The sun., 1903-11-07
NEW BOOKS.
Mr. CraM ford's story OF the Lost Water.

Nr, CraM fOrds story OF the Lost Water.
The reader will find his curiosity strongly
,ycj,c ed when he comes to Marino Malipieri,
already renowned for his archaeological
discoveries at Carthage, tapping at the
foundation walls of the Palazzo Cont in
Mr.. Francis Marion Crawford's story "The
Hear, of Rome" Crhe Macmillan Company.
Nalileri was a good man, and we are glad
that his first name is spelled with an "a"
instead of an Sc; we drew frightened
breath at the first careless sounding of il
A fine old place, the palace Of the Cont
family. with its 800 rooms, and marble
halls. and dim mirrors, and velvet curtains,
pnd crowned eagles under canopics, and
portraits by Velasquez; but it had dreadful
things in the cellar.
A subtitle tells us that this is tale of
the lost water, Malipieri could hear the
lost water. sort Of Roman Minetta Brook
as he pursued his work upon the northwest
foundations. 1t is a very mysteriouH mani
testation Here and there, under old
streets and far down among the foundations
Of ancient palaces. there are channels of
running water which have no apparent
connection with any of the aqueducts now
restored and in use 1t is a water that comes
no one knows whence, and finds its way to
the Tiber no one knows how"
SoIno of the earlier Cont had made
dreadful Use of it in their cellar. Mali
pieri discovered an oubliette which con-
tanned several skeletons. Victims were
lowered into it through hole in the vaulted
roof and then the lost water was turned
on Sometimes, however, the water was
not necessary; "one Of the skulls had a
rusty knife driven through it," Malipieri,
making his way through number of mas
sye walls, discovered successfully the
channel of the lost water, the oubliette,
and chamber containing an ancient bronze
image Of Roman Emperor He took
Sabna Cont in to see the image. and the
plot Of the story turns particularly and
very effectively upon the circumstance
that somebody turned on the lost water
while they were looking at it.
Sabina, though poor, since the house
Of Cont had just gone to smash, the tele-
phone and the electric light having been
cut on, and the thirty unpaid servants
having departed in body, must still have
found some consolation in the whisperings
of poetical mind -Where could she go?
She had no money, and she would have to
starve or beg before one day was out.
She would be homeless, she would be driven
70 some house of charity for meal and a
place to sleep, or else sleep out under the
sky That would be delightful for once.
'She had always longed to sleep out Of
doors, to feel the breeze playing with her
feathery hair in the dark, to watch the
consultations turning slowly westward.
10 listen to the night sounds to the low,
rhythmical piping Of the tree toad. the
sorrowful cry of the little southern owl,
and the tolling of the hour in far off belfry.
But it might rain. At the idea Sabina
laughed again. 1t would be very unpleas-
ant to be caught in shower while mapping
on bench in public garden"
Mr.. Crawford permits Sabina to have
experiences much more thrilling than
sleeping outdoors in the rain. He has
made stirring use of the possibilities Of the
Cont cellar. strange, eventful story
II will keep the reader awake