The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-10

usual setting BY Florence Olmstead in
"A Clustered Romance" (Charles
serioners sons). The scene IL q con-
ven. Of Little Sisters of the Poor In .
southern town, which the sisters, all
o, French extraction, have turned into
home for old people. Into the homo
/, brought an author who has been
hurt while rendering . service to the
nuns: they believe him to BE- . friend
less tramp and he stays on after he
has recovered in order to study the
people there. The old people are
nstura. and amusing and the nuns are
lovsble in different ways; they all
unconsciously take a hand in bringing
together the writer and q young girl
who visits the convent out Of phil
sn,hropy. The lovers in spite of their
brigh, conversations are much like
all other lovers: the charm OF the book
lies in the description Of the effect
their growing affection has on all
those who are watching them When
the story once gets outside the con-
ven, walls. as It must for matters to
be Strengthened out. It becomes much
.ess satisfactory. II belongs inside
the garden. where the author Judi
c.ously tries to keep it. The reader will
enjoy II and will be glad to know all
the kind people who take part in 1t.
A model detective story. that is al
most a lecture on the way such stories
should be prepared. has been written
by Frank Froest in THE Grell Mys-
terry" Edward J. Clode, New York;.
\ remarkable number of people were
on hand when the murder that must
be explained was committed, as is dis
closed at the end. hut the sagacious
Investigator who unravels this rnys-
terry as we'll as others that the author
has concocted gathers all the clues,
follows them up, keeps his head and
arrives at the truth. As ne goes along
he explains the value of the various
kinds OF evidence that come In his way
and warns against It's inconclusive
Character. The mystery IS compli-
Gated and interesting; there u far too
much explanation Mt the end. The
author seems to forget that he Is sup
posed 10 be telling story and not
demonstrating a problem.
There Is much that Is pleasing in
Charles Clark NUNS The Heart of
Uncle Terry" (Lothrop, Lee and
Shepard Company, Boston) and much
Tia, kindly editor would have cut
out What the title has to do with the
story does not appear unless 1t applies
10 the young woman, for the hero OF
The authors earlier tale Is kept we'll
N the background. This story deals
with an energetic young mans hunt
for tourmalines In the Maine back
woods this calls for a winter on
hillside by the shores of lake with
plenty OF out of doors work. which the
RAIDER will enjoy. The youth meets a
earning Maine school teacher with
the usual result, hut the two employ
their courtship not in love making but
n discussing philosophy which Is
rot their own. hut the authors. What
ever its value, / Is out OF place In this
story. which has other amateurish
faults besides.
The mechanism OF an Arabian
Nights tale was employed by the late
James jeffrey Roche in Her Majesty
ne King" "a. Z. McClurg and Com
plny, Chicago) as a vehicle for wit
tcsms and twisted epigrams. The
author has improved on most OF the
other professional humorists In that
rs tests are really witty and also In
that, although he makes fun OF his
own story, he carries II out effectively
IN the end and then surprises his
readers. IL IS artistic work. Oliver
Herford's colored pictures are anus
Ing and clever, but are not up TO the
standard OF his text.
The bachelor girl lowering over the
brink OF Improperly and immortality
that fascinated Mr.. owen Johnson has
hkewise attracted Meg Villars, who
makes her confess In "Betty-All-
Alone Edward J. Clode). She Is
British this time and has been fed on
naughty French novels Her first
night ~ in Paris, where she prattles
much about women's underclothes and
by haoItually climbing over garden
wall manages 70 visit the resorts
which the author considers to be really
bohemian and yet retain her respecta-
nifty She escapes through no ef-
'orts u her aSn the attacks of a mid
dle sgeu and fat French author and
Transfers herself to New York. There
the o. shown such sights as the
authors limited hotel knowledge al
Ions before obtaining a Journalistic
JOB and landing out OF mischief In q
pov.fential marriage. Tho tale is
ho- sdfying and not particularly in
ieres'!ng.
Tho heroine Of Amelia r. Bars
The Winning Of Lucia" (Appletons)
so consistently selfish and unreason-
able that we cannot but feel sorry for
Doth her suitors. Why the older one
should be represented at the beginning
a. llbertine, an evil doer and a Mig
gard when he behaves like gentle
man throughout the story 1t Is DIM
Cult to understand. Tho author seemf
10 symDathize with the girls heart
tss efforts to keep him away from
els dying mother. The younger sutton
sso Is metamorphosed without reason
The chief person In tho story next u
ms heroine Ii her old nurse. who ali
'ers from The customary retainer IN
also being selfish and ready to throw
over her mistress when 1t suits hei
Convenience. That her husband Is q
slackgusrd has no bearing on the taie
me book reads as though the author
aad prepared her characters for one