The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-27

pouring in, men, women and children. Now and then an open fuedsman with Winchester passed md many a man was belted with cartridges for the big pistol dangling at his hlp.'
 Judd Tolliver, June's father. was the nominal head of his clan. His nephew. Dave Tolliver loved June, and began to hate John Hale so soon as the latter became interested in the pretty little girl.
 John Hale, after having some busi- ness dealing with Judd Tolliver in- duced the latter to send June to school at Big Stone Gap. Afterward June vas sent at Hale's suggestion to a small city, then to a finishing school in New York, to return later to her mountain home of course an entirely different young person. She loved Hale and Hale loved her; it was understood that these two were to be married, but after June's last return to the mountains there were of course the necessary mis- understandings between the lovers that always occur in books and are pretty apt to be scheduled in life.
 And the Lonesome Pine; He had seen the big pine when he first came to those hills-one morning at daybreak when the valley was a sea of mist that threw soft clinging spray to the very mountain tops; for even above the mists that morning it's mighty head arose-sole visible proof that the earth still slept beneath. Straightway he wondered how 1t had ever got there so far above the few of its kind that haunted the green dark ravines far below. Some whirlwind doubtless had sent a tiny cone circling heavenward and dropped it there The Lone- some Pine the mountaineers called it q ba Ton al VT9 Y to be. From the beginning 1t had a curious fascination for him and straightway within him-half exile that he was-there sprang up sympathy for it as for something that was hu- man and a brother"
 June loved the Lonesome Pine, too. The Lonesome Pine was busy, so to speak, in helping June and Hale to understand each other.
 It was found advisable when the boom came to the gap to organize a vigilance committee with Hale at its head. The committee was obliged to arrest and secure the conviction of Bad Rufe Tolliver, who had killed a Falin. Judd Tolliver leaves soon after for the west, taking June with him, but not before Hale whips his rival, Dave Tolliver, in a rough and tumble fight. June comes back to Lonesome Cove
 
 while Hale struggles to save Something from the wreck of the bursted-boom- days. The beautiful love story is there i; none better any place.
 "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" is the best work MT. Fox has yet done. Most readers are familiar with his pre- vious stories, and should by all means read this latest novel from his really gifted pen.
 MT Fox knows the mountaineers of whom he writes so deligh tfully and it does seem quite an unnecessary and uncalled-for criticism to make in re- gard to June, namely the possibility of her awakening as it were after leaving the mountains from an uncouth, bare footed girl to a dainty, petite, charming woman of the world, In such a sh ort time too But it all makes such a de- lightful story. MT. Fox was thinking when he wrote of June, no doubt, of the charming Mrs. Fox (nee Fritzie Scheff). But southern boys-Mr Fox is one-know that going barefooted does mot decrease the size of ones feet as seemed to be the case with June. But all that doesn't make any mat ter. The matter is that "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" is one of tic most delightful books you can find any place. Don't miss it, if you care for the good things