The San Francisco call., 1910-09-25
"The Lonely Lovers"

By Horace c. W. Newte author of "spsr-
rows Published By Mitchell Ksnnerly.
New York Price S1.5O.
When "Sparrows" last wear created
so much discussion and almost became
best seller Mr. Newte's readers
watched for his next book with a real
interest The Lonely Lovers" was
announced and the title reused the
curiosity which may now be gratihed.
Tor the book is here 1t is book
more than usually difficult to handle
IN a newspaper review. for the story
hangs upon a subject not usually dis
cussed in the public prints. In outline
the tale is as follows:
John Pallion and his wife Marjorie
are having a discussion about the dou-
bic standard of morals. She asks him
What ne would think OF a woman who
had made misstep prior to her mar
rage and he replies cOndemning her
saying he could never forgive it,. Later
in the day she packs her things and
leaves him. telling him in note that
the case she had put to him was her
own and that she does .aat care to live
with such priggish biTct as he Is
Pallion had not loved Ei- wife deeply
enough to allow this incident to wreck
his life, so he set himself up in cham
bers in town and tried to forget home
comforts He is technically faithful to
his wife, not from love. but moral
~ AHNAR4Cs O0t dI ldSL ne Cdu SldnQ IL
no longer and for a few short weeks
carries on an affair with a young
woman which does not interest him
in the least. 1t is rather a coarse
episode and he is relieved when IL IS
ended by the girls marriage to a re-
spectacle person He never sees her
again.
The real romance Of his life begins
by accident and is a most incredible
story He falls deeply in love and is
overjoyed and at the same time crushed
to find his love is returned. He tells
his love. Joan, the complete truth about
his affairs. but she says she loves him
just the same, only, OF course. they
can not marry. In cheap melodramatic
fashion his wife is disposed of shortly.
She sails for India and the ship is
lost with all on board. Pallion in
stantly tells Joan and they waste little
time in preparation. They are married.
A few hours after the ceremony. when
they have arrived at the inn where
they are to spend the night, Pallion.
waiting in the inn parlor for his bride
to call him. sees a late evening paper
which contains the startling informa-
tion that his wife has been saved from
the shipwreck by a miracle. etc. He
can't make up his mind that his happi-
ness is snatched from hts lips and runs
upstairs Little Joan ready for bed, Is
vi HCI HHCCS say iAfE ACA PA dN u III
the course of the interview which fol-
lows passion and despair rage. and
tenderness, love and fury. desire. and,
finally, renunciation, sweep over Pal
lion until he Is torn to pieces. He
discovers this Joan. who is motherless,
has been brought up in a convent is
completely innocent and ignorant Of the
laws of nature and that innocence he
will not destroy.
All this is told in something less
than half of the book. The remainder
is given over to varying descriptions
and explanations of PaHion's feelings,
mental. moral and physical. caused by
his nobility and self-control in for
bearing to destroy the innocence OF his
bride. With all the. perhaps. high pur-
pose of the book there Is something so
suggestively nasty about ii all that
it is extremely unhealthy reading; also
most readers will not hesitate to de-
clare it unhuman and unnatural.