The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-03
BOOK REVIEW AND
MAGAZINE NOTES

i q y
FRIDAY, TILE T1IinTEENT1J. A Novel.
BY Thomas W. lawson Published BIS
Doubleday, Page g. Co., OF New YORK.
PIP. 226.
Mr. lawson has chosen Rchnond'
man to bo the principal hero of his novel
and u Virginia woman to be Its heronie.
The story is told by james Randolph,
OF the great New York firm Of Randolph
&c Randolph for generations n ruling
power In Wall street, and yet flrr,
concerning which james Randolph makes
this statement. "As the survivor OF my
great father and uncle, / can say, my
Maker MS my Witness, that Randolph e
Randolph have never loaned n dollar of
their millions ut over legal rates, SIX per
cent. per nnnum; have never added to
their hoard by any but fair, square b,lsi-
ness methods; and that blight of blghts.
frenzied finance. has yet to find n lodg-
Ing place beneath the old ck-and gold
sign that father and uncle nailed up with
their own bands over the entrance"
James Randolph, after making this OK
PLANTATION. goes on to tell that his class-
mate and chum Mt Harvard has been
Bob Browlley. Of Richmond. Va, the
class poet. After II brief reference to the
afflnence Of his own people he adds:
"'fhe Brownlcys were as poor as church
mice. but they had the brilliant viril.
blood of the old Southern oligarchy and
tho romantic, 'salnarn -to-lio-one' Dixie
like pride OF before the war days, when
Southern prodigality and hospitality were
found wherever women We're fair and
mems mirrors In the bottom of their
tulep -glasscs. I3ob's father Mad gone
through Congress and the Senate of his
country To the tune of spend and not
Hparc,' which left Ills widow and three
younger daughters ind n small son de-
pendent upon Bob, his eldest
1t Is easy to see from the trend OF
James Randolphs feeling that as he
wishes, Bob Brownley enters the office
OF Randolph & Randolph at the same
time that James does. and soon comes to
represent the firm on the floor OF the
Stock Exchange.
Subsequently when James Randolph's
father dies and leaves his fortune. and
n two and n half million income to his
son. Bob Brownley has paid back, witt
interest, the price of "a seat In the Stock
Exchange and has, besides what he sends
to his mother q snug fifty thousand to
his credit on Randolph Randolph's
books.
The reader having followed his success :
ful career to this point might naturally
think that Bob Brownley ought to fill out
the chapter by marrying and continuing
is through this same Bob BROMLEY that
the tragedy OF the book comes about.
When James Randolph has wife
and a home and persuadcs his FRIEND
to follow his example, Bob BROMLEY
laughs and declares that he has gamb.
ling microbes, beducathed him by his
grandfather in his blood, and that he
is not yet quite safe enough to essay
lnatrimony.
Five years later he meets his fate.
Miss Beulall Sands, daughter of Judge
Lee Sands, of Sands's Landing, Va.
appears one day in the New York Of
Ace or Randolph &s Randolph and in
vokes Brownley's aid and interest on
the score of old Virginia neighborli-
ness and ACQUAINTANCE. She is de-
scribed as being very beautiful, with
remarkable blending of English fair
ness with Andalusian tints, and with
lcvely eyes--"large, full, very gray
very blue. vivid witheall the glamor
of her personality, full of smiles and
tears an spirituality and passion"
Miss Sands's father has been ruined
hopelessly In so far as his own for
tune and about million dollars o.
trust funds that he controls. are con-