New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-05

-, Tr-ala,-rv IS found vveltering IN his own
HOOD mot dead, but IN tranoe) is no ORDINARY
rooyn The stricken man is a profound Egypuoi-
or4s.. he lives surrounded by antique ooJec's'
some OF which soon shown to have alarm
inc significance. A certain mummy is brought
into the sto--. with other relics OF the remote
mast. and with these as properties the author
ingeniously works out a scheme so bizarre 'hat
the reader must throw credulity overheard ana
have done with Il IL he is to derive any ENJOY
rnent from The Jewel OF Seven Stars II ne
is wise no will thus adapt himself TO the SIT
nation. and allow himself 10 be comfortably
beguiled. This is at least an amusing book
The Web is a story Of lawyers and the law.
The hero is as honest as he is clever In his prac-
tice al the bar and. after the fashion OF lawyers
in fiction, has a beautiful way win MN III
bringing about the triumph Of the right bu| VI
course he has hts troubles else Mr.. Hin would
hardly have been able to write this novel ne
Web" is well named. Two eases" are dealt
-.;.b IN SIS parez and one Of them involves a
v-or,an and a divorce There is a tragedy in the
story which has other elements less GRIM put
SIN Of a nature to give Mr.. Dave Mad1oN
plenty 10 do. His labors are only MADE inter-
esting 10 the reader, however by fits and suarts
The plot OF the book does not in itself amount 10
much and Il Is poorly put together. MI mn
gives his characters something TO do. but ne
gives them a great deal more 10 say, ana IN the
saving Of IL they are sadly wearisome.
An excellent piece Of melodrama IS Mr.. PHIL
potts's new novel The period OF It's interest IS
ninety years ago. The scene is Dartmoor' OF
whose wild. majestic solitudes sadness ana t1as-
edy would seem to be the natural outcome In
lonely farmhouse set upon a swelling ridge anu
in the great walled prison Of Prince Town not
far away. most of tho action passes The hero
prison and impatiently awaiting tardy release.
The heroine. Grace Malherb is the daughter Of
Dartmoor farmer. an Englishman or ancient
family but OF breaking fortunes-the owner
moreover. Of a fierce temper and a ruthless VIII
The young American has Of course MURDER
Gus rival. an agreeable gentleman who conceals
his wiczedness under profuse smiles and lavish
poetical quotations The story turns upon the
romantic courtship Of Grace and the young
American. and upon the endeavors Of the fero-
colls father and Of tho villanOus rival 10 thWart
their plans. There Is not much subtety in me
drawing Of the characters all Of them being OF
obvious types-even TO the half insane old
woman who brings in an element Of witchlike
r,arignitv. But subtlety is not necessary 20 the
development Of melodrama. and we VIII not
quarrel with the inventor Of so many episodes OF
interesting horror and suspense. fair ex-
annie OF these IS the escape from prison Of the
hero. Stark. and his fellow sufferer Commodore
Miller:
Twice more Stark cried 10 the sailor but re-
ra5,-as no answer. Then. turning again, he
found one shadow beside him instead OF two.
rs that you, Stark
I'm AFRAID he's lost sir. He would hold of
a point. Had I sought him. must have iost
'o .,sbout-shout with all your might We may
save him yet"
them was lost IN the roar 81 the wind The ice
por-ed out Of the darkness. and. despite the
snowhlink ar awful clrcumambient gloom hld
all things from their eyes. only the wan up
thrown illumination az their feet told OF the
II fmplore YOU not TO be moving sir. Right
or wrong we must hold on now cried stark
fo- he saw that his companion seemed to hesi-
..Knapps may be right. Can We have got too
far east? However. it's ell one. Blessed sleeps
, head my poor boy. 'Tis good 10 die In the
great Hand OF God and not behind stone walls
Don't speak 81 dying, commodore. Het
closer: take my arm and husband your strength
as you may
stark closed up on the others left hand be-
tween HIS friend and the weather; but Miller
APPRECIATED the action and fought against II.
You shall not do this for me. I'm tougher
older. better seasoned
For love Of life. speak no more. Stark an
swered Hold close. We may save each
other"
Now arm in arm. or sometimes hand in hand;
but never apart they baitled through u Isag
lour of agony often they fell and bruised
themselves upon ice and granite; often thty
dropped headlOng into some snow hidden mt
then surrounding IT, they struggled on aealI'
half blind. half Strangled Despite lltH tg
nendous eyertions, 40 warmth 10 nght the VIM,
no heat Of blood could either generate. they
froze as they fought. and their progress became
very slow They grew conscious OF sloping land
and passed where hills Of stone rose 10 the
right. while the storm, from lower levels. leapt
upward Il seemed out Of some dark crater
,u the left ~ them. They had missed Siwards
Cross by miles and now wandered under FOX
Tor above the Mire. Each yearned 10 lie down
and end 81. and each knew that a longlng 10
WELD was in the heart OF the other. For mo-
neut they stood in deep snow where great rocks
ioverad and broke the wind. Then Commodore
Miller addressed Stark. and his dreamy. placid
utterance sounded strange I'm the fury OF the
hour. Shouts and a frenzy 81 fear or Of energy
had better chimed with the free and fearful
forces Of the air. but the American spoke like
spirit. and looked upon these material pheuom-
oua Of night and tempest as one already above
their Influences and beyond their powe--
"'Tis a great thought that YOU and I are hiC-
ger than this weather. mans soul can steer
through the worst storm ever loosed against
"A straight course and fear no cvt
NJ earth or sea. This dust 81 us viii soon be zee
my lad. We shall sink into this frozen wilder
ress ~ rain fslle on river; hut we our
Hope on. hope on gasped the younger man.
Wen fight the British weather as we've fought
the British ships. There's shot I'm the locker
yet"
There is 10 halfway station For political
novel-it IS very good it is frankly poor
Mrs. Cotes's new book is not very good. Where
we recognize the spriEhtly vein and practised
hand of tho author or 81 Social Departure is
I'm the lightly sketched-in figures 81 her minor
men and women OF the little
Canadl an town wherein the scene OF The I'M
perialist" is laid. Some Of them seem to be
drawn from life. and i'm these pages they stil
live in more OF less humorous effect. Where
political questions are introduced the story is