Library edition. by MARTINDALE (L.)

The Family Story-teller. The Down Park Mystery. By the Author of “A Miser’s Heiress,” “My Lady Kate,” &c. London, William Stevens, Limited, 23 & 24, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, W.C., N.D. [September, 1908]. Demy 8vo; pp.[iv]+152; diagonally fine-ribbed dark green cloth, ruled and blocked black, blocked gilt, lettered black, gilt, and embossed dark green-through-black on front cover, uplettered gilt on spine (title only); text-paper end-papers. Slight marking of covers, otherwise a fine copy. Very scarce. Issued as No.207 of ‘The Family Story-Teller’ series, in cloth as here, or in wrappers, sewed, at 6d. The front cover is lettered with the title, the series name, and the words “A New Novel”. The name of the author does not appear either on the covers or the title-page, but is printed at the end of the text. We have never previously come across a Library issue of the Family Story-Teller, and certainly no example of the series in such large format. This is, however, a very late example, and it seems probable that the format may have changed. Earlier titles in the series were published likewise both in wrappers and in cloth, but without the designation ‘Library Edition’ on the cloth issue, in a small cr.8vo format, and priced at 1s. and 1s. 6d. respectively. Not in Hubin, Wolff, or Sadleir. All books listed by Robert Temple are first editions unless otherwise stated.