The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-08
NEW hooks.


nothing OF the Ibsen dialogues, Tor which
some hardy Adventures have been known
TO thank Heaven. We have marked at
several places the abundant dialogue In
Mr.. Mark Lee Luther's story Of love and
notifies called "The Mastery" (The Mac
milan Company. In the opening chapter
we find Philip Drew and his nephew, rat
fling young Dick Harris, conversing on
a Hudson River day boat, Philip Is not
old, though an uncle. Dick speaks;
An uncle with a street railway franchise
can give fairy godmother cards and
spades.
It's not ours yet.
It's as good as ours with you pushing
it, Philip. What you want you generally
get Maybe when I'm simon pure
magnate,' he went on joeosely, Katharine
will deign to wear a solitaire.
Drew smiled indulgently over at the
wholesome, clean cut young fellow. He
had been favored with many bulletins of
ths particular love affair since its tropic
beginnings at a watering place two sum-
mers ago.
Then it's not a bona-fde engagement
yet?' he asked,
ar consider it an enga cement. Kath-
crime calls it an understanding or did
before she went 20 that New York finishing
school
And now, Dick"
Now it.. misunderstanding, ap-
rarpntly. She has me guessing. It's
rather strange you two have never met,
backing her father politically as long as
you have
Men don't mix their families with
their politics much. Besides, I've never
been a carpet knight.
s"Ihat's Just why you'll like her. Dick
argued. 'Crusty bachelors are her spe-
cialty Katherine's had an odd training.
Barring those two years In the New York
school, her father has had her education
in his own, and this summer abe actually
served awhile as his private secretary.
You'd look to find a hluestocking in the
daughter OF O man old-fashioned enough
to quote Horace in the United States Sen
ate nowadays
"'Iogically:'
well, the illogical fact Ia that she's
the jolliest blend OF nonsense and horse
sense sweet and-twenty ever embodied
-'HeaI! heart Drew applanded.
-'ScoE, you cynic, scot We're younger
than you
1t will be seen that this dialogue is not
exactly like any Of those others that we have
mentioned. 1t is not profound, not par
tioulsrly tripping and brilliant, not sad
and wond erful and queer. No great thought
and labor seem to have been expended
upon it; still it Is illuminative. 1t fore
shadows the motives Of the story-politics
and love. After 1t, we are bound to say,
nothing that happens is particularly sur
prising. Katherine, the Senator daughter,
he school education amended and solidi-
fed by the Senator's own especial teach
ings, did not find Dicks uncle impossibly
old; we knew she wouldn't. As to the
comparative chances Of Dick and Dicks
uncle with Katherine, what could any reader
think after the catboat accident on page So2
The storm came up with much sudden
ness. Violent lightning rent the leaden
sky. The dread organ note Of the thun-
der shook the souls OF tho people in the
boat. with muffied exclamation Drew
sprang for the peak halyard. Katherine
dropped to the tiller, her face gone white.
ave must luz before it strikes she
called. There's no time TO lower the
sheet
.There was time for nothing. For a
littlesmoment the pines on the great cliff
droned like giant bagpipe under the
blackening sky, the eerie sound swelling
in volume with added voices from rock
and gorge and stream, till all VOLTS Head
seemed to snarl. Then the storm leaped
full upon them. As he chung to the drunken
mast, blinded by the furious onslaught
of wind and rain, Drew saw what happened
but dimly. It was a blurred series Of in
Simultaneous pictures; a straining sheet
two huddled forms in the cockpit-a girls
chalky face at the tiller-parting halyards,
wildly jibing boom; then the Hudson
closed over them"
Whatever Katherine meant by towering
the sheet it was plainly a pity that that
nautical maneuvre could not have been
performed. We wish also that 1t might
have been explained. Any mffing that
may have been accomplishment obviously
futile, since they were now in the river.
Drew mounted to the keel Of the inverted
boat, whittier Dick and Harriet Reeves had
already clambered, and looked about for
katherine. She was nowhere to be seen.
The three peered and shouted together.
but the gale damned their voices back in
their teeth"
We were not exactly afraid that the
tale was to be deprived OF heroine at page
80, but we shivered little notwithstanding.
We felt that there was work cut out for a
hero. and we said to ourselves that we
should now see whether it was to be Dick
or his uncle. This point was speedily made
plain. We read Drew crawled further
up the hull and shook the water from his
eyes Then his glance traversed the fat
tened sail, compromising and instantly
Owed"
He found himself enwrapped in highly
contrasting great silence. 1T was as still
as the grave underneath after the outer
tumuit: cold as the grave were the fingers
trat met his. For fearful instant, even,
the graves pallor seemed to have set it's
stamp upon the face he saw when sight
again Was possible; but clinging with his
burden to the slippery gunwale'-an odd
place to cling 10, with the boat bottom
up--he behed the shut eyelids fiutter,
half open, droop languidly, then part wide.
katherine's eyes met his own. You
do i've" he cried Thank God! Thank
Godlr
We were abun dainty satisfied at this
point as to whether it was to be Dick or his
uncle, but the next few lines emphasize the