The San Francisco call., 1898-05-15

crowned heads and princes, ana iaii celebrities of blemished reputalioh' ~ a tune which suggests old Aie1anoAo Dumas
 Simon Dale himself, the demure young grammarian who starts the nu- die strings. might best be descrlDeo as male "ingenu" whose innocence iS sorely tested amid the lures or Charies the Seconds notorious court. put III this instance innocence and slHPlici.y by no means go hand in hand. Slnipie simon" proves to be the longest-heaoeu Joseph that ever resisted temptations won royal favor and retired graceIulls into safe seclusion But there IS all uncanny reason for MT. Dale's sing ular fortune; the witches favored nlnl' and a village crone, well known to De in league with the devil, hailed ms birth with the prophecy that he should love where the King loved, know what the King hid, and drink of the King cup"
 To accomplish this prophecy simon must inevitably go to court; mean while his youth is enlivened by two quiet, country love affairs, which nave more bearing on the old crone's words
 
 ton, only child of the lord of the manor, grows up with Dale, and despite some disparity of station the two are un- conscious sweethearts from childhood. But Just before Barbara's departure for court as maid of honor to the Du- chess of York, a bewitching and un- scrupulous little person appears mys- teriously on the scene, laying siege Tn hor fo e.. nn' a S. ticated heart. Nothing Is known of the bewitching person save that she halls from London and calls herseI Cydarta; but Barbara Is convinced that what remains unknown Is by no means creditable. Confirmed Tn this view of the case by the sight or an ex- change of kisses in her own park, sne quits for London in high dudgeon, ana after a week more of philandering Cy- daria also goes, leaving country Simon to dream of her sweetness.
 Four years later Simon Dale Is called to court, having through some un- known agency, received commission in His Majesty's Life Guards. This Is the beginning of a prophecy. For, after fighting duel to defend his honor, Simon discovers that his honor was sorely in need of defense; his commits sion had been procured by Mistress Eleanor Gwynn, and that lady was no other than his tenderly remembered Cydaria Straightway he throws up the commission, receiving the natural reward of virtue in the form of service with the Duke of Monmouth; but the peoples Nelly is still dear to him and we have one quaintly pretty scene in which he offers the astounded Kings mistress honorable marriage and a country life.
 The guilt or innocence of Captain Drey fus bids fair to become as insoluble mystery as the identity of the Man In the Iron Mask" and interest in the ques- ton deepens more and more as the facts and circumstances, so graphically set forth in the May Atlantic by John T. Morse Jr in his review of the DreyfuS and Zola trials, are read and studied.
 Paul Lawrence Dunbar and James Whitcomb Riley are writing a negro comic opera together; the cast, 1t is said, to be composed entirely of colored people. Who Is to write the music has not yet been divulged. The idea is certainly strik- ing; if there is anything in novelty, 1t ought to succeed.
 Benjamin R. Tucker, A Gold street. New York City, sends out in small pamphlet form full report in detail of le late trial of Emile Zola before the assize court in Paris.
 A new edition of Benjamin Kidd's "So- cial Evolution," with additions and cor rections by the author, is announced for early publication by the Macmillan Com pany.