The Ox-Bow Incident (Inscribed, with Signed Poem Laid in)
New York: Random House, 1940. First Edition. Hard Cover with Dust Jacket. Octavo. Very Good / Very Good. Item #7531
SIGNED AND INSCRIBED THUS ON FEP: "To Marguerite Dunsmore - /The friendly antagonist - in hopes / of more such intriguing duels / Cordially / Walter V. T. Clark / December 14, 1940. TOGETHER WITH CARBON TYPSCRIPT, ONE PAGE, SIGNED, WRITTEN TO MS. DUNSMORE: "Addressed to a Counter-blade / Let us cease this fencing of intellects / This sharp following behind masks / Of the bright points moving, this parry and thrust / Of the cold metal ringing, the guard against guard to a spark, / Seeking only a tip-tear in a heart sewed on white silk. / Let us throw down the limber blades, the screens of our faces, / Into the roses tossed early for the quick-legged dance of our brains, / Rub off the powder of our hands and join them tightly, / Looking upon each other once clearly uncovered. / Are we to dread the dark fools up in the gallery shadow / Crying the 'coward' chorus, until they weary, and bundle the stairs / in overcoats? / When they are gone we will sing unbottoned blades / With our half-bodies naked in the white light / For the flower streams of our sweet blood running, / Until it may be we will kill each other beautifully." Signed, "Walter." The source of the 1943 classic film, starring Henry Fonda and Anthony Quinn. A very good copy with light soiling to the cloth binding; dust jacket with light wear to extremities - small loss at spine head.
Price: $3,500.00