The San Francisco call., 1906-10-24

only notice which Oliver Herford
has taken Of the ludicrous re-
port published by New York
paper to the effect that he and
his wife. who were married only last
winter. were about to separate, has
been to authorize an American press
agency to publish a specific denial of
the story. for which he declares there
is not the slightest foundation in fact
Ordinarily there are few people
whom it is harder to get angry than
the whimsical author of THE Bashful
Earthquake" but Indignation is a mild
word to use in describing the feelings
of both Mr.. Herford and his wife, who
are living happily in London. at present,
over the baseless and cruel report as
to a supposed disagreement between
them
Not only are my wife and l on the
best of terms" said Mr. Herford today,
in authorizing me to print detailed
refutation of the statements which
have been made, but the first inkling
which we had that anything to the
contrary had been given publicity was
when the American post recently
brought US copies of the scurrilous
story printed in New York. This
story, which alleged that we had found
each others wit too keen for every
day life, has since been copied. in part,
by Manchester journal. and / propose
to take immediate action for libel
against that periodical, and to institute
legal proceedings against the New York
newspaper which first printed the fab
rication as soon as get back to Amer
ica."
Like her husband-who, though
most of his reputation has been made
in the United states. is an American
only by adoption-Mrs. Oliver Herford
is a British product. Previous to her
marriage she was Miss Margaret Re-
gan, the daughter of Thomas Regan,
a wealthy resident of London, who,
prior tos his retirement several years
ago, was prominent surgeon dentist
of Manchester. incidentally. Mrs. Her
ford has been for many years one of
the most intimate friends of Cecilia
Lotus, and it was in fact as the guest
of that popular actress that the former
Miss Regan paid her first visit to the
United States some three years ago.
1t was during her second visit to
America that she and Oliver Herford
met, and after a short courtship they
were married quietly at Miss LOTUS
fat in New York. Elwyn Barron, who
has written several successful novels
and plays, being the best man. Witty
and charming in manner, Mrs. Her
ford's talents run in much the same
direction as those of her husband, much
of her time before her marriage having
been devoted to story writing. several
smartly written tales from her pen
having appeared in various London
periodicals.
Nothing could be further from the
TRUTH Oliver Herford said to me,
than to say that my wife and
are unhappy, let alone being on the
I
trary. since I joined her in London
toward the end of May last. ] doubt
if we have been apart at any time for
more than two hours, and with the
exception of short visits in each others
company to one or two country houses,
we have been living, as we are at
present, at the home of my wife's
father in Mazda Vale. After our ar
rival in New York we will set UP
housekeeping in Washington Place,
where we have taken fiat which we
shall occupy probably for the entire
winter.
my wife" continued Herford,
sailed from Kew York for England
early in April last, having received
number of invitations from friends in
this country. and II was my original
intentionsto come with her. but a guam
tity of work over new book of mine.
PEELED me to stay on. I attend per-
sonally to the smallest details in con-
nection with my books. even to choos-
ing the type and deciding on the size
and shape of the volume and making
the cover designs. and all this takes
quite a good deal OF time
So. Herford went on, lit was nearly
the end of May before ! actually got
away; but in the meantime my wife
and ] exchanged messages BIZ cable
almost every day, and it was in fact in
response TO an especially pressing one
urging me not to delay my sailing any
longer, that ! hurriedly packed some
what earlier. than ] had expected and
took the first steamer for this side of
the water Mrs. Herford met me at
the station and we went at once to
her fathers house, and as | have said
we have been living there quietly since
without the slightest idea that so