The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-26

Like the little boy who, when he had
finished drawing, wrote underneath, This
is a Horse" the author of this book should
have written on the title page, This is
Novel," However, perhaps that was I'M
necessary, as nowadays everything IN liter
allure which is nothing else is novel, and
by the same token many things that are
nothing. One would like to know why the
book was called 1.-The Tragedy of the Ages"
1t would have read as well by any other
name, and any other would have been as
apt and appropriate. But the author was
no worse off for a name than she was for a
plot for a story or skill in telling it. 1t
reads as if she had been told in d dream
that she must write a story and had set
about obeying the command without know
ing how to begin, how to proceed, or how
to quit. The story opens on "a bright spring
morning when nature was bursting forth
into new life and beauty" On this partic
ular morning, when Nature, with capital
N, was doing this, Captain Tim Ragg was
busting the rooms in a fine house at Fair
Harbor, near the sea. Captain Ragg was
product of the coast, old and weather.
beaten. and he must have been a bad man
in his time, for in the course of a few
pages of soliloquizing narrative he uses
repeatedly such expressions as "Golly,"
oaths common among seafaring men. He
was lifelong friend and sort of factotum
of John Wetherton, the owner of the fine
house whose rooms the captain was dust
ing. Mr. Wetherton is the hero of the
story. I'D is a bachelor and very wealthy.
Everybody that lived in Fair Harbor was
either very wealthy very aristOcratic.
Mr.. Wetherton was of humble birth, but
ne had become very rich and this made
MN a very acceptable person in Fair Har-
Dor lie was abroad great deal, and was
coming now to spend a little time in his
fine house, which had a magnificent hail.
a broad, easy staircase of richly carved
oak, etc. The rooms had rich mosaic
floors, and as Mr.. Wetherton passed up
stairs the light from a narrow jeweled
window at one side threw over it such
drapery of rich glowing colors as to affect
his fancy with touch of romance Glanc--
ing around he saw that the coverings had
peen removed from the furniture, as he had
ordered, but beyond this he took no notice
OF the lovely things OF fabulous price which
with an air of luxurious negligee,"
Ihere Is a great deal of this
sort OF graphic writing in the de-
Yelopment of Mr.. Wetherton's character.
But the most interesting thing about the
nero, next to his wealth. is his figure. He
must have been very handsome man, for
the reader is continually reminded of his
manly figure, his fine physique, his noble
proportions, his imposing presence etc.
Presently mysterious young widow, or
supposed widow. Mrs. RennselI drops into
the story. She comes from Europe to teach
French in Fair Harbor 1t comes out later
tilt@t HCi ldlliCi WdS a. ITCH southern PLANTER
who went to Europe to study art as so
many rich Southern planters do. There she
had married a great American artist who.
half insane and half worthless, had de-
serted her. So she came direct to Fair Har-
Dor to teach French. She is mysterious,
beautiful, graceful and bewitching. Every
thing she does is out of the ordinary her
walk, her pose, her speech. her
piano playing, her manners. the hang
or her garments. are all remark
able She does not become pale like
other persons. but deadly pallor GER
spreads her countenance. She does not blush
IN an ordinary way, but when she encoun-
tered his deep, serious gaze a quick, GRIM
and neck" She has a hard time getting pu-
pills and nearly Starves. In her extremity
she writes an article on Divorce" and
sends II 10 a magazine. In due time ii is
accepted, as such articles always are by
magazines. and she receives check for
thirty dollars. AT once she sees the way
open 70 fame and riches. OF course Wether-
ton falls in love with her. His fine figure
1. her husband To be still living she discour-
ages his attentions and rejects his proposal
of marriage The loVe-making scenes be-
tween them are very interesting because
they are so entirely unlike any that ever
occurred. The house she occupies is owned
by Mr.. Van Holland-a rich resident of Fair
Harhor. There is sad mystery in his life
which is finally solved by the discovery
that the gifted and worthless artist who
had married and deserted Mrs. Rennseil
lost brother-in-law OF the supposed widow
! The artist is not dead but tramps the earth
and naunts the house Mrs Rennsell occu-
| pies, to the great terror Of herself and maid.
and the scandal of the neighborhood. Mr.
Wetherton, during his last visit TO Europe.
has become the owner Of magnificent
painting which when he briggs il home
is talked about all over the United States