THE ADVENTURES OF ROMNEY PRINGLE

LONDON: WARD, LOCK, AND CO. LTD. VERY GOOD WITHOUT D.J.. PUB 1902. FIRST EDITION. HARDCOVER. ISBN: PRINGLE WAS KIND OF A GENTLEMAN THIEF. THIS IS THE QUEEN'S QUORUM TITLE (# 30) OF LEGENDARY RARITY WHICHQUEEN HIMSELF OPINES WAS "DESTINED TO BECOME THE RAREST VOLUME OFDETECTIVE-CRIME SHORT STORIES PUBLISHED IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY." IN1951 QUEEN REPORTED: "BIBLIOPHILES AND BOOKSCOUTS HAVE SCOURED ENGLANDAND AMERICA, SEEKING IN THE MOST LIKELY AND UNLIKELY PLACES; YET AFTERNEARLY FIFTY YEARS OF EAGLE-EYED AND EXPERT EXCAVATING, THE RECORDEDCOPIES TOTAL EXACTLY SIX- NO MORE, NO LESS." THE ADRIAN GOLDSTONE COPYWHICH WAS RESOLD AT SOTHEBY'S IN DECEMBER 2000 HAS BLUE CLOTH COVEREDBOARDS. ONE WONDERS IF THERE WERE INDEED SO FEW COPIES WHY MORE THAN ONECOLOR OF CLOTH WAS USED, BUT AFTER ANOTHER 55 YEARS SINCE QUEEN MADE THEABOVE STATEMENT ONLY A FEW OTHERS SEEMED TO HAVE TURNED UP SO HISORIGINAL INFORMAL CENSUS MAY BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN EXAGERATION WHICHWAS HOW IT WAS CHARACTERIZED IN THE 1981 ADRIAN GOLDSTONE CATALOGUE. REDCLOTH COVERED BOARDS WITH GILT TITLES ON SPINE AND FRONT COVER WITHVIGNETTE IN WHITE, NOW PERISHED, ON THE FRONT COVER, WITH 4 FULL PAGEILLUSTRATIONS BY FRED PEGRAM, AND 2 PAGE CATALOGUE FOLLOWING PAGE 198.OTHER THAN A PREVIOUS OWNER'S NAME ON THE FRONT PASTE-DOWN ENDPAPER, ANORIGINAL BOOK SELLER'S STAMP "J. A. FULKERSON/ SHOAL LAKE MAN." ON THEFRONT FREE ENDPAPER, SOME TINY SPOTTING AT THE HEEL OF THE SPINE, SOMEMODEST RESTORATION TO THE SURFACE OF THE UPPER COVER TO REPAIR SOME WATERDAMAGE, SOME SCATTERED TOBACCO STAINS IN THE TEXT, AND A FEW DOG-EAREDPAGES, A VERY NICE CLEAN AND TIGHT COPY.. Keywords: QUEEN'S QUORUM, DETECTIVE STORIES, CRIME STORIES.