Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-19

crime was a stupid woman. perhaps, pos
sibly blind to that which was obvious to
everybody else. or maybe aware that re-
sentiment would be fruitless and therefore
wise in acQu!escence. But whatever her
nature In this respect or her motives, there
is something heroic in her adherence to
the fallen king In the days Of their pow
erty following Waterloo, when by deserving
her as Jerome had deserted Elizabeth Pat
terson, she might have returned to ease
and plenty.
Mr. Sergeant has presented a study OF
Little Brother Jerome" that strips on
all the tinsel and shows the poor, weak,
vain. self-indulgent, generous puppet medi-
OGRE In any position in life and pathetic
as the mitator of his truly great brother.
NICANOR, TELLER OF TALES; a Story
of Roman Britain. By c. Bryson Tay-
lor. author of In the Dwellings of the
Wilderness" Pictures and designs by
Troy and Margaret West Kinney. Chi
cago; A. c. McClrug Co.
Miss Taylors first book-story was a weird.
interest compelling tale of mystery in mod
ern Egypt, treating of the adventures Of
archaeologists. She has now gone back to
the days of ancient Britain, when the Ro-
mans were loosening their hold upon the
island and suffering the Saxons to close
down upon the cities they had built. Nj
canor son of a shepherd, was gifted with
become a teller of tales, so that he might
sway the minds of men and exert influence
over them. He fares forth to Londinium
to apprentice himself to a carver of ivory
in order to become acquainted with the
world but after a time falls into the
hands of the great Lord Eudemius, for
whose runaway slave he ia mistaken and
impressed into bondage. Then begin his
trials and temptations. He loves the beau
tiful young daughter of his master. whom
h., Hxyh To lln M
stories and songs. Passionate. headstrong,
determined, he fights against great odds.
Tragedy follows tragedy. The atmosphere
is a-reek with human blood. the air a-quiv-
err with the cries of the distressed. Miss
Taylor produces a powerful effect in her
handling of the theme of this young mans
desperate daring. Meanwhile there is
constant action, q ceaseless shifting OF the
scene, peopled densely with Roman soldiers,
pleasure seekers, slaves, toilers, merchants.
Highly colored and packed with evidences
of research, the story commands attention
as much as for its historic interest as for
its thrilling romance. Nicanor's character
is strange, beyond easy comprehension.
Within his breast struggle conflicting emo
tons. the struggle between paganism and
Christianity being typifed by his sufferings.
Intensely dramatic climaxes occur to hold
the interest at a high pitch. The tale al
most overwhelms the reader with Its mass
of incidents. The publishers have given
the work a highly artistic publication in
printing, binding. and decoration. The Kin
neys contribute five full color Illustrations
and numerous decorative designs in their
well-known style. giving the volume
striking individuality.
LADY BETTY ACROSS THE WATER,
Edited by c. n. and A. NJ. Williamson.
authors of MY Friend the Chauffeur"
&c. Illustrated by Orson Lowell. New
York: Mcclure, Phillips & Co. Wash
ington: Woodward & Lothrop.
depended upon to write stories of the most
appealing quality. Their romances are all
tender and their characters are normal.
or villains they offer only modified types,
men and women who scheme politely and
who eschew the weapons of the melodrama.
Lady Betty Buckley meets a villainess Of
this description in her first venture into
the big world. Indeed, she Is placed In
her hands by her own mother But then,
Mrs Stuyvesant-K nox's style OF villainy
is not particularly horrible. She only
wants to marry this beautiful girl. sister
OF a British duke, to her own brother.
That brother is not altogether a bad sort.
being just wealthy bore. Lady Betty
has ideas of her own and a heart of her
own and she has found her heart by
process which seldom occurs in real life,
but which seems natural enough as Mr..
and
artists in the construction of situations.
When Lady Betty looks down from the
first-cabin deck of the Atlantic liner on her
way over the water, and sees sun-burned
young man In blue flannel shirt standing
among the steerage passengers. she recog-
nizes him Instantly as a gentleman de-
spite his surroundings Right there be-
gins the complication that causes her to
run away from the Newport cottage of
Mrs. ''Ess-Kay" and fee to the west to
- l, IvA%+ Nd
finally xteered into haven Of peace and
safety and love In the Ohio farming dis
trct. Through all her tribulations and
Joys Lady Betty. who tells her own story,
is mistress OF the hearts OF her readers
Her descriptions of life in New York. West
Point, Newport. Chicago and on the farm
are quaint and witty. This story is GER
tain to sustain the high prestige OF lie
Williamsons, established by their Light
ming Conductor and subsequent more or
less motoriferous fiction.
THE IDLERs. BY Morley Roberts, au-
thor of Lady Penelope" &c. Fronts
piece by John c. FROM. Boston: l.. C.
Page & Co.
Fetd and degrading is the atmosphere OF
London town. as described in this story of
the fast idle set of the wealthy climbers
and the impecunious titled folk of the Brit
ish capital. 1t saps the moral quality of
young Jack Bexley when he goes up to
town 10 have his eyes opened. He falls
victim to a vampire. an unspeakable wom-
an whose husband has made millions by
the manufacture of jam. Down in the coun-
try waits a beautiful. intelligent, clear
minded girl who loves him. Jack all but
runs on the rocks of public scandal and
disgrace. a tragedy closes the episode,
with the youth and the girl standing to-
gether on the edge of things, hand In hand.
looking with frightened eyes upon the
wreckage of lives. powerful. though
decidedly unpleasant story. cleyerly written
TO the point OF genius for portraying the
lepers of society
THE LAw-BREAkERs; and Other Sto-
ries. BY Robert Grant. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons. Washington:
Woodward q Lothrop.
These seven stories in Judge Grants
best style, episodes of real life. 1.-The Law
Breakers" exposes the hypocrisy of the
genteel reformer who berates the offense
of a politician while he engages in evading
the customs. thereby losing the prize he
most desires. Against His Judgment" is
a mere outline, to demonstrate the conflict
between tlie reason and the human ini-
pulses; it is perhaps the most striking of
and he Da.ao