The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-08

| Header" was published, in which one O
 the Paragraphs spirited young mel quoted people who have been led by sen | sational romances into acts of folly ant 1 warned parents against the so-calle'
 "society fiction" Next morning lettel signed " Fair Play" appeared, in whcf the writer laid himself out to prove thai "A Sturdy Briton" was an unspeakablt i idiot From that moment the fun be- came fast and furious, and the "horrorS of fiction" became the topic of the day and were discussed wherever two ol three lovely people gathered together Talbot was furious. He was unpardon- ably rude to interviewers, and was not ! even decently grateful when they de scribed him as handsome and rising young barrister."
 I was quite annoyed with him. "Will nothing satisfy you?" I asked. Here are a number of young fellows telling lies about you gratuitously, your photo graph is in the Daily Graphic, and yet you growl Pull yourself together, man, and tackle your briefs. Many man with less luck than this has reached the wool sack and slept there for years" Suddenly the case took new turn. Mysterious messages began to appear in the agony" column of the Standard, the first of which ram "T., can you ever forgive me? Dolly" Talbot of course insisted on reply and advertised: Know of nothing to forgive. Come back dear est-T" Two days later, one ran: T am broken hearted and long to see you. Your own Dolly" And Talbot adver- tised an affectionate equally insane re- ply.
 Then this message appeared: T have been very wicked and extravagant. Am ashamed to tell my debts. Dolly" Here was the money question cropping up again. I asked Talbot what 1t meant.
 Nothing" he said. with a goodhu- mored smile. Tt appears she owes q milliner's bill. It certainly rather warm one. but nothing to worry about If that's the cause of the trouble I'll set her dear little mind at rest, He wrote out an advertisement for the Standard and looked happier than he had done for weeks, though I felt con- fident that there was more in it than milliner's bill.
 In the meantime an enterprising jour- nalist had been watching the agony column, and, putting two and two to- gether in his mind guessed it was the celebrated Lady Dolly case and pub lished a long and speculative account of it, reproducing all the advertisements and giving his readers to understand all the trouble had arisen about mllli- ner's bill.
 
 One morning I went around to Tal- bots place to breakfast, and was startl- ed to hear voices in the dining-room. pushed the door open and walked in. There was Talbot seated at breakfast with look of radiant bashfulness on his face and opposite him--his wife, Lady Dolly. She received me as calm ly and naturally as if nothing had hap pened, and asked me to join them, which I did in silent wonder.
 When did you arrive?" I managed to say at last, with tolerable compos- ure
 Quite late last night" she said, with a charming smile. And, do you know, I was dead tired. It was such a nasty, long journey"
 q tried to make an intelligent remark but failed.
 "Who is going to tell him?" asked Talbot
 You tell him." said Lady Dolly; "but, of course, it is in strict confidence. You won't tell anybody, will you?"
 I pledged my word and begged her to proceed, because I knew she intended to tell the story herself.
 You see, dear old Talbot has written a book,' she began, with a proud glance at the brainy man, who looked half-inclned to crawl under the table, "and it struck me that if disappeared just as the girl in the book does, and left it lying open, so that everybody should know why I disappeared, it would be a lovely advertisement for it. would know I was the wife of the author, and I did not dare to tell Talbot, for fear he'd object. The dear old goose hasn't any head for business, you know. Of course I was awfully cut up when I thought how worried he would be about it, but, after all, little | worry doesn't matter much, does it? l Fancy, they have sold 50,OO0 copies al- ready. Isn't it. splendid?"
 Fifty thousand copies?" I echoed. | weakly, looking at her pretty baby face | n amazement.
 Yes and wasn't it a,good idea writ ng that letter signed, "A Sturdy Briton' md counteracting 1t next day by one 'igned' Fair Play?' Of course adver- ising in the agony column kept the in- crest up and comforted Talbot, too" "It is a queer thing, Cliff" said Tal- ,ot, but I've had more briefs in the ast three weeks than I've ever had in ny life. I do believe this mad escapadc if Dollys has been the making of me"