The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-06
$500 1880 - ees-s-s-es =
, THE LATEST BOOKS
UNDER BRIEF REVIEW. /,

iums. astonishing seances, table-rappings.
polling power and newness. This Is the
conception that the spirits of departed
u,ortals may be brought more or less per-
fectlytunder the control OF the living to
do their bidding in perfectly obvious and
physical ways. James Henderson In this
story. though his control OF the spirit
OF the Observation-Disclosures dead Set
nekht becomes possessed Of the most
wonderful and terrible power.
Sir Henry Lewis and his beautiful young
daughter, Ida. both deeply Interested In
the possibilities of communication with
those who have gone beyond. meet at
Cairo n fellow Enslishman, Henderson,
who was ever deep student of those
mysteries OF life and death. Henderson
had picked up at a bargain an odd amulet,
whose hleroglyphlcs showed 1t to be the
sealed receptacle of the spirit OF a certain
wicked old Egyptian Set-nekht. On q
wild night, under favorable and awe-ln-
spring conditions, Henderson and Sir
Henry break this amulet, and they have
unmistakable evidences that the sinister
spirit of the dead Egyptian has been
thereby released and is near and bout
them Unfortunately Ida, who has fol-
lowed her father. appears on he scene
at the truly psychological moment and
being momentarily outside the charmed
circle, is partially possessed OF the evil
spirit, Henderson, however, because
through him this spirit had been turned
loose on an unsuspecting3 public. is able
to control 1t (or hlm);, and he is soon
able to assure Ida that she need fear
nothing further from the terrible "pos-
sessions" with which she is at first
Threatened. ytH
Later, in England, after Sir Henry's
unhappy death, Ida Is loved by Jack Car
berry, r:the .wholcso,nest young man IN
England and they are engaged. Hem
derson returns from n wonderful jour
ney into tho heart Of Africa, where his
mysterious powers have enabled him to
20 not only unframed but to tho tune
of universal reverence among wild tribes
who had previously never suffered the
approach of II white man, and promptly
falls In love with Ida, His rapid fame
Immediately becomes as nothing in his
eyes In comparison with the winning Of
tho girl. Ida loved Carbery with her
whole heart, but in the ensuing fight
for her hand between these two Hen
derson is. able to bring weapons into
play which are quite beyond the reach
OF the wholesomest man In England. De-
spite all her Struggles and Jacks honest
anxiety, Ida comes moro and more Into
Hendersons power, The climax where
the master Of set-NekhtS now determined
to win at NIL costs. brings into play
his final and irresistible argument, is n
scene of great dramatic power and I'M
usual and enthrallng interest, Even
Hcnderson's Uncomfortable supernatural
forces are thWarted and Ida is saved
to Carhery and from all further dan
ger, and OF the three men who figured
most largely in her life even Ida prob-
ably then realized that she had been
loved best. after all, by the best or
them. who had asked Nnothlng In return.
Abdul. the black man, who had so freely
given his life for her.
The terrible intensity Of the chain Of
events In which lda's pursuit of the SUI
spernatural had entangled her is brought
into effective contrast by the background
OF charming social life upon which most
of the story Is cast. In describing tho
life of well-bred, well-to-do and agree
able English people Mr., Benson Is thor
oughly at home; his characters are nat-
ural and prepossesslng, his style pleas
ant and his dialogue clever and anus
Ing. Indeed. the book as a whole is very
we'll done. so we'll done That 1t distinctly
reflects credit upon the author of 1.-THE
LChalloners,'' and that few living novel;
lists could have Battered It, Whether 3
Is good "occult ism' or not We do not