The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-14

THE PRICE or SILENCE. BY NJ. =;
NJ Davis. Houghton. Milflin and
Company, Of Boston, Mass pub
fishers. Pages ESQ; $l.50.
Mrs. Davis is we'll known as a most
interesting and realistic writer of
Southern stories. particularly of stories
with a Louisiana or New Orleans en-
yironmcnt.
..rhe Price of silence is n striking
cxemplifcation of her peculiar abilities
and talents.
shown by the way in which she depicts
Madame Nemours de Laussan, q type
of the old French arlstocracy in New
Orleans by the manner e, in which ~ she l',
u. S. A.. by her delineation of Slrene
and Hercule: by the skill in contrast.
with which she presents the little child,
Mathlde de Laussan. lying asleep in
the midst of war and tumult; by the
dramatic power with which the part
ing between Madame dc Laussan and
her only son, Pierre. is described.
All this Il; achieved in the first few
pages Of the book shortly after the
war which rent the Confedcracy. was
begun. The dropped thread OF the
story IS picked up years later but
f, still in New Orleans.
Madame de Laussan, widowed and
| childIess, is still a figure around which
many interests centre The younger
tho little Mathilde, pictured in the
beginning, and Of her husband,~ Rich
ard Darlington, Il Virginian. Both
| parents are now dead and Noemle Laus-
her home with Madame de Lnussan, as
her mother before her had done.
Maxine Allard, of the United States
army. son of Colonel Fcrnand, Con-
| fedcratc veteran. Is the hero.
| Tho book is full of tho color. the life
| and the romance Of past and present
New Orleans, the incidents, vivid and
interesting to degree.
Tho episode of the dinner party and
oc Major Grandchamps with his refer
cnces to "daus letcmps"; the plantation
| party at "Lady's Rule with the twang
/ of the violin. and the rhythmic melody
! of the negro songs; the hunt for the
| Lafayette sword and its fictitious and
| real finding; the trials and suffcrngs
OF Noemle and her lover and their final
things that render THE Price OF 81
! lcnce" an uncommonly fine romance. i.
TIE GIANTS STRENGTH. BY Basi
King. Harper 4 Bros, OF New York
publishers, through the Bell Bool
and Stationery Company of Rich
mond, PIP. s41. $50
one Of The moas of t
character drawing setting ana incl
dents beng alike quite perfect.
Paul Trafford. an enormousl!
| wealthy American, Is The Giant" o
/ tue nook, ms strength rs may ne feiu
| lily inferred lying in his money power
! He has a beautiful daughter, Paula
the youngest of his children and til,
only one left to him, this being ii
whom Is centred his love and his pride
When the book opens the entire Trar
ford menage, including, beside the mem
bcrs already mentioned, Mrs. Trafford
mere. and MI and Mrs. George Traf
ford--the former being Paul Trafford'
nephew ana confidential secrctary--ar,
| at Monte Carlo. The Duke of wilt
shire. fiance Of Paula Trnfford. and hi
sister are also at Monte Carlo TIL
: Duke Is one Of the most attractive per
sonages in the book, and is represcnte
as Il man of the highest standards an
tho finest type Of his class. Through
ont the entire development of the story
he IS consistently everything that til
most fastidious analyst of human ma
! ture could demand.
AT Monte Carlo Paula Trafford meet.
/ through the Duke OF Wiltshire, a
name is Roger WinsRip. She IS in
terested In the man, but is puzzled owe
tho familiar sound OF his name, Whe
she discussed the matter with Georg
Traiford, she finds out that Winshi
Is the son OF Il man, whose fathc
(-lad been driven to tho wall and i'm
. povcrslled by hor father, Paul Trni
! ford. because Winahip had the temerit
: to oppnec Trafford in business and flgI
= for wi,,tt he felt to be his Independence
Winsh!p's death followed his failur
q His widow, y daughter and the so
Roger, already referred to were no
Il gained success as q portrait paintt
II nv had work 4