The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-27
KATE STEPHENS.
HoRNuN~s NEW BOOK.
" The Shadow of the Rope" by Author
of Raff1es. II Out.

Oh 66MeB, ~ OuG
THE Shadow of the Rope" as the
title would indicate. Is the story Of a
crime. When it is added that the au~
thor is E. W. Hornung any one who re-
members the entertaining "Raf1es" and
the adventures OF the Amateur Crasks-
man. will readily believe that it is in
genious in plot and clever in construc-
ton 1t is not a detective story. al
though an amateur gum-shoe artist"
introduced toward the end of the VOL
ume does make some interesting dis
coveries leading to entirely erroneous
theories of the crime, after the manner
of the detective in real life, though very
seldom in fiction. The tale can not be
said to be entirely probable. but it is
undeniably interesting and there is no
tedious superiority of detail to delay the
rapid movement or weary the readers
patience. Mr.. Hornung finds it rather
hard to leave Australia out of his
books, and in this one most of the prin-
cipal characters are Australians, al
though the scene is in England.
Even the most artful story of crime
and mystery usually has it's weak
points, but The Shadow of the Rope"
the plot has been worked out with un-
common Skill OF the characters less
can be said. In spite of obvious at
tempts to make the figure of John
Buchanan Steel" the hero. an i'm
pressive one. the author has not re.
allied him very clearly. He is far less
natural and human than his wife, FRA
chel Steel" wrongly accused of the MUIR
der of her first husband. Steel's friend.
The character of Langholm," the third
rate novelist, is well done and thorough
ly convincing. The sentimental interest
is lent by the love affair of a husband
and wife who marry for other motives
Some way the story of a husband and
wife who fall in love with each other
is always more interesting than any
other love tale, probably because the in
cident is so rare in real life.
The book is published by Charles
| Scribner's Sons, which insures its being
up to the standard of the bookmakers
| art.
One of the sensations of the autumn
| book season seems to be Marie Corelli's
new romance Temporal Power" The
demand in England has broken all rec
ords. The first edition there of 12O, O00
copies was insufficient to supply the
actual demand, and further edition OF
10000 copies was printed before publica-
ton. The American demand has also
been extraordinary, and it is probable
that the combined American and Can
adian editions have been greater than
the first edition of any book heretofor%
published. 1t is published by Dodd
Mead & Co.
Mcclure, Phillips & Co. will publish
within the next fortnight the following
books: THE Two vanrevels," a novel
of Indiana life in the 40's, by Booth
Harrington, author of THE Gentleman
from Indiana" and Monsieur Beau
caire;" Racer of Illinois, by Henry
Somerville, author of Jack Racer" tc
which the present novel is a sequel;
Gabriel Tolliver," the first complies
novel by Joel Chandler Harris, the ia
nous creator of Uncle Remus;" Dor
der Fights and Fighters by the Rev
| Cyrus Townsend Brady; Letters from
Egypt" by Lady Duff Gordon, with in
PRODUCTION by George Meredith, an6
| Dante and His Times" by DR.. Kar
Federn, profound student of Itaiiar
literature.
Lady Duff Gordon's Letters from
Egypt" published by Mcclure. Phillip:
& Co., are the outcome of a peculiarly
pathetic career. The author was one
of the famous beauties of European
society in the middle of this century
and was not less celebrated for he1
brilliancy than for her 1oveliness. II
the midst of her social triumphs sht
was stricken with a slow but morta
illness, and was sent to South Africa
and thence to the remote parts of Egyp
as the only way of prolonging life. From
the widest regions of the Dark cont
nent, often from places where no whit,
woman and few white men had ever Sc
foot, she wrote these letters to her fam
lily. Her last days were spent among
the Arabs, who almost worshipped her
and of whom she has left, in her book
remarkable record. There is an in
PRODUCTION to the Letters" by Georg
Meredith.