The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-14
SOME NEW FICTION.

Five short stories by Algernon Black
wood, three Of which are fairly long,
will be found in incredible Adventures"
tMacmillans). In all he exercises his
art of aruusing vague terror success
fully: in all he suggests forces in the
world around us which are not precisely
supernatural but are not clearly appre-
hended by man. The first. the best OF
the stories, turns on the truth which
may underlie primitive fire worship; the
scene is in the authors favorite stamp
ing ground the Jura mountains, and
the wild people and the storms more
than make up for the conventional
framework. In another, a house holds
IN itself the hatreds OF intolerant reli-
rions which have accumulated for ages
on the spot, from the times Of the an
cient Brtons down. The dissipation OF
the spell through It's occupation of "A
peculiar religious sect is rather ludi-
crous. In still another the past Of
Egypt is at work. The stories show tho
mechanism Of Mr.. Blackwood's creepy
creations rather barely and are not SO
effective as most of his earlier work.
lie is beginning to he didaCtic.
In Happy Hawkins in the Panhandle"
(Small, Maynard and Company Boston,
Robert Alexander Wason's benevolent
cowboy. who has already filled several
volumes, becomes volubly reminiscent.
He has a melodramatic tale of gunner
and outlaws to tell which is exciting
enough and sufficiently true to juvenile
Ideas of the wild West to hold the at
tention, even though he stops frequently
to deliver kindly homlies on things in
general. The elderly philosopher whom
l.. LII la.l
ample OF taciturnity for while. but
evil communications corrupt him and he
TOO becomes garrulous. We fail TO find
the misguided youth as interesting as
tho narrator does, but his story and that
Of his family is explained in every de-
tail by the time the story ends. The
entertaining people on the ranch are moi
treated 30 well. 1t is an amusing wild
West yarn Of nearly 500 closely printed
pages.
A rather foolish story IS told enter
tainingly by Margaret Dc We're STAG
poole in London. 1913" 4 swindllnG
flnancier after due warning. unwisely
cheats man OF abnormally vindictiv'
character, and comes to grief in con
sequence. The latter in pursuing mi
enemy leaves his daughter in "a Lon
don apartment short OF money. Sh,
tries To help herself out by taking dodgers
and Is deceived by women thieves
who pretend to be Americans, but 4
rescued by an amiahle literary man
There arc scenes in this incoherent tall
that are bright, and much repartce AM
satire OF London and life that is b,
no means SO bright. The author |
clearly capable of good work If she vii
study the art of story telling. (Dutiel
and Company
The desire to testify his high regar
for NJ. de Choiseul seems to he tn
reason for II. de We're Stacpoole'
plungng into historical romance Of tn
Dumas order. I'm The Presentation
John Lane Clmpany). A swashbucklln
young nobleman lands IN an exctin
fortnight of lively trouble, when h
becomes mixed up with the attempt t
prevent the Dubarry's presentation a
court. lie Is kept lodging his persona
enemies and the aGents Of two riv;
ministers. Whenever h. gets n chanc
TO rest the reader IL obliged to 10
low the adventures 81 an amiabe deteC