The Four-Masted Cat-Boat

"In introducing my book to the reader (how like a book-agent that sounds!) I wish to say that the only bond of union between the various sketches is that they were all done by the same hand-or hands, as they were written on a typewriter. Whether it would have added to their interest to have placed the same characters in each sketch is not for me to say, but it would have been a great bother to do it, and in getting up a book the thing to avoid is bother. It hasn't bothered me to write it. I hope it won't bother you to read it, for I'd hate to have you bothered on my account." C. B. L