The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-12

This reviewer does not know of any novelist who can excel Marjorie Bowen that Is, who is writing today--in the up- to-the-minute, first-class, breathless ad- venture story.
 In her latest story-this department not so long ago reviewed ''The Sword De- cides"-she Is a winner.
 There are times when we all, whether we admit 1t or not-wish an up-to-date daggers. 'S'death" and all that sort of novel.
 Marjorie Bowen can and does furnish the goods.
 If you are looking for excitement-of the best class-take a chance at '"The Leopard and the Lily" You will not lose, as the saying is.
 The charming part about Marjorie Bow ems novels Is simply that every one of them is clean, exciting-there is never an attempt to step down, as they say in editorial offices.
 On the contrary-ths latest story writ ten by Miss or Mrs. Bowen (the reviewer doesn't know which), Is really for those who care for excitement, clean, good, up- to-the-minute stories-just about the best obtainable here recently
 The scene of the story is laid in Brit tainy in the year of 1444-an awfully Ions time ago, of course. but it permissible time of the novel-the author to say that in 144Ehad been then invented or made mirrows or looking glasses. Let it go at that!
 There was a duke who was easily con vinced as to the wrong He had, as the reader can understand, 'favorite." Un- der the Dukes Jurisdiction there was charming woman who 'had never loved before"
 Having engaged herself to marry the Dukes brother-simply for reasons Of state-that is "get the money and having her fiancee sent to England-with a good old friend on the spot to watch out for richest estates in Brittainy-wasn't it aw fuj. Mabel. Kate or Lucy? Sure
 Of course, the heroine in the story is ''The Lily''-tae .I,eopard," we are told was chap that found it convenient or otherwise to go around bothering peo- pie. The Leopard had, of course, aw- fully red hair, and together with the friend who had been left In Brittany to look out for, if he could, the Dukes brothers interests, the poor chap-he him. self had been misunderstood'-make up this charming book, together, of course, with that imbecile Dukes "favorite" who was ever Johnny-on-the-spot, because he now wished to marry the Lily who had dead loads of money.
 This is really a tale of breathless ad- venture, of grim lawlessness and unbri-
 
 tiful and proud woman, loving one man, but betrothed to ''rhe Prince,' his best friend who was an English gentleman ad- venturer; La Rose Rouge"-the "Leop- ard" the embodiment of all that was fierce and crafty and brutal in the Mid dle Age nobleman. These really are the three main factors in this tense and swift moving drama-melodrama- you please
 This reviewer doesn't know of any writer than Miss Bowen who is at the present time doing any better writing, historical novel-those that are clean. up to historical facts than is Marjorie Bowen.
 Of course you may not care for per sonally "The Leopard and The Lily but the reading thereof kept this review CT awake for part of night-which Is something for such hardened reviewer as this one is.
 "Jason.". by Justus Miles Forman. (Har-
 per & Bros.)
 In "Jason' this reviewer thinks that MT. Forman has done the best work yet sent forth.
 For the movement Is rapid and the characterization is more than able. The Irish girl, Coria O'Hara, is more than a creation, to say nothing of the French hero, Ste. Marie, who, to be candid, Is more than 10 candle power-maybe the author didn't intend to be- as he wasn't in the book.
 The awful troubles in which Ste. Marie, the hero of this story, finds himself, while he is playing knight errant for Helen Benham,' are just to the 1000 candle power, and at the same time tho story is good exciting in the extreme, and the complications provided by the smooth captain, Stewart. provol<es and invents a mystery. The book is all right ''The Bill Peppers" by Andre Castaigne
 (Bobbs- Merrill Co.)
 Most of us know-who know anything all about Andre Castaigne's great talent as an artist. that Is the picture-sl<etching wing kind of artist and painter. But few of us knew that he could also write very entertaining book But he can! Note thus.
 Andre Castaigne published on September il book that Is unique. There have been attempts In the same direction. to be sure, but now for quite the first time frst-class hand has set itself to the task. and as a result we have a real authoritative word in fiction on the sub ject with which the author deals.
 This storysis to that great universal life of the variety the vaudeville, the ''continuous'' amusement what Murger's "Scenes of Bohemian Life" is to the Pa- risian Bohemia.
 This Is as book the life story of Lily. Lily the New Zealander on Wheels shaped by her father and her fathers blows into trick bicycle rider, until she becomes one of the great "bili toppers," that Is. headliners. It is supposed to be. and no doubt is. the faithful story of Lily's training, her temptations and her triumphs. of Trampy Wheel-pad and Jimmy, that most wonderful of all the sst,iIJ topnarc who Joved TiIv oa cb in his own way-of how she learned the meaning of sin-and how she proved herself above shining.
 For really. "The Bill Toppers," written about actors and all that sort of thing, with all its realism. is one of the most wholesome books of its day, reassuring one's belief in human nature and in the triumph of good in human lives. The story takes the reader into the in-