The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-14


 The Marauise's Millions. By Frances Aymar Matthews.
 X sprightly and amusing account of the adventures of two American wo- men in France Mother and daughter have taken up their abode in Paris, where the daughter is studying for the stage and incidentally permits the addresses of an impoverished young French nobleman. He is embolden to make love" by the knowledge given | by her mother that she is heiress to an immense estate.
 Readers copversant with the his | tory of France in the days of Napoleon | will remember how intensely he was hated by certain class and how they | longed for the return of their right | full King. In this book the author gives
 a brilliant and lively account of two | ladies of the old regime who have shut | themselves up in their home refusing to know or hear anything of the alien l that they may some day welcome their beloved Louis on his return to France. | They have willed him their immense | estates regardless of the fact that | there is a distant cousin in America
 who might be supposed to expect the l property. One does not need to be told | that the young American in Paris is | the afore- mentioned cousin and that | these very estates are the ones her mother las ingeniously laid claim to in | her own mind and resolved to possess | by fair means or by foul.
 l very ingenious llot opens up when | the lover of the young American re-
 solves to impersonate the King so long | looked for by the devoted French
 woman Moved profoundly by but two | emotions. love for the rightful King | and hatred of Napoleon, one can imag- l inc the feelings of the two old ladies,
 when it is conveyed to them by letter l nfor fI,1 fyu ie uh o. | turn to France, will honor them with | visit, and that he is the betrothed | of their American cousin Could any one ask for more honor and happiness | in a lifetime. They have so scorned | Napoleonic emblens that not even l 1 violet has been permitted to grow on thir estates, nor a bee to thrive near them, nor Is the hated monsters name | ever mentioned in their presence. They l busy themselves now. these two loyal l souls, in devising ways and means to do fitting honors tc their royal visi- | tor at the same time enjoying to the
 uttermost the romance of the situations. | There is a good deal of incident in
 the story and the quaint daintiness of the French ladies is finely portrayed,
 and delightful descriptions of scenery,
 castles, and quaint customs occupying g
 the attention of the reader. The story | is told with a sprightly movement | which makes it very engaging. It Is.
 of course entirely artificial. but the brightness and audacity of the plot and
 the general dash and daring Of all tho people concerned. carries off the artI- ficiality.
 I am glad to tell you. however, that the author relents and allows her hero inc to do the same. The girl of the
 plains. born in the wild, breezy West.
 is at least sincere and conventional.
 Touched by love for Ter French cousins
 she reveals the decepuon practiced up
 on them. and will not profit by the ab-
 surd scheme.
 Hero the story ends. One can only
 surmise as to what befalls the lover
 who came Into the heroine's life under
 such peculiar circumstances, and one
 hopes the girl returned to America to
 live happily ir an atmosphere of sin
 cerity and freedom
 No one is expected to take the book
 seriously for 1t Is comedy of the most
 sparkling kind but the untanEling and working of the absurd scheme sTg gestcd by the title will furnish aInus.
 ment in abundance for the reader and
 therein lies the whole value of the
 book.
 The contrast drawn betwen the high , spirited American girl. her schem,ng , mother, her rascaliy lover. and tho ! dainty French Marquise's. with their
 profound credulity, is good, and one
 forgivos tho impossible situation be-
 cause of the c!evernes of its telling.