The San Francisco call., 1909-12-26
"When a Man Marries"

"When a Man Marries"
Circular Staircase" THE Nan in Lower
eren." etc Published by Bobbs Merrill COM
pany, Indianapolis. Price $3.50.
We refuse to be surprised any more
by Mary Roberts Rinehart. We simply
accept her as she is; one of the most
versatile writer's in America today;
one of the very few women with
keen sense of humor and such master
of clever and witty dialogue that she
rivals the king himself in that-An-
thony Hope Hawkins. Readers who
enjoyed The Circular Staircase" and
THE Man in Lower Ten" will of course
expect a. mystery from their authors
pen. and they will not be disappointed;
there is a mystery here and its solu-
tion Is saved until the very end. There
is a charming love story, and humor--
every page is filled with humor.
Jimmy Wilson and his wife are di-
vorced, though why in heavens name
1t would be difficult to determine. for
they are still hopelessly In love with
each other. On the anniversary OF the
divorce he meets his old friend Kit"
who tells tho story, and she tries to
cheer him up by suggesting that he
collect a. few congenial spirits at his
house for dinner. No sooner said than
done. The party is assembled when
suddenly Jimmy is plunged into cold
terror by the fact that his Aunt
Selma" is passing through the city and
is coming to him for four hours be-
tween trains. Jimmy : is dependent
upon his aunt for everything-his
house-his luxuries-and he has care
fully kept his divorce from her. for
she wouldn't stand for it for minute
Jimmy in despair begs her to play
Mrs. Wilson" before Aunt Selma, to
save him, and finally gains grudging
consent.
During dinner the Japanese butler,
who has been behaving queerly, is sud
denly taken III and is removed as a
smallpox suspect and the house and
It's inmates placed under quarantine.
The most extra ordinary complications
ensue, not the least of which is the
discovery of Bella, the divorced wife.
She has come to the house perhaps
to seek a reconciliation. but can not
escape any more than the real guests.
A policeman is also found asleep In
the cellar and he, too. for all his star
and brass buttons. must stay Strange
thefts occur-a pearl necklace, a dia-
mond bracelet and other things dis
appear and the guests fall to suspect
ing each other.
This remarkable party of society
people, deserted by servants, must take
care of themselves for a week. There
are IL of them and they almost hate
each other before that time is up One
can not but remark how successful
such a story would be dramatized, and
news has just come from New York
that under the title Seven Days" it
has just been produced at the Astor
theater
Harrison Fisher has made for the
book FIVE full page Illustrations in his
usual good style. reproduced in color,
and Mayo Bunker contributes pen and
ink sketches throughout the book
which add much to the pleasure of
reading.
Marie Of Already is a pleasing lit
tie romance, the main events of which
take place in Bayou Bienvieu, basin
on the lower Mississippi. The people
are the simple Cajan tribe, the descend
ants of a band of French peasants, ex-
He'd from Arcadia years before by the
English. There is scarcely any plot
to the little tale It is a rather
sketchy account of these simple people.
a people of small farms and largo
loves Marie drifts into the settle
ment from no one knows where and
is taken care OF by Felicie Sauterre.
Quite unintentionally she wins the love
of Alum Noise, who has loved Felicie
until MARIE s ADVENT. Ile autnOr, r.
Hewes Lancaster, makes it all come out
right in the end. but the chief enjoy
ment is the delightful French flavor
given to the whole story. The dialect
even is fascinating and the author has
made a charming picture for the gall
lery of unusual American types The
author is known by short stories, but
this long one gives him an assured
place in the literature of the day.
(Small. Maynard & Co., Boston. s125.)
Frances M. A. Roe. the wife of an
army officer who spent the years from
1871 to 1888 in one post or anocher
of what was then the western from
tier wrote during that time lstters
to her friends and relations in the east
These she has now collected and Sc
lected the best and 1t makes an IN
teresting story of life on the plains in
those exciting days. In a brief fore
ward she says the scenes she pictures
are quite true, "of life that has
passed-as has passed the buffalo and
the antelope-yes. and the log and
adobe quarters for the army Apart
from the historic value of these let
ters they are interesting and exciting
from a purely narrative standpoint.
They are well written and fine "out
of doors spirit breathes Through them
all. They are decidedly worth pub
fishing and reading. C..Army Letters
From an Officers Wife" d. Appleton