Evening star., 1925-06-10
Continued from Yesterdays star1

His new reader was soon found and
Aristide began his book 1t was a
little eXtrava ganZa-he called it
Fairy Tales for Worldly Wise''-an nd
in it he told the True Story of the
Loss of Paradise. the Last Visit to
Eden, the Real Tragedy of Eve, and
similar things. All half-gay and half.
sad. all more or less queer and fan
tastic, yet imbued with that inner and
deeper truth-la Vraie verite. as the
Goncourts Say-which has the bril-
liant reality of all unreal things. Mon
dell was not displeased; now and then
something appealed to him especially,
but even when he said Fine, fine,
he added invariably: .
DO you think it measures up to
Ioutre'?"
Aristide. who was by this time tired
and irritable, and therefore quite un.
reasonable. one day flared up:
Look here. Mondell,' he shouted,
YOU stop that. I'm fed up with
Loutre. | don't want TO hear any
thing more about him. I'm writing
You the very best stuff | can-if that
isn't sufficient. don't publish it
Mondell pacified his irate friend.
You know ! like your work he
assured him again and again. Only,
of course. I'm anxious To make some
thing really good out of it, Follow up
the first great success, YOU know. BY
the way, | haven't yet read LOutre.
Why don't you give me a COPY"
Haven't got one growled Aris'
tide.
III send to LATTE for few cop
les" suggested Monden. but Tritou
zgain became very angry.
You'll do nothing of the kind. I'll
give you the book as soon as possible.
But for the present do me the one
favor and forget 'Loutre.' | want my
new book judged on its own merits.
No comparisons. if you please. If YOU
don't accept my conditions, III stop
writing"
Peace was soon restored. Mondell
promised to leave "Loutre" alone. and
Aristide wrote another half dozen of
his fairy tales.
The illustrations by Pierre Crachee
were most delightful. Russian in col
oring. bold in outline, clever in spac-
ing. they represented quite the best
work of the rising young illustrator.
Mondell was we'll satisfied, and when
finally the manuscript was all set up
and the plates all done he gave a
luncheon to Aristide and Crachee, and
The three drank excellent wine to the
success of the new venture. At the
luncheon Mondell had suddenly an
idea.
You know, Aristide' he said Il m
going TO see Kersac tomorrow and I'll
ask him to write US an introduction
to your new book. He brought out
'Loutre' and he'll be glad to do that
for you now"
Aristide had altogether too much
wine to worry about anything or To
argue any question.
Let Loutre take care of himself.
he thought sleepily. Il can't bother
any more"
Monden went the next morning to
the offices of La Revue IlluStree. but
he did not see Kersac. The editor
was i'll. A treacherous and neglected
Spring cold had developed into pneu-
monia, and though the general public
was not yet aware of it. at the office
they all knew already that there was
no hope of kersac's recovery. The
Introduction, therefore, remained un-
written.
The new book appeared and had a
pleasant enough success. The reviews
were mostly friendly: the somewhat
conscious artistry of the charming
trif1es was praised. but in one revue
Ii was said I'VE should have expect
ed some Sterner stuff from the author
of 'Loutre' y: whereas another young
columnist began: ''All who have ad-
mired 'Loutre' will be delighted with
this new book written in the very
same vein and with the same playful
CleVerneSs." Aristide chuckled when
he read this. ITO each man his own
Loutre." he said. yet even while he
laughed he felt not quite comfortable
end somehow or other ne wished that
he had never meddled with Loutre.
Mondell was even more gratified
than Aristide with the success of
Fairy Tales for Worldly Wise" and
began at once to plan another book
that Aristide ought to write.
The author of 'Loutre, he said
must keep on working"
Aristide, who had rather looked for.
ward to a period of laziness and con
temptation, was therefore forced to
new labors, labors which he more OF
less resented and which deepened his
antagoniSm against Loutre, whose
outrageous demands for fame kept
poor Tritou at the desk while the most
superb Spring invited every idle soul
10 loafing and dreaming. More than