The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-17
Literary Lights And Shadovs
BY S. MAYS BALL.

''The Duchess of Dreams," by Edith
 Macvane. J. P. Lippincott company.
 Mrs J. Harrison Rumbold" of New port and Now York was u social climber. She had gone up the ladder of society just as fast as she could, Ion nothing more stable than her husbands gold and her own brass" so she looked around for other things which might boost her in the social game. outside of monkey dinners and so on. Mrs. Rumbold had met the Grand Duchess 'Varvara' of Russia the year before this story opens. The old husband of this Russian Grand Duchess having very kindly died, Mrs. Rumbold asks the widow to visit the former at Newport for a month. The Grand Duchess accepted and Mrs. Rum bold was by this dazzling stroke as- sured as one of the elect" All would have been well if the day before the ex- pected arrival of Grand Duchess Var yara Mrs Rumbold had not received a telegram from that charming widow ex- plaining that illness prevented her visit to Newport Tn the meantime. of course, Mrs Rumbold and her social secretary, Mr Willie Lushington had been arrang- ing dinners, dances and so on, for the 30- day visit of that charming woman. So Mrs. Rumbold and Willie Iushington were, to say the least, non-plussed How ever, just at this time there arrived on the scene a very pretty, attractive girl, daughter of French woman and Can adian father who had great deal or dramatic talent. This young woman' Angelique Hooper, was therefore 1ni- ployed by Mrs Rumbold to impersonafe the Grand Duchess Varvara, who had failed to keep her engagements. Ar gelique Hooper was hurried on yacht to New York, where Russian jewels clothes etc., were bought, returning the next day to Newport to take the part 2i the absent Grand Duchess. Everything went off delightfully the night of the great dinner-dance given by Mrs. Rum bold to introduce the Grand Duchess lnl- personated by Angelique Hooper the ssDuchess of Dreams" Everything would no doubt have continued to be all rlehl but at this dance was certain frllice Debreszin, a Hungarian, really Tn the eii', ploy of Russia, who quickly discovered that Miss Hooper was not the Graio Duchess and began to blackmall MISS Hooper to pay for his silence. Jack Bor- ridaile was a rich young American, who was in the diplomatic service or the United States The Duchess of Dreams' Miss Hooper, in the supposed representa- ton of Grand Duchess Varvara, fell Tn love with Jack Borridaile, and Jack fell in love with Angelique naturally ne simply could not have helped it, for the
 
 full and all that sort of thing. When Debreezin began to blaclSmail the false Grand Duchess one of the first demands made upon her was that she shouid ols- cover through her sweetheart, Jack BOT riddle, some secrets, known only by him in regard to a treaty then being prepareo by a commission between the Uniteo States and Japan. This Is the way the book, ''The Duchess of Dreams" begins ic good for an idle moment or two, nothing heavy about it. The book will please those who care for the smooth running of Love and his devotees, for Jack con tinues true to Angeliqre, even when ne finds out that she is trying to petrny him. Even after the story works itseff @out to show the deception of the false Grand Duchess, Jack Borridaile loves An gelique just that much more. Therefore the happy ending is there. The book will please the lovers of light literature. The book is handsomely produced by Lippin- colt, with frontispiece in color by MT. Alonzo Kimball.