Abilene weekly reflector., 1912-08-01
GETS INTO THIS
NEW NOVEL JUST OUT


action in new novel Just issued.
Walt Mason in his book review
column in the Kansas City Star
the most readable book column pub
lished anywhere-thus tells Of IL:
"A Man In the Open" by Roger
Pocock Is the latest refreshment Of
fered the public by the Bobbs-Mer-
rili Company. The gentlemen of that
enterprising company are enthusias-
tic over the book, and their judg-
ment Is good. Usually 1t is safe to
take their word for 1t and buy any
thing they strongly recommend,
which can't be said OF all the publish
ers in the world.
"A Man In the Open" is good
story of big, strong man and
most attractive woman and OF the
soul-searching experiences they had
before they found the sweet boon
known as peace. Jesse Smith, the
hero. a 6-footer born to a life OF
adventure, passes stormy boyhood
as a sailor and hunter and several
other things, and eventually becomes
a COW puncher. This was In the
brave days when Abilene had ma
tional reputation as a red hot town,
long before the civilizing in
uuieted things down. Jesse landed
in Abilene to see how red paint was
selling. He was as wild and woolly
as any of the boys, but not vicious.
His manhood was unblemished and
his heart was in the right place. He
had the idea that all women were
angels, so he easily become victim
to the perfidy of Polly, sinful wo-
man, who had made bet that she
would marry him inside OF seven
days.
After he had married her Jesse
found that she was a loathsome crea-
ture, totally untitled to preside at
a meeting of the Dorcas society. In
order that she might not receive the
attentions of other men he placed
her in a tent and drew a dead line
around it, and then proceeded to
drown his sorrows in drink. Polly
saw that she had caught Tartar.
40 she committed suicide, which was
great relief to everybody. Then
Jesse disappeared from Abilene and
It has never been the same town
since.
Meanwhile, up in British Colum-
bia. Mrs. Trevor was having a dick
ems of a time. Mrs. Trevor was
Young Englishwoman, divinely gifted
as a singer. In her romantic girlhood
she mrS-ied Trevor, who was an
opera singer with a magnificent fu-
ture. She saw him playing noble
roles and thought him heroic. He
proved to be a gold brick. After
time he lost his voice and had to go
to the wilderness to recover 1t. Tlat
is how he and his wife happened to
be in British Columbia. He had
ranch there and played at stock rails
ing. but his chief occupation was
tanking up. 1t was simply disgust
ing the way he absorbed the spirits
frumenti. He must have been lined
with blotting paper.
He became brutal to his faS
young wife, and after while went
crazy from alcohol and hiirted that
unfortunate woman through the
woods as IL she was bear. He was
gaining on her, and there seemed
no hope of escape, when a mysterious
stranger stepped into the imminent
deadly breach and rescued her at
the peril of his life and limb. Iiav-
ing rescued her, the two stood on
the bank of river and saw Trevor
drown before her eyes. Need the
gentle reader be informed that the
stranger was Jesse Smith? They fell
in love right away and are married.
Then follow so many adventures that
it would be impossible to enumerate,
much less outline them. And they
, are thrilling, unbackneyed adven-
lures that will make you sit up all
night If you happen to begin the
book late in the evening.
/ Finally there comes a season OF
calm after so much storms, ard
Jesse and his admirable wife seem
destined to live to green old age
in a prosaic way, when the rush aDd
trouble and adventure begins all over
again. There comes to the neighbor-
hood a woman with an evil heart.
She is none other tnan Polly, whose
! suicide was a fake. With more than
human malevolence she sets to WORT
4 IL 3