New-York tribune., 1910-10-05
Literary .Nese,s and Criticism


time after midnight, and the darkness
deepens the mystery surrounding the
whole affair. Since Lupin is at the bot
tom of that affair il would seem hope
less TO pursue the truth, but the youth
ful Isidore is the burglars equal and
through some three hundred pages they
play with one another a most exciting
game The reader is always on the
verge Of deciding as to who the winner
is to be. but invariably the guess proves
wrong. and at each stage one faces an
other surprise and goes on breathless to
the next It is an absorbing yarn, and
the more readable because Of the faint
touch of naTvete which marks NJ. Le-
blancs style.
A pretty state of affairs is disclosed
very early in the story of ''The House OF
Whispers" The heroine has a great Joy
and q great sorrow. Her father loves
her. and the two are happy together, but
Sir Henry Hepburn has been blinded in
the prime of life. Unfortunately, too. he
has given his daughter. Gabrielle, step
mother who not only has the traits usu-
ally bestowed upon the type in fiction
but has let herself get into the tolls OF
the craftiest of scoundrels. The conse-
ouence is tlat-R Scotch household that
should be in perfect harmony seethes
with evil and misery. in the midst of 1t
all Sir Henry. a man of immense wealth,
carries on some mysterious business
which presently deposits everybody con-
cerned in the hottest kind of hot water.
Mr.. LIE Queux is adamant. He lets
things go from bad to worse, and not
until he is good and ready, which is to
say at the end Of the book. does he give
his reader the desired explanations 1t
is a well devised story
Melancholy. indeed. is the fate of the
man who approaches joke in solemn
mood An oracular critic in the London
Saturday Review has lately been an
alvzing his emotions in the presence of
Mark Twain and Mr.. Dooley- He can
lust rub along with the former. by dint
of not inquiring too curiously into the
source of his amusement, because, while
Mark Twain is not comic but only com
ical he at least has vitality AS for Mr.
Dooley, that, we are told, is the one IN
dispensable thing he misses, and, be-
sides. he is heavy handed. Why do peo-
pie say these things? Nobody pretends
that Mr.. Dooley is another Cervantes.
but, then. nobody in his senses ever
dreamed Of his being anything Of the
sort. In short. you do not, If you like To
laugh. take Mr.. Dooley too seriously.
wit is the rarest Of commodities. Let
US. then, make the most of innocent
hilarity when we have it. Mr.. Dooley
Saws" is full of innocent 'larking," and
If the satire in il is not the most brilliant
in the world it at least drives, in Its
rough way, at the point. Read Mr..
Dooley on Divorce, Woman Suffrage.
Panics. Work. Drugs. Books and Turk
ish Politics. You may not rise from the
experience swelling with wisdom and
! rich in diamond pointed epigrams. but
/ you are certain to be smiling, and it is
odds that, on one or another Of his sub
! jects, you will have found yourself
thinking. That, however, by the way.
/ The main point is that you laugh. Mr..
Dooley is a jolly Jester, and that is
| enough Here is a specimen Of his non
sense. in a discourse on THE Call OF the
Wild:
Here is a book befure me be wan iv these
alleged nature writers. This Is man
whose name is q household Wurrud in Con-
necticut. His books are used in tn schools
An what does this man, who got his
knowledge iv wild beasts apparently fr m
mistreatin' hens fr tn pip. say; what is
his message to tn little ba abblin' childher
iv Connecticut? It is thin that I've got to
think iv Instead iv telln' thin the blessed
truth. instead iv leadn' thin up be thurly
iv what is right an what is ideel in life.
he polsons their innocent minds with tn
malicious premeditated falSehOod-I can
think iv un uEler or shorter wurrud that
wud 90 with premeditated-that tn VOL
kills tn grizzly bear he sinkin' its hIdYouS
fanEs into TIL gapin' throat iV It's prey.
How can honest citizens an good women
be brought UP on such infamyous doc
thrine? Supposin' bear shGd attack Con
necticut. an tn bells shUd ring fr tn
citizens TO arise. an these little darllngs
Shud follow this false prophet an run OUT
in their nighties an thry e leap at his
throat Wudden't the bear he surprised?
Ye bet they wud. I want these here dar-
lir1gs TO know tn blessed truth, tn soften
in an beautiful truth, that tn on y way IT
q wolf to kill bear is to disemboWei nm.
! There is no other way. Tn wolt springs
/ at his prey, an with terrific lunch
| til way WillUm J. Long iv Stamford mas
! described A bear has tn strongest throat
/ iv amy crather I'm tn wurrul, barrin
Ryrau Why / wud hate TO have TO
/ sthraugle a bear. ! did wanst but nad
writer's cramp fr months aftherward.