The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-16
"RING For NANCY y

RING FOR NANCY"
| BY Ford Maddox Huefers, illustrated BY
f. VauX Wilson; The Dobbs Merrill Co.
publishers Indianapolis.
There seems one word above all others
that precisely suits this story and that
word is delicious. Nothing so completely
diverting has appeared in many a day
The book is a charming love story an
original comedy, a clever burlesuue all
In one, and it is all these without ceasing
to be perfect unit. The idea of having a
girl in love with man who is kept by
poverty from asking her to marry him.
having her disguise herself as her maid
and by her adroitness, getting rid of a
lot of women who are hanging on to him
against his WILL and bringing him to the
point OF declaration, is certainly novel and
delightful.
Ring For Nancy" is cozy story. with
just eight characters of Importance, each
or them exceptionally interesting and ex-
ceptionally we'll portrayed. And there are
some regular scenes in which all of them
take hand and which are as lively and
piquant as anything in recent fiction.
Ana there are just enough of "high-
prov ailuslons to raise 1t above the or
binary level of the farcical novel Vet
it must not be inferred that the story is
over subtle or that it is for the elite only.
In delicate way 1t might fairly be de-
scribed as jolly. The First Church of
Christ, Quietest." is an amusing tale-off
In the person of one of its leaders who
goes about carrying a suit case stuffed
with cheerful statistics. The MAJORS
aunt is most lovable comedy figure
who knows as much of evil as an egg
Knows of aeroplanes" Mrs Kerr Howe
author of Pink Passion" is a capital bur
lesque on the modern melodramatic
novel writer, and Fiossie Delamere. the
actress. who has six notes in her regis
ter, and who can kick her back comb out
OF her hair, is, Notwithstanding, a nice
little thing
There is really nothing but praise to
be bestowed on anything so thoroughly
clever. entertaining and well done Miss
Olympia Peabody of Boston, who has
ensnared the major and who is is at the
head of society for the suppression of
SIN IS of course slightly exaggerated.
but nevertheless recognizable and most
laushable. She is just such a character
as every farce needs. providing that
character is not too much exaggerated.
Mr.. Foster, the majors uncle by mar
riage. who has alweys been "strictIy re-
spectacle If not always virtuous," is the
quietest member of the octette but still
waters-and when he is In the pina
chintz room past midnight and he is
suddenly come upon by Olympia, he is
all that one could wish of him.
These are characters. TO tell much of
the story would spoil the effect But
this hint may be given-the hero is the
youngest and best looking major in the
British army; the heroine is as fascinat-
inc bit of feminity as ever graced
the pages of a book; all ends Just as the
reader would have it end but the reader
never suspects that it is going to end
that way until it is over and then he's
''just tickled to death"
The author himself has called II
sheer comedy That's just exactly
what it is. And the person who could
not get good, hearty laugh out of read
ing Ring for Nancy"-well, we know a
good doctor,
And after you have read the story
you can lay back and imagine Just how
1t would look on the stage There is
enough action and dialogue in it now
and clever dramatist could make it a
second ''Seven Keys to Baldpate"
"A MAKE-STTTFT MARRIAGE"
BY Mrs. Baillie Reynolds; George H. Do
ran Co.. publishers, New York
Mrs. Reynolds remarkable ability for
placing her characters in complicated
entanglements and then happily extricat-
ing them shows to a great advantage in
"a Make-Shift Marriage
A young man. too weak to face his first
real disappointment with courage, and
Tilted by the girl he has loved is diven
by pique to marry someone else. How
ever, this make-shift marriage, which
nearly ruined three lives, proves after all
to be the pathway to happiness A ro-
nance ayowedly-but charming and enter
tanning to a degree