The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-03
The Coast Of Chaae''
b: Esther and Lucia lChsnberls
hF Bobhe- Merrill company.

- b: Esther sno Lucia Chamberlain Published
ey Boohs Merrill COMPANY. Indianapolis.
Price $50.
The first remarkable thing about
tH5E novel. By The Chamberlains is that
~ is a San Francisco novel and it does
not: even mention the earthquake. For
that Allah be praised,
o. The story is supposed TO be a nys-
,tery story with a psychological sug-
Sestion running through it. AS to the
:Inystery II fails. for the criminal is
plainly Indicated almost from the first
mention Of him Barring this weak
ness the hook is we'll done.
The heroine, Flora Gilsey. is a rich
orphan. daughter OF q nobody who had
struck Il" in the mines She has
paid chsperon living with her. z woman
of."vhofn she has an instructive dis
trust but who has successfully piloted
her to an assured position in society
The: title for the book is found in the
hsroine's reflections at an exhibition
% paintings given at q club. Looking
over society" as IL stands around her
she is. pictured thus
She could recall a time when she
had not even been quite sure OF her
clothes Not Clara's subdued rustic
AZ her. SIDE could make her doubt them
now, but her security was still recent
enough to be sometimes conscious Of
itself. II was so short & time since
all these talking groups that made a
parsonage of her had had the power
70 put her quite out OF countensnce.
The women who craned over their
shoulders to speak to her-how hard
she had had 10 work TO make them see
her at all And now-she did not know
which she felt more like laughing at
herself or them, for having taken It so
seriously. For when one thought OF
Il, wasn't il absurd that people out OF
nowhere should suppose themselves ex-
ciuetve2 And people out Of nowhere
they were. herself and all the rest Of
them. From causes not far dissimilar
they had drifted or scrambled TO. where
they now stood IT was 3 question Of
souatter rights. The first on the
ground we're dictators and how long
they could hold. their claim against
invaders a. dubious cast OF fate. For
there were forever fresh fnvssions and
departures. swift risings from obscur-
ity,- sudden fallings back into oblivion,
brilliant shootings through OF strange
rleteors, and IN the tide Of huctuation
the things that were established or
trsoitionsl upon this coast OF chance
wee mere islands in the wash OF
ocean. Il was amazing, ii was almost
frightening, the fluid, unstable quality
or .iife, the. rapid, inconsequent changes.
ye- X was also this very quality Of
transformation that most stirred and
delighted her"
Flora IS with her chaperon and her
6snce. q young man who has not lived
very long in san Francisco but who ap-
pears Ito know everybody and TO have
an excellent social position. The after
noon before there had been e private
view in the maple room" Of the effects
OF Mrs Elizabeth Hunter Chstworth,
who with her husband had been killed
while on their honeymoon in the Alps.
Society turns out 10 this private view
Tor the auction is scheduled for the
next day. During this view the most
valuable and famous thing in. the whole
collection disappears II is ring like
? bit or an old gold heather god curled
round himself with his head. which
was mostly two yellow sapphires, be-
tween his knees and Z big blue stone
on top. Soft yellow gold. so fine you
could almost dent II. And carved. Even
through z glass every line OF ii is
right.
Flors's hsnce has told her all about
the ring, and this evening al the club
Its remarkable disappearance is more
the subject OF conversation than are
the pictures which they have come to
see. Later at supper q Judge Butler and
his daughter and an Englishman called.
Kerr and several others Join them. and
E story is tolo Of a criminal at one time
famous in England named FarraIl
Wand. too clever to be called an or
dinsTy pickpocket. but that was the ma
ture of his business. It appears that
the judge IN travelling had seen the
man being taken on board a steamer
and with travellers idle curiosity has
snapper him with his camera. The
rest OF the novel has 10 do with the
producing Of the picture and the ring.
The peculiar effect which the sapphire
appears 20 have upon all who come
near il seems At times a strain on the
credulities, but probably some people
woui5 be affected IS the heroine was.
The story holds the interest all
authors have not disposed OF all the
ends OF their skein. The extinguishing
OF Clara Britfon. the paid chaperon,
TO happen TO her. Then the minor
characters in the book are not even
puppets-they are scarcely more than
names-they should have something
real TO do with the story. Most of the
descriptive passages are poor: there is
such an evident striving for unusual
expression and It is so successful al
times that ali sense Is lost One would
like 10 have the expression deep bos-
omed trees" explained, and isn't
''hideous coffee" more than an unusual
expression2
The book is well bound. with picture
o. the ring On the cover and some ex-
csllent illustrations through II by Clar-
suce 7. Underwood.