The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-02

Kitty she trembled for his prospects,
and, wise woman that she. was, realized
that the small hands of his lovely wife
held his fate. And so il was. William
loved Kitty desperately, but he under
stood her and when she consented to
marry him she had told him she would
ruin his life. But he wanted her, told
her she was more TO him than his
career, and promised never to coerce
her, even when she confessed that,
while loving him most, she was likely
TO be moved by strange fancies for
queer people. William Ashe under
took the responsibility, however, and
how he bore it and Kitty's freakish do
ings make the greater part of the book.
Loving her husband well, Lady Kitty
could not subdue her wild desire to do
outre things. Her clothes, her extrava-
gance, her entertainments and clever
sayings were the talk of London. When
her only child. boy, turned out to be
a cripple, Kitty seemed to become
wilder than ever; her actions became
more outrageous, and in her real wish
TO help her husband she made his path
thorny one. Lady Tranmore looked
on and saw ruin in the future. Mary
Iyster, cousin of Williams, hated
Kitty for her husbands sake, and
vowed vengeance for many things.
Then there was Geoffry Cliffe, a mod
ern poet, with whom Kitty flirted and
carried on until the scandal shook
LONDON But William went on calmly,
loving and understanding his cratic
Wife and fearing no man. Kitty. how
ever, did not comprehend herself; she
knew that she loved William, but there
was side of her TO which Cliffe ire
sistibly appealed, and then she wanted
to take him away from Mary Lyster,
who loved him. Kitty had overheard
Mary saying bitter things of her and
saw a way TO get even.
II is hardly necessary to tell the en-
TIRE story. II moves logically and con-
slstently TO its tragic end. 1t cannot
be said to be study OF the conjunc-
ton o. sober English temperament
win an allen one. for il is more than
that, and less, too. William can be
judged by his class and its well knowns
standards; but Kitty cannot be Judged
oy any standard, for she was, in a way,
a freak of nature There was some
thing within her brain, a lesion. which
impelled her to do terrible things, to
shock the proper; in a word, she was
not balanced, not wholly sane. She
was loVable, and far from being en-
tirely without good qualities, but her
mother had not been a good woman,
and kitty's youth had been spent in
doubtful company. 1t may be said that
1t was wonderful she was no worse.
she could do shocking things, but never
did Kitty stoop to the vicious treachery
by which, toward the end, she was be-
trayed by Mary Lyster. the well bred,
ar1stocratie English woman who de-
spised her. This act stands alone in
the book-or any other book-for wick
ed revenge.
The story. as a whole, is a wonderful
study in character, in emotion and pas
sion. 1t grips the reader, and in spite
OF his sympathy with William Ashe
and admiration for his beautiful char
acter, he loves Kitty to the end. II is
just because there are Kittys and that
we love them against our reason, that
Mrs. Wards last book is going TO be
better liked than her deeper, more phil
osophical works. 1t is unnecessary to
say that 1t is the notable book of the
year.
Lady Penelope-By Morley Roberts l. c.
Page & Co For sale by st. Paul Book
and Stationery company
To say that Lady Penelope Brading
had ideas of her own is to give but a
mild picture of her individuality. She
was herself and nobody else and this
unique personality of hers is impressed
upon every page of this most interest
ing story. The heroine, who was the
belle OF London and famous beauty,