Edward Salisbury Field

Young millionaire is sitting behind the wheel, waiting for a friend who's dashed into the druggist's with a speck of dust in his eye. Glorious young woman approaches, mistakes his $11,000 foreign import for a car-for-hire. Subterfuge, exposure, reconciliation, romance.

[from review in The San Francisco Call May 29 1910]

By the use of wide margins, decorated thick paper and large print, "Cupid's Understudy," by Edward Salisbury Field, is made to look like a real book. The dainty little tale, however, is well worth preserving in book covers, for, like other light little stories by this clever young author, they amuse and interest for more than one hurried reading.

This newest charming little tale is all about the dearest American that ever was, who only brags about two things, "Dad and California." He was typical, and has struck it rich by a fluke, so his girl went to Paris to be educated. When we meet her she is returning and Dad goes out from Santa Barbara to New York to meet her. They have seven millions and a private car and it's difficult to realize that they could still be the real, sweet, unaffected people they are -- it's hardly human.

Of course, the inevitable man appears. He has appeared on the steamer coming over and he goes to California with them. They both fall head over heels in love and Dad is pleased. The young man has a mother and as soon as they arrive he goes to hunt her up to have her call on his lady love. Then the troubles begin. It is just too much fun to watch the smoothing out of all the difficulties, for it looks for a time like a hopeless mess. The story fills a happy half hour and every reader is the author's good friend.

[from ad in the Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct 1911] A continuous laugh from start to finish. Better than any show in town.

By Edward Salisbury Field, author of "A Six Cylinder Courtship."

Complications think and fast arise from Mr. Belt's [sic] kindly desire to comply with his sister's request to purchase a pair of purple stockings. Hearts are endangered and lives very nearly wrecked, but in the end everything turns out to the reader's satisfaction.

The Purple Stockings The year's best light story. Handsomely produced with illustrations in color.

[from review in the San Francisco Call and Post, 13 Nov 1910] Few writers of the day have such complete mastery of comedy as Edward Salisbury Field. His short stories have been the delight of magazine readers for several years, and it is a pleasure to find one within the cover of a book. "The Sapphire Bracelet" is scarcely the length of half an average novel of the day, but longer than the average magazine short story, and we close the book on the last page of it with the keenest regret that the tale is done.

If a young girl at the summer resort walks out to her own particular pet retreat and finds a young man asleep in her very own hammock you wouldn't blame her if she was quite put out, now, would you? And if after shaking the hammock until he awakened she found he was amusing to talk with you couldn't blame her, either, could you? To make an excuse for conversation the young lady pretends that she thinks he is a detective she has sent for to find a sapphire bracelet which she describes as having been stolen from her. He, to prolong the conversation, pretends to be the detective, and gets an accurate description for the bracelet before they part. When we learn that the bracelet described is a real one being worn by another guest at the summer resort, and she as suspicious-looking character, we may know there are going to be complications -- and there are. It is all told in the lightest, gayest fashion possible. There is not one jarring note in the whole pleasing little comedy.

The book is daintily bound and printed on decorated pages and contains some good illustrations by Will Grefé.