Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-10-10
aeFN o YOU MEAN TO say, Countess,
nv that

IL mas AL peen qulue buIlhldc-
torily attended to through Mr.. Poopen-
dyke" she said. "Ho consulted me be-
fore definitely engaging any one, Mr..
Smart, and referred him to my law
yers in Vienna. do hope Hawkins and
Blatchford and Henri, the chef, are
quito satisfactory to you. They were
recently employed by some one in the
British embassy att
"Pray rest easy, Countess" I man
aged to say, interrupting out of con.
alteration for Hawkes. and Blatchford,
who, I thought, might feel uncomfort.
able at hearing themselves discussed so
impersonally. Everything is most sat
isfactory, / did not realize that had
you to thank for my present mental
and astronomical comfort, You have
surrounded me with diadoms."
Hawkes. and blatchford very gravely
and in unison said; "Thank you, sir. "
"And now let US talk about some.
thing else" she said complacontly, as
il the project of getting the rest of her
family into the castle were already off
her mind. al cam tell you how much
enjoyed your last book, Mr.. Smart,
II 10 so exciting. Why do you call 1t
'Tho Fairest Of tho Fair'3"
"Becauso my publisher insisted on
substituting that title for the ono ]
had chosen myself III admit that II
doesn't fit tho story, my dear Coun-
tess, but what Is an author to do when
his publisher announces that he has
a beautiful head Of girl ho wants
10 put on the cover and that the title
must fit the cover, so to speak4"
"But don I consider II a beautiful
head, Mr.. Smart A very flashy blonde
with all the carmarks Of having posed
in tho chorus between tho days when
shc posed for your artist. And your
heroine has very dark hair in the book.
Why did they mako her blonde on the
covert"
fBocausc they didn't happen TO have
anything but blonde pictures in stock, +"
said ], choerfully, "a little thing like
that doesn't matter, when II comes 10
literature, my dear Countess u ism
the hair that counts. IT'S the hat"
"But l should think II would con-
fuso tho reader" sho insisted. "Thc
last picture In tho book has her with
inky black hair, whllo In oil tho others
she is quito blonde"
"A ronlly intelligent reader docsn 7
have to be told that tho artist changed
his model before ho got to tho last pic.
turo,n said /, and am quito conf.
dent sho didn't hcar me gratc my teeth.
"But tho critics must have noticed
tho error and commented upon II. "
'fMy dear Countess, the critics never
poo the last picture In book. They
arc much too clcvor for that"
Hho pondorod. al suppose they must
got horribly sick Of all the books they
havo TO read.
"And they never havo chance to
experience tho delicious period Of CON
valcscencc that persons with loss
chronic Affections have to look for
ward TO-" said I, very gently. "Thoy
70 from one disease 70 another poor
chaps
al oneo know an author at Newport
who said no hated every critic ON
Garth" pho said.
al should think no might" said !,
without hesitation. 10 was not until
the next afternoon that she got the full
hgnificanco Ct tho remark
Az never encourage any one who
seeks 10 discuss my stories with me,
being modest chap with taw IN
my vanity, she abandoned the subject
after a few Intellectual attempts "a
find out how get my plots, how ]
write my books, and how / keep from
losing my mind,
"would you be entertained by real
mysleryip she asked, leaning toward
me with CLEAN Of excitement In hel
eyes. Very promptly ! said l SHOULD
be- We were having our coffee
Hawkes. and Blatehford had left th'