The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-10
NEW BOOKS.
TOP Pisee or . Dixon TrIsEy,


That literary monument, Mr.. Thomas
Dixon. Jr.'s. trilogy Of stories In honor Of
tho Kuklux Khan, finds itsslf completed
with the appearance Of The Traitor"
Doubleday, Page Il Co... The chronology
Of this tale In q littls pu&xling. John Ora
ham. hsro OF the tale and chief or Grand
Dragon OF the Kuklux Khan, was 30 years old
when. on a June evening In the year 1870.
he sought 20 effect an entrance INTO his
ancestral homo. The story ays Of this
home: The Graham house had always been
. showplaoe In the TOW Of Independence
IN. C.l. Built In isso by Johns grand
father. Robert Graham. tho eccentric son
Of Col. John Graham Of Revolutionary fame.
II was q curious mixture Of Colonial and
French architecture. Tho French touches
we're tributes 10 tho HuGuenot ancestry of
his Grandmother Ths story also speaks
Of . family vault In o corner OF the door
yard. IL says: Popular tradition said that
Robert Graham had loved his frail Huguenot
bride with passionate idoiatry, and antioi-
pattng her early death had constructed this
vault
Now, II was Johns grandmother who
received thess delicate attentions. archi-
tectural and mortuary. and che was q bride
In is%o. tho year In which John wss born.
John was tipsy when he trisd TO enter the
hons OF hs ancestors IN 1870. Hs had
difficulty with the froot gate. This he
overosms. a. his strong way was with
dinhoultiss. "A vicious lureh against the
gate smashsd- the latch and he fell hsavily
insids.' He sat On . rustic bench and
looked about upon the ancient estate Of the
0rahams. is<0-is70. He thought back
fhSn,twk chat Inn~ xt~ta ~ >~l~-fnA auA
consecrating years. Tender memories OF
meath these trees he had spsnt tho hsppisst
days OF life-the charmed life Of the old
regime. He could nee o the stately
form Of his mother moving among ito boz
wood walks directing the work OF her
slaves. He had not been there before since
the day her body was carried from the
hall i've years ago and laid to rest In tho
family vault in the far corner Of the lawn.
An. that aw full dayi Could he ever for
get II? The day old Butler brought his
deputy marshals and svicted his father and
mother from the home they loved as
life itself!'-the old home with its Colonial
and French touches and Huguenot memories
and handy cemetery.
Old Butler. the ueurpsr, the present 90
cupant Of the historic mansion. was o scala
wag Judge OF that Infamous period. John
went into the house presently. and standing
In the great hall near tho secret door OF tho
underground passage leading to the family
q aid to old Butler: Were I the pact
maeter Of every language OF earth, past
master OF all the dead tongues Of the ages.
a genius in the use OF every epithet the rage
OF man ever spoke. still words would have
no power to express my contempt for youi'
As the Judge did not fall on HE chair, John
added. 1T Is with peculiar personal pleas
ure that I now brand you TO your fsce-
coward. liar, perjurer. theft II was i'm
mediately after this that Stella Butler, the
Judges daughter, the heroine Of the story.
burst into the hall with a joyous shout.
why" she cried, sits the famous Mr.. John
Graham introduce me, quickl" The Judge
refused to perform an introduction, 50
Stella, with a ripple Of girlish laughter
walked over TO John inc said: "Mr. Ora
ham. permit me to introduce myself. Stella
Butler" We are told that John .ternnnersd
incoherently a. he took her dsinty little
hand.
Thirty years were required to mellow the
Graham ancestral mansion, but John was
mellowed instantly. We read that never
had he touched a hand 80 warm and tender
and 30 full of vital magnetism" We read
further that never had he seen a vision of
such bewildering lovtliness." Her hair was
raven black. Her cheeks were ripe peach
red Her brown eyes beamed through
heavy lashes. Her dress' I've hold this
to be a sacred matter and we must quote
exactly showed the perfection Of good
taste and careful study-a yellow satin
trimmed In old lace that fitted her rounded
little figure without a wrinkle. dainty feet
In snow white stockings and bow tipped
slippers that peeped In and out mischiev-
ously IA she walked" II required only a
m for John 10 possess himself OF a
complete understanding Of Stella. Perhaps
the reader will agree with IL. Gould IL be
possible, we read that John thought, that |
a girl Of such extraordinary beauty, Of such
remarkable character, ~ such appealing
manners, could nave been born OF such a |
father" Her appealing mot sppallins)
manners involved a low voice that stirred
much in Johns memory. At page iis we
may hear this voice addressing old Butler
In soft cadences. IF you are my father" |
1t says, you are a poltroon and a coward
Don't you call me dar,ingl Don't you dare |
to speak TO me againl I'll cave this house |
and blot your very name from my memory"
1t made old Butler stagser. As he feebIy
tried to recover himself Stella stamped
her foot, turned n bounded up the stairs |
n into her room, slammed the door and
began to scream." Johns conclusion was |
right. These manner we're distinctly ap- !
pealing. They appealed to old Butler 20
powerfully that he had 10 give in. A soon |
As he had done II Stella subsidized and ate a
hearty supper.
We shall not relate the painful md dire
matters In the story. The reader must
learn from tho book how the noble Kuklux |
Khan expired with grand and high oere-
mony. and how old Butler was taken on by
carp~etbagging assassins, who made use
OF The subway connected with the family
vault. All trilogies are monumental, but
none Of them. In our opinion. can measure
with the one Of which this tale is the apex.
The Traitor" straddles high, surrounding
he does The Clansman," that stupen-
dous middle section OF the monument. and
that basic Atlas Of the structure. The