The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-15


 against-the-law extent. But this re- viewer didn't.
 ''The Black Flier," by Edith McVane. Cdoffat, Yard & Co.)
 This book deals with the operations, carrying-ons and so forth of a motor car that. went shooting about the roads of the north of England at from GO to 100 miles an hour. Of course, if the car was stopped by a constable. 1t had been only travelling much less than eight miles an hour.
 There are many people in this book whose fates, interests, or what you will, are linked with the movements and so forth of the motor car, known as "The Black Flier." In fact, one might desig- nate the motor car in question as some- thing on the order of the first-aid-to-the- friendless or words like that.
 It is possible to catch the first sight of ''The Black Fler," when it was darting down the road, like, well-It depends upon whether you were driving or dodging the car to say like what. The car ran not over but near, say across a young gentle man who was in a very ridiculous eondi- ton, for he was laying in the road, rather broken up And it happened thusly:
 After ten years engagement during which he had accumulated a great for tune in a Montana copper mine or so, this young gentleman, Richard Sugden, has now returned to England to marry the fair and most delightfully."- beautiful young lady who has noble relatives and hardly anything else.
 It was just before the wedding, John and Richard discovered within a half hours time of the ceremony that there was mistake, something wrong at least with the marriage license. Thirty min utes go on apacinf if one doesn't watch out; there were no horses or anything to ride in the stables of the noble rela- tives of the bride-elect. Dick therefore starts out on foot to get the license cor rectly made out. Dick was in a hurry; he was red and perspiring (not ice, as some people do, either). When Dick made a cut across country, attempting to climb a hedge, his foot caught, he was thrown to the ground, so broken up physically he couldn't move. The book doesn't quote Dicks remarks after he fell-at least, true to life.
 Just then appears, as Dick thinks nat urally, in the nick of time, a great big motor car. driven by a lone. unpro- tected woman who surely would, when appealed to, help lover in distress. Dick was taken into the car; 1t started, Dick was not permitted to get out of the car-for all day the car races to the northward.
 An awful predcament for chap"who had a girl he loved ''Waiting at the Church." don't you think?
 Finally, although Richard doesn't know it, "The Black Horse and His Rider (gee, doesn't that take you back to high school daysY or correctly put, the black car with Dick and his lovely fe- male driver therein, crosses the line into Scotland. Now, listen to this, for 1t is the soul stirring portion of the book (and the author employs large spoon In the stir ring)
 Dick still broken up Is carried by the lovely female who drove the black fiier to an inn where she registers as "Mr. Scottish law, this makes the pair hus- band and wife. Good gracious! Think of poor Dick!
 The above are the beginnings of a se- ries of situations that rapidly gain mo- mentum in "The Black F1ier." It is not until the end of the book is reached that anyone will be able to correctly un- derstand as he or she should, Just Why poor Richard, who had one bride waiting for him, oh, so longingly-should have been Kidnapped by another lovely woman as poor Dick was. Some men are mighty lucky.
 Edith Mcvane is the author of another book which was quite while ago dis cussed In this department, "The Duchess of Dreams" '.The Black Flier'' was written, evi- 1 dently to please, give a certain amount of lady-like excitement to a jaded suf- ferer from the heat these days and te kill A bit of time. The volume will dc all of that.
 It Is a good book to read on the train"-is what '"The Black Flier' is- not much else.
 .'I.iving on a Little" By Caroline French Benton CDana Estes & Co.). This book is dedicated "To all those housekeepers, young and old, who are engaged in the delightful task of mak ing one dollar do the work of two.' | pretty large bunch of readers, then, the | book should have.
 Much of the present volume was pub | lished in Good Housekeeping" The book Is quite readable and un | doubtedly contains much valuable fn- | formation for the housekeeper, whether | she is living on little or much. 1 The author describes how the incom' l was divided; saving for staples, the kit
 chen and buying linen. How to arrang' l for meals cooking, dresses the table an' l dinner She discusses soups and meats vegetables, salads and desserts. Ther | is a chapter on breakfast, luncheon ant I supper-a bit of information dealing witl l odds and ends. The suggestions Tor al emergency closet-putting up winter pre- 1 serves, the making of cake and the gam | of menus One chapter tells of two din