New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-01
Literary Nese,s and Criticism
strongly to youth than to its moro ex-
acting elders.

strongly to youth than to its moro ex-
acting elders.
When an Englishman returns to Eng
land from India stealthily and sends to
his old pal a mysterious message to
meet him in the dark of night we know
that he is the possessor of some native
secret or document or treasure and that
the possession spells danger TO him. per-
hars death And we also know that his
dear old friend will inevitably be drawn
into the mess and logged by mysteri-
Gus, dark-slzinned strangers. 1t is thus
In The Game of the Golden Ball.
whose authors complicate the stealthy
ways of the inscrutable East with the
stored craft and violence OF italy,
heritage Of the days of the Borslas.
The authors of this story have bestowed
a great deal Of ingenuity upon its con-
struction, making new combination
out of varied materials that are not
altogether original in themselves, and
they succeed in keeping their secret to
the very last They are somewhat vague
Venice-they do not venture into India
hut that does not matter so much, since
thus they heighten the effect of mys-
terry. The book is apparently nrst
venture. Its authors should DO better
by and by, one would Judge from their
evident knack of constructing q plot
Mr.. Hazard has brought together In
'~The House on Stills" enough sensa-
tional and improbable material for half
a dozen shilling shockers- The scene is
an island in the Caribbean, nomlnally
under the Spanish flag. but the authority
Of the governor does not extend beyond
the settlement on the shore. In the IN
terror a tribe of Voodoo worshlpplng
negroes holds sway under the rule or
a yellow queen who is called the
Daughter of the Mountain. the said
mountain being an active volcano.
Among the degraded blacks there is
nonastery-the House on Stills
habited by an order of silent monks
sun worshippers. supposedly surviva!
from Aztec days. To this lovely spot
there come an American newspaper man
and an American detective IN search Of
2 fugitive defaulter. They are hospi-
ABLY received by the American Consul,
who has a beautiful daughter. Things
begin to happen immediately. mysterious
things and violent and treacherous ones.
for are there not Spaniards there as
well as Voodoo priests? The book fails
to produce the illusion that Rider nag
gard. for instance, can create with ma
tertal OF this kind. It is crude, and ap-
peals only TO q most primitive taste In
even sensational reading.
MI McCutcheon's latest story is some
what of a departure. American circus
life IN the 70's. before the railroad
show had yet been organized, is the
background of 1.-THE Rose In the Ring"
a tale whose plot IS too complicated to
be outlined here. Suffice It TO say that
young F. T. V, wrongly accused Of
the murder % HIS grandfather, joins the
circus and escapes arrest disguised as
a clown The real murderer is villain
number one. But under the canvas Of
the caravan there turks villany, too, as
well as kind hearts that are more than
coronets-in fact, there are three VIII
lains in the proceedings, with minor
colored one for good measure, not to
forget a pic1pocket who supplies comic
relief He "divvies" with the circus
proprietor The historic cry, Hey
Rube." is heard I'm these pages, in which
high devotion TO pure womanhood and
budding love also have their place and
part. It is all in the NTcCutcheon man
ner, handily put together. to make most
satisfactory reading matter for the null
titude. The pictures of the circus life
and the kind hearted circus folk are at
tractively done. But the author would
have done well to have chosen another
title. He ought not 20 have skirted 30
close, especially with a tale of this scrt
10 one peculiarly beloved by readers Of
Thackeray.