Frosty Ferguson Strategist (INSCRIBED, together with a dummy copy)
New York: John Lane Company, 1913. Will Crawford. First Edition thus. 12mo; 80p; frontis and 2 other illustrations by Will Crawford. Both books are bound in red cloth titled in gold with green leaf motif and are in Very Good condition. The dummy includes the 3 illustrations and 16pp of text. Hardy, author of numerous short stories, was a member of a CA pioneer family (his grandfather was an early owner of part of the Peralta Rancho and founder of the California Historical Society and his father a prominent San Francisco attorney). He was a former editor of the California Historical Society 'Quarterly' and Secretary and Vice-President of the Bohemian Club. Together the two books tell a charming tale; the dummy's Dedication "To my wife without whose taunts and jeers this story would never have been written' is crossed out in blue pencil. Below Hardy has added 'Bless her heart! She doesn't like this, and besides it isn't true, so it'll have to be changed. LEH.' Above the cancelled dedication is written 'To Boy, who read and approved.' Charming bookplate of Lowell and Florence Hardy inside front cover; "Dummy copy" written in Hardy's hand on ffep. The included published book is, as promised, dedicated 'To Boy, who read and approved;' the author's manuscript presentation 'For the best boy in/the world from/his Daddy,/Piedmont/Feb. 21, 1914' appears on the ffep. The front pastedown bears the bookplate of 'the boy,' Lowell M. Hardy. Item #21336
Price: $100.00