing work, behind a sort
of counter that concealed oil of the fair
toiler but her head and neck
At first, the young author was aware
of this patch of gold merely in a sort
of sub-cOnsciOus fashiOn-pleasing, but
not mentally notable. Then. one day,
he discovered it as material for a pass
ing thought-recOgniZed it as girls
head. crowned with remarkably fine,
abundant, shining hair, cOiled like a
COrOnal.
The next time he dropped in and saw
it, he wondered who this girl might be
what she might be doing. always bend
ing so absorbedly over her hidden task.
Then. later on, a strange curiosity
seized him, to get a glimpse of her pro-
file to see if she were beautiful. He
would often lie back, and peer over the
top of a book, hoping that the magne-
tism of his fixed gaze might cause the
unknown divinity to turn her golden
head. ever so little. and reveal the in
visible features But the patient work
.