New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-04
TWO SOULS IN ONE BODY
The Story Of a Woman in a Queer
.Predicament.

THE INVADER. By Margaret L. Woods Emo.
PIP 3l9 Harper Bros,
THE sIAMESE CAT. BY Henry Miner Rideoqt
Cure Philips q co.
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE CASE CASE The E5pee -
defective Police, Edited BY Albert Keyser j, Il
Philadelphia j. B. Lippincott Company.
The heroine Of The Invader" is certainly
soreIy tried individual. When she first appears
she is a pretty young student at oxford. work
ing hard but not unwilling TO let her thoughts
dwell from time to time on a man who IS plainly
in love with her At dinner party she hears
talk Of a certain rather too yivacious ancestress
This ought easily to be forgotten, but presently
when friend tries to tide her over an attack
Of Mysteries by hypnotizing her into slumber, the
soul of the ancestress aforesaid enters the poor
childs defenceless body, and henceforth she Is
embarrassed by the possession Of two personali-
ties When of these is in the ascendant the
other is quite unconscious of what is going on
so il is necessary for Miss FlaXman To adjust
one slice of life to the next, to say. trusting
TO fate to her from disaster. After she
has been married for some little time her other
self takes charge and bewilders the unfortunate
husband For weeks end the heroine carries
on a desperate Irritation with who finally
proposes that she should elope with him, but
at this critical moment she turns upon him eyes
I
bewilderment over his insolent words. bites his
hand and runs home 10 tell her husband how
grossly she has been insulted. Obviously a
woman so circumstance is bound to get gravey
entangled sooner or later. and Mrs Woods pur-
suing her scheme to it's logical conclusion, lands
her afflicted heroine IN situation of revolving
misery. tragic exit is the only one possible
and this is duly provided The story is told well
enough. The author succeeds in making a very
plausible blend of everyday realism and esoteric
mystery. But the mystery viii not bear re-
fective consideration. There is a certain
amount of nonsense about "The Invader"
1.-THE Siamese Cat" is a capital extravaganza
in which a pretty romance is interviewer with
episodes of wickedness and danger. The hero
is a young American in the East who falls in
love at first sight with girl met by accident,
and then lost sight of for several months
When the two meet again they are promptly in
volved in the purchase of a Siamese cat. THIS
ought not to lead to trouble bu. there are
reasons why the cat is to be transformed into
a kind of storm centre. Explanations could
easily be made by one Giles Borkman a courier
travelling about with Miss Laura Holborrow
and her aunt; but he being villain VIII throw
no light upon the mystery that only too soon
envelops the cat. On the contrary, he hovers in
the background and does all he to make
matters worse, so tnat IN que course MASTER
Owen Scarlet finds himself walking in peril OF
his life. II would spoil the readers pleasure to
give him even hint to the relation between
the cat and Mr.. Borkman's diabolcal intrisues.
All that we need say is that 1.-THE Siamese Cat
is a brief and spirited narrative disclosing an
inventive faculty in Mr.. Rideout and in fact, an
aptitude which is full of promise.
The subtitle of THE Truth About the Case"
Mr Keyzer's preface. and the manner In which
the tales in the book told, all go to suggest
that the book records episodes actually expert
enced by a veritable member of the Partisan de-
tective force. Authors OF detective stories are
nowadays so ingenious, however. In putting
their work together. that we must dismiss the
question as to whether the stories Of M. Goron's
exploits are true or false. 1t does not matter
The main thing is that the adventures mere en-
countered arc sufficiently dramatic to keep the
reader Interested Dark crimes are committed.
or they are upon the verge OF getting themselves
committed Appeal is made to NJ. Goron. He
stands while in thought. Then. Following the