The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-14

In turning from the preparation to
the detection Of crime the late T. w.
Hanshew's hero loses nothing OF his
fmperturbable calmness or Of his ON
niscience. The episodes In "Cleek OF
Scotland Yard" doubleday, Page and
Company are excellent detective yarns,
properly puzzling and exciting. with the
full explanation to each Of the manner
In which the hero solves them. The
author was impolite enough TO make the
unusually dull and clumsy confidant the
head Of the British detective police. but
in whatever form he serves the purpose
Of simplifying the story and has proved
Indispensable to writer's OF detective
tales since Sir Conan Doyle Invented his
Watson. The connecting thread with Its
political intrigue and ubiquitous Paris
Apaches Is rather silly and uninterest-
ing and may be skipped by the Judicious.
Tho illustrations from moving picture
photographs serve TO kill any Illusions
the reader may form; they are prosaic
AMI commonplace and detract greatly
from the enjoyment of these really good
stories.
II Is with an original and amusing
idea that Charles Sherman starts in "A
Wise Son" (The Bobbs- Merrill Company,
Indianapolis). the reform Of two amiable
drunkards through their esteem for each
other. The absurd complications that
arise from the friendship Of the rich
youth and the elderly tramp begin in the
right tone Of farce with a touch OF sem
timent and are not spoiled at first by
the prim severity of the college bred
heroine. The authors fancy, unfor-
tunately, gives out soon: he has out
breaks of seriousness and Of preaching
about things he does not like. He has
to tell about slum life and the frivolity
Of the rich. He rcprovcs the condescen-
sion Of philanthropy and the cruelty
OF fox hunting. The metamorphosis Of
the giddy old lady would be all right In
its way II 1t were led up to properly. AS
u r.. the story becomes quickly inco.
herent, the action becomes ridiculous and
the heroine Is shown to be heartless and
repulsive, which was not the authors
intention. When he next happens on a
bright idea we hope he will stop reading
the uplift magazines.
Another Genial Peter.
An extremely pretty, delicate and we'll
written story has been made out OF well
worn materials by Leslie Moore In THE
Peacock Feather" &c. T. Putnam's Sons).
Though We meet the hero coming out OF
jail. we are reassured when We learn his
name Is Peter, for that. since Hopkinson
Smith invented the tag, denotes in fio-
ton a gentle, kindly. humorous, often
abused fellow. This Peter takes to row.
ing country roads, playing penny
whistle with n feather In his cap. He
also writes books and In that way finds
ehA hAr tL..F~ Il.
Tifie st!lted but there is not much of It.
feter Is kind to an angel child, also to
a lonely and amiable dog. charmingly. If
conventionaliy; also to a homely little
serving maid which Is more original
When the author il ready his blameless-
nees Is established and all Is well with
the word. With one exception only
very nice people enter into the story,
which depends for It's charm on the way
II is told. The author assumes that the
reader will understand that all the peo-
pie are Catholics, an assumption that Is
made in more than one recent English
story.
Unusually compact is the spirited
story OF n conflict between ranchers and
sheepmen in Flying L Ranch" by b. w.
Bower &c. w. Dillingham; Company.
The characters have all appeared In
previous tales by the author Here the
cowboys are left to themselves. all
women and superiors being removed
temporarily. They manage to keep In
hot water and will hold the readers In
terest in what happens to them and in
their deviatlons from veracity. 1t Is n
capital cowboy story.
Although much travelled and with
wide experience OF the world the in
mates OF the queer menagere In Fifth
avenue to which George Barr Nc
Cutcheon introduces us In BLACK Is
White" tDodd. Mead and Company are
wofully deficient in sense. That Is
necessary, however, because the author
IN writing n very high strung romance
His masterful hero keeping In Jealous
rage for half lifetime has all the APP
pearance OF a homicdal maniac. A
different form Of lunacy Is suggested by
the intricate and devillsh scheme for
revenge planned by his amiable wife
The rest Of the family as we'll as the
reader are mystified by their behavior,
az Is the authors intention. 1t IL a well
constructed and exciting tale. whatever
may be said Of the psychology or the
dabs Mt the occult.
Patchwork Prize Novel.
Gaudy as Is the patchwork Of several
discordant forms of fiction that Leona
Dalrymple has assembled In Diane of
the Green Van" tThe Reilly and Britton
Company, Chicago) the open air
wanderings In caravan. the political
intrigues Of a mythical state, the solu-
ton of mystery, the author has
heightened the effect with brilliant
dashes of free love. miscegenation and
physical torture. The lovely heroine's
pedigree is so complicated that she IL
puzzled herself to make out which OF
three persons she Is We cannot make
out whether the eugen,c product Is In
tended as credit or a discredlt to the
theory; the author seems to feel surer
Of the blend of Seminole Indian with
Spanish and other white strains. The
plot resembles hash In that II seems to
contain little OF everything. As litera-
ture. though the author writes easily,
we doubt whether the Wdverley Maya
sire or GledsOns Pictorial would have
accepted the story. Yet 1t is announced
that II won n large money prize In COM
pstition; we can only admire the
amlability OF the judges and commits
sxsts thsm fIr reading tho stnrir. yvnreo