IN THE FOG - WITH AN AUTOGRAPH LETTER TO HIS PUBLISHER, ROBERT H. RUSSELL

New York: R.H. Russell, 1901. First Edition. Best-known mystery by the Philadelphia-born novelist and journalist, "which contains three connected short stories in the style of Robert Louis Stevenson's New Arabian Nights (1882). There's a double surprise ending" (Penzler & Steinbrunner, p.117). A Queen's Quorum title, with distinguished provenance. Hubin, p.109; BAL 4537; Smith D-155. First Printing. Octavo (21cm); navy blue cloth, with titling and decorations stamped in gilt on spine, and pictorial title label within a gilt-ruled border on front cover; Blanck's state B (priority is arbitrary), with last leaf excised, and true endpapers of white laid paper at front and back; dustjacket; [6],7-155,[1]pp; with frontispiece and 15 plates of illustrations by Thomas Mitchell Peirce and F.D. Steele. Armorial bookplate (Everett) on front pastedown; some wear to spine ends, light rubbing to corners and lower board edges, with contents clean, and the gilt and pictorial elements unrubbed; Very Good+ to Near Fine. In a later (ca.1913) pictorial dustjacket, spine-sunned, showing moderate wear, dust-soil, and some scattered foxing, along with some shallow losses to spine ends, both ends of the front flap fold, and several tiny tears; Very Good. Housed in a custom half-morocco slipcase and chemise.

Tipped onto the front endpaper is a 2pp ALS on gray stock from the author to his publisher, Robert H. Russell, dated December 8, 1901 (a few weeks after publication): "My Dear Robert, I trust your sudden flight south is not going to halt your efforts toward pushing "In The Fog." I believe from the clipping I received that it has sufficient strength to carry it over the Christmas slump and I hope you will take it up on your return and pound at it. It was nobody's fault that it was not bound and ready to meet orders but it was unfortunate. I believe if you begin and advertise it again now it will run into the 50,000. I hope so anyway. I expect soon to be in New York again and between hunting for a country home, I will drop in on you, and make you sorry you ever heard of In The Fog. My best wishes to you for a Happy New Year."