Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-02

rests upon the hero Mr. Clark is not adj
verse to the traditional style OF villain,
the smooth, suave, persuasive man OF large
affairs who fools everybody but the few
discerning ones whom the author takes
into his confidence. Mr.. Clark's charac-
ter work is somewhat broadly done but
the story moves briskly and logically to
an exciting climax.
THE SNARE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
BY Edith e. Buckley. illustrated by
Arthur e. Becher. Boston: Little.
Brown & Co.
Can a man be his own murderer? Nor
morally speaking, but physically. Can
he kill himself and live to suffer the sus-
picion of being his own slayer? This, in
way, is the theme upon which this
exceptionally adroit and well written
novel is constructed. Whether the CEN
trail figure Of the narrative is Peter
Somhers. Philander Summerfield or Mr..
La Cour becomes involved in such a
maze of complexity and contradiction
and possibility that the reader is In sheer
curiosity drawn to the concluding page
But there is stronger motive than
curiosity to cause the full reading, for
the story has decided literary qualities
in addition to its other merits. 1t is a
keen psychological study and analysis Of
human motive and emotion, and presents
a problem of soul torture beyond the
range of the usual detective story"
THE RED HOUSE ON ROWAN
STREET. BY Roman Doubleday. au-
thor Of 1.-The Hemlock Avenue Mys-
terry" etc. Illustrated by William
kirkpatrick. Boston: Little. Brow
& Co.
When Hugh Burton stepped from the
train at High Ridge-these are the au-
thor's own words-he had little concept
of the complicated mission into which he
was advancing. He was on literally a
fools errand, sort of Miles Standish
role of romantic intercession having been
assigned to him by the doting mother OF
a rejected swain. That, however, seemed
mild occupation compared to that into
which he was quickly plunged upon dis
covering that the beautiful girl upon
whom the unrequited affections of his
own friend had centered was herself in
great distress owing to the fact that her
father and her brother were suspected by
their fellow townsmen of being engaged
in series of atrocious misdeeds and
dangerous practices. Burtons mission
the names of both father and son, and
his quest for the truth led him into some
remarkable experiences. which MT. Dou-
bleday describes dramatically and with
strong plausibility. The denouement Is
unusually strong, the reader being caught
entirely off his guard by the wholly log
ical and reasonable solution of the mys-
terry. Of course there is a scent of orange
blossoms in the air when the last page
is reached. no well regulated detective
story having concluded without invok-
ing the assistance of Cupid.
THE DUKES PRICE. BY Dementra
and Kenneth Brown. illustrated by
A. G. Learned. Boston: Hough-
ton Miff1in Company.
So inconceivable was 1t that foreign
nobleman in the traditional need of
money, and seeking it by matrimonial
means in America, should marry for love
as well as for cash. that the beautiful
young woman in this case. chosen for title
bestowal and the saving of an ancient
French estate from breaking load or
debt heaped upon it by an extravagant
ancestor, was unable to regard her huS-
band. despite her affection for him, in
any other light than d mere fortune hunt