The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-14

tered long. loud sex scream. devoid
! OF new tone.
! Those who take the book seriously
| may possibly describe ii us Il "!crriuc
arrligmncnt' OF British divorce laws.
and OF the attitude of the Roman Cath
! Ollie Church toward divorce: the aver
age man will regard it merely rs an
evidence of genuinely talented
writer's Willingness. even anxiety. to
attune himself to the note sounded in
this age of "sax O'Clock" and to do
base his gifts to tickle the avid palate
of popular taste.
Mary ONeill. daughter OF man
who has made Il fortune in the United
States and has come back to his ma
tive island OF ELAN in order to lord
il over those who had scorncd him
in his youth. tells the story in the first
person while here and there among
the one hundred and odd chapters or
the book are scattered certain 'ncm-
oranda." purporting to have been writ
ten by one Martin Conrad the one love
of her life.
Marys father has become aggrcs-
sivcly American. as witness his Ancri-
can manner Of speech "'Bishop.' said
my father. raising his hand, 1 guess
it's my right to butt III here. isn't II?
When Mary is born he RACES. because.
under the terms OF an old patent 1t
his child had been boy. an ancient
title would have descended to 1t But
rs the girl grows older. WAY sug-
pcsts itself by which he may Yet be-
come Il great mar upon the island: hts
daughter shall marry the young Lord
Raa.
Mary is taken from her convent
school in Paris. and as 4 matter OF
course. marrics in accordance with the
wishes of her father and her rela-
lions.
4 scandal in which monk and
nun were concerned had occurred dur
ing her convent days and Mary knew
Of the affair: she had also been in
formed ms to Lord Raa's loose life.
notably as to one very irregular al
lance. yet when she is married new
and hidcouS world is opened to her. n
world of incredible loathsomencss. In
the newly-mavricd pairs apartments.
into which MIR. Caine unhesitatingly
takes us. violent scene is enacted.
The husband appeals TO Mary's father.
to her aunt, 10 her bishop; Mary also
appeals to her old confessor. but in
vain. Finally. 4 working agreement
is reached under which they are to
live together outwardly until love
comes 10 the wife
Many pages of unpleasantness fol-
low. and Lord Raa turns for conso-
lation to one OF Mary's former con-
vent friends. The three travel togeth-
er. their wanderings enlivened by in
hook. and then there comes back into
the neglected wifo's scheme of life n
childhood friend. Martin Conrad. now
become famous Antarctic explorer.
rhe husband and the friend corspire:
Mary and Martin are left practically
alone in the castle; there are chapters
OF very free thinking and much re
strained lovcmaking; convenient
maid is employed to weaken by her
sympathy and understanding the wifc's
firm determination, and after the last
farewell has been said. the almost in
avitahle happens. Another startling
chapter; Martin sails away. and Mary
is left alone-but not alone.
Everything is discovered. and Mary
fees 10 London. lI-terminable descrip-
lions Of mothers suffering arc
given: her struggle for existence for
herself and the child; her efforts TO
iinG work; her misery because she IL
compelled TO place the child with
baby farmer and her dnal desperation
when the child becomes i'll and she
has no money with which to purchase
food and medicines. Abandoning hope.
Forgetting all save her wild desire to
save the Child. she goes out into the
streets Since there are only some
seven or eight million people in Lon
don, she naturally stumhles first upon
her Martin Conrad, whom she had
mourncd as lost
But the story is not yet cndcd-far
from it, Her husband. Protestant.
has divorced her--indccd, he marries
acain-bu; size considers that she is
still married. The laws Of God, of the
church, and of man had not kept her
from her love, but they bid fair TO pre-
vent her from marrying him.
1t is fair to say, however, that this
little inconsistency is surmounted by
the author in the only plausible man
ncr-Mary dies.
But she is a long time a-dying, and
the story is spun out YEARLY. conclud-
ing with another memorandum OF Mar
tin Conrad, n note from the author to
the reader and, at the blessed last, 4
wireless message from the Antarctic
Continent to the author himself.
The book Will doubtless be immense
~ popular.