New-York tribune., 1908-10-10
Literary .WesvS and Criticism

mean!
''The Sword of Dundee" is written throughout
with delightfully."- romantic fervor. The heroine
vounp Agnes Leslie of Auchnacarry, is drawn
to a certain extent from Flora Macdonald "A
mere girl she nevertheless has in her the heart
of one capable of fighting and dying Tor a great
cause. She hates the Hanoverian usurper with
a blazing hatred, and not only processes oeFo-
ton TO the Stuarts. in season and out Of season.
with bewitching audacity, but in the moment
which brings her the opportunity renders DARING
service to Prince Charlie The book rings WIN
gallant adventure but there is even more 10
attract the reader in the portrait OF Agnes. hei
presence is vividly felt in Miss Pecks snioothIy
written pages. The brave lassle sings anu
dances is tossed hither and yon by the sIoIflS
of '45, plays the dramatic part that Is aI
last assigned to her with dignity ana loiCe
scarcely to be expected of so frall hsure' anu
leaves. when all is said, the impression oI d
genuine human creature Her character is all
OF a piece She does in every chapter precISeiy
what such a pluclzy soul would do. Her win
eor,araes ton is not merely described; we do
nor have 70 take it on faith. In her modest way
che brings conviction. Miss Peck is ingenious
in the fashioning Of her historical framework
It is always there, yet ii is never ootruded-
Best of all, there is certain sweetness III 'ie
hook q sincerity not always found IN the To-
r,,ances of this type which are nowadays put
forth.
Il is its sincerity that makes "Cy Whitaker 5
place. attractive The story in which honeIy
sentiment is the prevailing motive may eaSliS
Iorsa into n,awkishness and artif1ciality- Mr.
Lincoln strikes no false notes his tale Is sim
,Iii+z, itself but as it develops it increases IN
weight and interest 1t is laid in what Wouio
ordinarily be an unpromislng scene. The un-
avan+fr,Iness of life in BaypOrt may be judged
from, this anecdote: There was once drum
,,er for a Boston notion house who spralheu
his ankle on the icy sidewalk in front OF SIM
roons's and was therefore obliged to remain III /
the front bedroom Of the perfect ooaroliS HouSe
for seven whole days. He is quoted as SaHin9
that next time he hoped he might oredN MS
mock" But when Cy Whitaker, who had run
o,.a,- +o sea in his youth, comes back III MS
middle years TO rescue the old homestead from
r,1in and find happiness among MS long neg
lected fellow villagers, he finds eNci'elIlenl
enough 10 keep him going for long t1lhe- d'e
b-i,eys q 1fttIe girl TO his door. she wins her
way to his heart and instead OF NegetalHns IL
RaI-nort he uses his energies in her Interests
r7besa are greater than the reader is at first
,l,or-ed IN guess A book which starts with no
obvious nlot discloses, as it proceeds, the eIe-
wants of a decidedly complicated situation MI
i,ooIn is TO be commended both for his clever
handling of this and for his admirable delhea-
tion Of a kindly old sea captain and other Amer
ican ty-pes. The artless humors OF his unassufn-
i,, ,,arsonages are capitally exploited II Is al
aropsing. and, here and there, touching book
~ 15eadon Hills story of 1.-The Epson A1ys-
-, = ba++er described in the subtitle A
Do with Ruin." fer the mystery IS poor
+ting hardly deserving the name. The reader
understands it all from the first; the detective
alone is puzzled Who killed poor Bessie Beck
fordo WHY. who. indeed. except that wicked
ord T5ooligan who has shaken off the holio"-
a-od female wreck" with the savage words
.s,lo1, vo71 Jolly well hook it. 1 was sick OF
,-o,1r nonsense a year ago; that's why chucked
Won" The female wreck, We are told. had once
believed herself the lawful wife Of this a"fui
peer. and now she sinks off into the DARKNESS
r,ut+erine threats of vengeance. OF course some
way must be found of stopping her mouth-and
the next day a womans body is discovered in
tho sorse at Fpsom on the throat is the i'm
press of a signet ring, which, when photo
praphed reveals q lion rampant. Mystery
nooh, But the race with ruin is Of the kind
calculated TO take your breath away. Beautiful
Nance Beauchamp and her blind father, gentle
folk but in sorely straitened circumstances are
managers of a little tipping sheet called Par
ker's Lightning Finals and one day Nance,
choking down her pride, goes hravely out TO
Epson Downs to witness the trial Of Starlight, a
favorite colt. What happens? Starlights own
er, Sir Charles Roylance, her girlhood's sweet
heart. recognizes her; and, little dreaming Wnat
her business there might be- asks wherever had
she kept herself all these years, and might he
renew the old intimacy once more? What
makes the scene especially embarrassing for our
heroine is the fact that Hooligan is eavesdrop-
ping Is not anything then possible? The read
er must go to the book Itself TO find out. and he
will do so If he is fond of 'thriners.'