The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-13

vsrv oSton whom the dramatists and novsusts
take IL in hand. II will be remembered how
the great Ibsen discovered that the children
are visited with the sins Of the fathers, q
how the ghosts broke the dishes behind the
scenes. In Mr.. Robert W. chambers's story
Of -The Fighting Chance Cd. Appleton 4
Coz two sufferers from heredity are treated
with agreeable mercy. Confronted bya hero
whoss ancestors drank and by a heroine
whose grandmother was talked about We
were grateful to the author for not insisting
upon that very terrible matter. a logical
conclusion
We were satisfied that the heroine was
interesting before she had talked for a page
after driving up to the railroad station inthe
phaeton with theshowy horse that executed
side steps as he came. Our understanding
of her loneliness did not need to be fortified
by any such observation "A that page y
she turned the blue inquiry OF her eyes on
Siward." We were never particular about
the color Of interrogations. and II il had
been a black inquiry that she turned We
shouId not have been disturbed. The enter
tainment at Shotover House. whittier she
and Siward were bound, was overpoweringly
English, though the master Of the house
loudly protested hat American matters and
forms were good enough for him. Tea IS
served in the gun room, sir, a pretty maid
servant ssid to him as a melancholy man
servant was showing him to his room.
Scotch or Irish, sir?" the man servant
whispered a. hi turned or the bath and
laid out fresh raiment." IL is not declared
WHISTLER Siward could have had red Ameri-
can whiskey II he had asked for 1t, but the
melancholy servants question was a yellow
and not q red inquiry. No matter about tbs
color, il will he understood how hereditv
doomed behind these h~ospitable words. In
the gun room, again, there was more than
tea. He strolled into the gun room. which
was blue With tobacco smoke and aromatic
with the volatile odors from decanters.
Again, "a servant whispered, Scotch or
Irish, sir?' then set the crystal parsphernalia
at his elbow" We relate with sorrow that
either the Scotch or the Irish, or both,
speedily did their fell work With our hero,
and that when he went to bad after a losing
game AZ cards at the end Of his first day at
Shotover House he omitted the decent
and customary preliminary Of removing
his clothes.
The demon Of heredity had in this instance
a fairly resilient victim. Siward was down
nGNJ LnOfuuk hOI HhS AA6AArN
breakfast ana ate a chilled grapefruit with
a steady hand. Having done that he went
forth With the rest Of the company and shot
~woodcocks and ruled grouse with glittertng
precision. IL was at this time. less than
twenty-four hours after she had first set eyes
on Siward. that Sylvia, our heroine, receives
the nrst buffet from her inherited demon.
In an environment Of silver Scanned
IA - ...-a annanxy
OF crumpIed gold. bat the end OF a'period
OF daring conversation Sylvia's face grew
scarlet and her eyes grew dark, and her
hands contracted in his-tightened, twisted
fingers entangIed, until with a little Sob
she swayed toward him and he caught her
An instant, a minute-more, perhaps, sne
did not know-she half lay in his arms. her
untanght lips cold against his The power.
the cruelty, the wickedness Of her particular
form OF inheritance will be understood when
It is said that she was engaged to be married
to another man.
It will be seen that here were urgent in
clinations to be resisted. Siward had to
endure moments At table when the aroma
Of wine made him catch his breath. moment
in the gun room redolent OF spicy spirits;
a maddening volatile fragrance cinging to
the card room, tool It may be thought
what quivers Of anguish wait upon the
iterant whispered question. Scotch or
Irish, sir2" As for Sylvia, her engagement
bound her to one OF the very rich men a
the country. To give these two a fighting
chance to allow intheir case a hope against
the disaster Of a logical conclusion, was
generous, though we suspect that Mrs.
Wharton and some other relentless su-
thoresses will not think quite well OF It.
The story concerns itself, too, with other
Interesting and spirited matters involving
a fighting chance. It is our opinion that
the drunkard Mortimer, who had a habit Of
-breakfasting upon his own dreadful bracer
Of an apple soaked in port, was very properly
taken OF in a devil wagon accident. to the
end that there might be liberty for Mrs.
Mortimer, a lady Of interesting emotions
who ate at the English sideboard break
faets peaches that mat ched her own COM
plexion." An eventful tale, wildly told
and well calculated to be popular. We
know we'll that there will be plenty OF readers
who will consider il not a bit too astonishing.