The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-24

1.-THE Lightning CONDUCTOR euiseo "
c. N. and A. NJ. Williamson.
Did 1t ever occur to you how hopeless
" dull many novels are on account OF
the sameness of scene throughout the
story, and the woefu1 lack of interest
centering in the environment? They may
possess many of the outward essentials
of good story and yet prove wearisome
TO the reader for this very reason
proof of this is the stimulat-
ing and fervent interest derived from
recently published story, "rhe Lightning
Conductor" on account of its changing
scenes. 1t is such story as will delight
the constant reader of fiction who, per-
haps has become satiated with the mo-
notony of The ordinary books of fiction.
Primarily the story is a wholly new and
novel one, inasmuch as it recounts the
strange adventures of a motor ear
through charming scenes: and in addition
to this, the pleasant and interesting
characters and the tender love story
make the reader only too we'll satisfied
to follow on through so many delightful
experiences.
1t is not a story that demands reserve
on the part of the reviewers lest he
reveal precipitately some interesting eli
max of the plot. On contraire, it is such
a story as, one can read and re-read and
enjoy fully as much in its viviciams de-
tails, when the end is known from the
beginning.
''The Lightning Conductor" is the
story of a rich young American girl
who is travelling abroad with her aunt.
After an interesting experience in Lon
don, she is tempted-as Americans are
apt to be-to invest in an auto and do
Europe cross-country style. After few
rather trying experiences, which were
enough disillusion even the most en-
thusiastic Brown, young nobleman.
whose vagrant fancy had been touched
by the dilemma of the foreigner, as
well as. by her personal charms, en-
gagged himself to her as chauffeur,
Henceforth Brown" the chauffeur, is
not only the hero of the story but
thoroughly charming and captivating
one Could a more promising motive be
found for love story? 1t is scarcely
possible and in consequence a spirited
story of the grande passion develops
from page to page. The line of travel
may be along old ground, out the I'M
usual method of locomotion and Incl
dental touches of description give 1t all
a new and living interest. The start is
made from Paris to Orleans, along the
trimming banks of the Loire NOW
please understand" said the girl, with
twinkle of merriment in her eyes, that
this is to be a pilgrimage, not a meteor
flight. Even if this car is capable of
racing. which / guess it isn't. I don't
want to race. I just want to glide; L
want to see everything. to drink in inn
continues into La Lorraine, which is
dotted with fertile vineyards, peaceful
toric towns, and across which, like a sill
yer girdle, stretches the river Loire"
Eve were bowling along through
Meung, when l suddenly spied on the
other side of the river the square and
heavy mass of Notre Dame de Clery,
and almost without thinking, | pointed
Clery,' / said, where Louis the Eleventh
is buried. You remember in Quentine
Duruard?' The church is worth seeing
Then I stopped, rather confused, fear
ing | had given myself away. There
was a moments astonished silence, and
was afraid Miss Randolph would see
the back of my neck getting red.
Why, Brownl she cried, leaning for
ward over my shoulder, you know these
things; you've read history? Obi yes,
Miss / said. I've read bit here and
there such books as | could get hold Of
was always interested in history and
architecture and that sort of thing
Henceforth while visiting the old cha
teaux, with their wealth of romantic
comes chauffeur and cicerone combined.
An amusing incident occurs just here;
just after lunch a fellow traveller ar
rived at the little inn where our friends
were lunching-a Frenchman, who dis
covered at once the charms of Miss
America. very much to the disgust of
poor Brown, the chauffeur, who imme-
more annoyed than / care to adj
nit when l saw that she seemed to
like his idiotic compliments, but when
l heard him tell her airly that Cham
bord was built by Louis the Fourteenth
and Miss Randolph turned questionably
to me with puzzled little wrinkle on
her forehead ] felt that my time had
come. ] began something like a lecture
on Chambers, putting myself by Miss
Randolphs side, and determined that
the Frenchman should get no further
chance. / pointed out the constant re-
currence of the Salamonder, the en-
blem of Francis the First the builder OF
the house, and I told her how he had
selected this sandy waste to build II
on because the Countess de Thoury had
once lived near by, she having been one
of the earliest loves of that oft-loving
king. I enlarged upon the characteris-
ties of French Renaissance architecture
pointed out the unity in variety of the
splendid design as something between a