The times., 1899-10-22
Minor Fiction.

Arms and the Woman by Harold Mac
Grath, is a story Of princess. or rather
two princesses, and two Americans, told
in style which is little like that of An
thony Hope, though the time is the pres
ent and the atmosphere that of reality in
stead Of that haIf-shadowy faiTyland in
which the Prisoner of Zenda" moved The
heOrine. Princess IIildegarde, is a charm
ing woman, though slightly indefinite at
times, and the hero is rather conveutionsliy
brave and manly. The man who takes the
strongest hold upon ones fancy is Dan
Hillars, the London correspondent of an
American newspaper, who first falls in love
with Hildegarde. and is placed by her In
a somewhat extraordinary situation. An
other admirably drawn character is the
princess intended husband, Prince Ernst,
finished OLD proflgate, from whom
she is, of course, rescued in due
time There are two or three stirring
chapters, notably that in which the
princess fights duel for the sake of
her lover. and that in which her lover
finds out that there are two princesses in
stead of one, and that owing to this fact
Hildegarde may yet be his. The plot is
somewhat intricate but not distressingly
So New York Doubleday & Mcclure
Company $1.25)
THE Heiress of the Season" is a new
novel by Sir William Magnay Bart, author
of The Pride Of Life" and some other
books. People who like 10 read books writ
ten by a titled person will enjoy this,
and those who care nothing for that addi-
tion to the title-page will have the satisfac-
tion Of discovering that q man can write
a very passable story and also be baroneJ
The story concerns the adventures of a
spirited and beautiful young girl, daughter
of quiet country squire, who, owing to
the sudden acquisition OF fortune, be-
comes the heiress of the season. and re-
news her acquaintance with brilliant
young political leader named CharleToy
whom she has met very informally at home
A pretty lOve-story Immediately begins
complicated by various political and social
intrigues not of a very weighty kind, but
deep enough TO be interesting. There arc
accurate and vivid pictures of Lcndon
society. with its well-knoWn habitues, ana
most of these folk contrast fOTcibly with
the charming, spirited freshness Of the
heroine and the real vigor of character
possessed by Charleroy 1t is a good book
for an idle hour on a rainy day or a rail-
way train. (New York: d. Appleton Co
$1,000
DIOHySluS the " eaNCT Heart 6 Dear
est" is the somewhat elaborate title of
Blanche Willis Howards last book. Like
Seven on the Highway, it is a story Of
life on the Continent, the scene being laid
in the land between the Danube and the
Neckar, in the hamlet of Hexenfels, in
the bleak hill country known as the Rough
Alp. VrCni Lindl the heroine is a child
OF the mountains, straightforward
willful, wayward and delightful
developing into strong and beau
tiful woman. In this story the
author shows the same independence of
thought and purity Of motive which was
evident in what is perhaps her best work.
The Open Door The quaint mountain
dialect is reproduced in a way which adds
an indescribable charm to the story. The
pcstman. "Tiber,' is in some ways a rep
etition Of Bernhard Dietz, the bg-hearted.
big-souled stonecutter of the earlier book
But there is nobody like Vroni in any
book, either by this author or another. She
is unique, and she is the kind of character
who could have been created only by a
woman novelist. CNew York: Charles
Scribner's Sons. S1-50s)