The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-29

mat he does not belong to the ranks of
the rich, because in that case he would
not be at the same hotel with the some
what shabby genteel family of Leete.
Neither do they know whether he is
gambler, confidence man, barkeeper,
or merely youth of poor but honest cir
cumstances. This seems a little curious
in view of the insstent worldliness of
Mrs. Leete. During temporary absence
of Mr. Shepard in the North the next de-
velopment occurs. Mrs. Leete manages
to persuade her daughter to marry rich
SpaniardE fabulousiy rich-with so much
money that he cannot spend it all if he
tries; and she departs with him to his
country house without sending any word
whatever TO the absent Shepard, who is
naturally startled when he returns and
discovers the facts. 1t then transpires
that this injured young man is rich-tar
richer than the Spaniard-which creates
scene with a sort OF comic trag sdy
about it, especially when he goes to tell
the young woman the facts. The next
thing that happens is that Mrs. We've
Mendoza takes up convenient pistol and
shoots her husband and near.y kills him.
He RECEIVERS, while Shepard haunts the
house night and day to hear the news:
and the recovery of Mendoza once assur-
ed, the discarded lover goes home and
stays there for five years.
Meanwhile the MendoZas are roaming
about in Europe, the husband contracting
consumption, and the wife giving away
money in charity and looking tired. AT
last convenient lieutenant is resurrected,
from somewhere in Madame Vieve's past,
and it is discovered that as she and this
lieutenant once went through what they
supposed was a mock wedding, which was
on the contrary a bona fde ceremony, her
marriage with Mendoza Is illegal. This
places the young woman in decidedly
odd position. Mendoza, on learning the
facts, tells her frankly that he will pay
the cost of getting Il divorce from the
lieutenant, and marry her over again, if
she is so minded, but that he has ceased
to love her; which makes her position still
more curious At about this time Shep-
ard turns up once more, and we are led
TO believe that the much-married, yet hus-
bandless, damsel will eventually go to the
altar with him. as she ought to have done
some time before. 1t is difficult to see
where there is any golden sorrow in all
! this. except that the heroines wild spir-
Its are somewhat tanned by her experience
with her Spaniard. This is natural, for
he does not impress the reader as being
a particularly delightful man to live with
Aside from the queer construction of the
plot, there are numerous faults in the
book 1t is slipshod here and there-a mi
nor character being referred to first as
lnez and then as 'Dolores"-and alto
gether 1t is far from being one of the au-
thors best works. Chicago: Herbert S.
stone & Co. Washington: Ballantyne
Sl.50)
Concerning Isabel Carnaby'' is a story
by Ellen Thornycroft Fowler on a theme
which is not new-the love affair Of So
clety woman with man beneath her in
social station, though not in character
Isabel, the heroine, is capricious. world
~, yet affectionate and lovable creature:
and the hero, Paul Seaton. is the son of
minister, and reminds one little of the
heroes of THE Wide. Wide World" end
Queechy, though he is not nearly so i'm
| maculate at the beginning as those model
young men. BY. a somewhat quixotic
sacrifice, not only of his feelings but of
his professional reputation, toward the end
of the book, he proves his innate nobility,
! and by finally coming back to him the
heroine proves hers. There is nothing re-
| markable in the book one way or another.
| (New York: ID. Appleton G. Co. 81
1.-The Key of the Holy House" by Albert
Lee, is a story of the Netherlands at the
| time of the Duke OF Alva's rule there. and
the scene is laid mainly in Antwerp. 1t
| is published at rather an opportune time.
| since most OF the novel-reading public is
| taking new interest in the history OF
| Spain. 1t is not as likely to be popular
| as 1t would have been year ago, when
| this interest was more feryId: but there is
| enough plot incident and character-draw
| ing III the book to make II readable ire
! spectiye of that matter. The horrors OF
| Alvas rule are pictured without a soften
ing touch, and the methods Of the Inquisi-
ton are portrayed in all their enormity
| woman he loves &c married. hI tho ,1,,staS
rious Familiars of the InuuIsifion as one OF
their victims, and determines TO rescue her
He secretes her in his fathers house anf
in the middle of the night finds three Pa.
miliars coming noiselessly IN the stair,
| after her. BY a clever ruse he gets then
out of the house and on hoard shin ir
the harbor the shin beine one NJ tho foe,
known as the Reggars of tho Seo wbos,
admiral will show no mercy IN S,,niet
agents when thev are In bis nowor tn,
ducts the maiden to another place of hid
ing Subsequently he aids in the escap,
of his family from the clutches of Spain
secures the fortune OF which his father ma!
been robbed by Spanish tyranny, and land
all his loved ones safe and rich in London
The whole story is a record, game o
hide and seek, between hunted and hunter
The hero has some uncomfortably marrow
escapes, and sees some painful things
and the book is calculated TO give ever
the most hardened novel reader power
full attack of nightmare. There is a creep!
suggestiveness about 1t which is very eff
fectiye. The man VINO wrote 1t knows how
to write an exciting story, and blase PEG
pie who are hunting sensation and ar.
not particular about the kind will find i
Just what they want. tNew York: u. Ap
pleton d Co. Sl.)