The San Francisco call., 1906-06-17

latively pretty one. in which Dan
and last the author trespasses. 1t is
an original and very playful variation
on that time -honored foundation for
a story-a family feud mixed up with
a love affair
The principal persons concerned are:
Lord Cecil Bazelhurst. husband to a
rich wife who has bought an estate in
the Adirondacks and prefers living
there to preside over her lords an
cestral home in England; his wife, who
is very proud and vindictive person
Randolph Shaw, big, handsome Ameri-
can bachelor, who owns the estate ad-
joining that recently bought by the
BaZelhursts; Penelope Drake. a charm
ing English girl, sister to Lord Bazel-
hurst; Bonaparte. a big dog owned and
loved by bachelor Shaw; a French
Count and an English Duke who make
up the house party at the Bazelhurst
villa; and Tompkins, servant of the
Bazelhursts
AS Penelope expresses it, Randolph
Shaw is q real man, and it is thus ex-
pressed to contrast him favorably with
, Bazelhurst, the Count and the Duke,
who are the imitation men whose
cowardiee gives the tale its title. Hard
Bazelhursts toward Shaw because they
coveted his land, which was richer,
higher up and more commanding in its
views. They had negotiated to buy it,
but Shaw had been beforehand in get
ting the pick of the ground and he
refused to sell out to the persistent
requests of Bazelhurst's agents. So
when the English family came to live
on their Adirondack estate they start
fat,I nit fel.t.
he trespasses a few feet over his land
line into the estate of his jealous and
angry neighbors. Lord BaZelhurst, who
is five feet four and as small in his
mind as in person, gives orders to his
hired men to throw Shaw in the river
If they ever see him acress the line
again. When they try 1t and fail,
Shaw, who is an athlete. douse5 his
assailan.S in the river, and then when
they are about to drown he magnani-
mously rescues them. So the fun be-
gins and the feud is on in earnest
Lord Cecil Bazelhurst and his visiting
friends, the Count and the Duke, con-
slider Shaw cad and they resolve to
call him to account, but they are all
three afraid of the bold and good
naturcd American, though they talk
very brave and try very hard to keep
up an appearance of such courage as
BELTS their dignities and titles. Tt
is comedy Of cowardice, and Nc
Cutcheon lightly disports himself In
making these three cowardly, would-be
brave men seem absurd in the eyes of
his readers, and he makes some very
1aughable situations.
The mingling of the pretty part with
the ridiculous begins when Penelope
takes liking to the trespassing
neighbor, and in frolic mood trespasses
on hfj ground just to see what would
come of the adventure. Shaw, who has
sworn to retaliate on his enemies by
sternly preventing them from coming
on his land, takes Penelope's horse
by the bride and leads him and her
back to her brothers side of the line
as IL she had been a child. That scene
is prettily pictured by the artist.
Penelope says: so you are putting me
off yoCr place? Oh how lovely" Thus
the Irritation begins. Between Pencil
ope and Shaw it is just playing at
feud, and they call the border line the
frontier and they meet there many
times in merry war OF words. These
encounters, by the skillful strategy of
Dan Cupid. eventuate. via mild