The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-16

The character Indicated in the title
OF Robert Grants story of THE High
Priestcss" Charles Ssribner's sons is
Mary Arnold. who married oliver Ran
dali. Marriage should be a suitable
mating. and doubtless Mary was justi-
fled in dwelling with some satisfaction
upon the point that divers "stalwart
and commanding physique comported
so admirably with her own tall and
we'll proportioned figure All indeed
may seem well and in cases may be
the aspirations and the determined
doings Of I h essentially modern
woman" of our day may Danish hap
piness from the domestic hearth-may
play the mischief with the home.
The trouble in the case so quietly
and skilfully Illuminated in this story
was due quite obviously, though only
secondarily. to Sybil. Are you ready
for another cup of tea?' The question
was SYPHILIS. She was attending tn
Oliver while Mary was away respond
ing to those higher calls that the es-
eentially modern hears. The
domestic spirit was lodged In Sybil-at
least on occasion. h could be old
fashioned in that particular. Her
simple question fell upon unaccus.
toned ears. Its effect stole slowly on
h apprehension of the listener
SOLVER found himself h~esi;ating. He
was not accustomed to take two. Such
Q thing was never suggested by Mary.
CHANGING down he saw hat though he
had finished his tea there was still
food in his plate which he would have
eaten but for the conversation. why,
thank you. l don't mind IL l do As
she supplied him with a second cup
Oliver reflected that this side OF her
was new to him. What had called it
forth? II only Mary were there TO
listen. But Mary must % aware OF
It. Syb!l was certainly more of a per-
son. more wide awake and observing,
than he had given her credit for. In
her W modest, retiring way. 10 be
sure" She had been o~onversing
brightly while w~atchfully attending to
the matters of the table. divers re-
Election had reference to her converse
tional abilities. But Mary also con-
vcrsed brightly. The second cup OF
tea was the insidious thing. 1t had
glamour. We think il extremely likely
thai in divers surprised a%pprehen-
zion IL was finer than Mary's advo-
cacy of the teaching of sex hygiene
in the schools.
The trouble that we here see in its
beginning reached a climax when
Mary returned home unexpectedly
from one Of her public excursions
Mary hated to be an eavesdropper, bu,
hearing her husband and Sybil con-
versing in the parlor she stole on tip.
toe through the hall II surprised
them just as Oliver had kissed Sybil
She heard Sybil taking the blame fol
what had happened: It's my fault
it's my fault. ollie. ] should have
realized this might happen. It's mad
ness for us both. as I've just old you
for neither of us is free" Sybil was
not free because she was engaged &c
Henry Ives Thornton. Henry was no,
disturbed by this awkward occurrence;
he readily overlooked il, supposinC
that he knew anything about it, and he
and Sybil were married n fortnight
later. But Mary left her husband
and it vas only ut the end of severa
years and after Oliver had been elected
Governor of the state that she became
yeconciled To him
The story has Il gentle and agreeable
now, ~meandcring in c~onvolutions that
have both an educational and a pleas.
INT interest. II is fully informed
through the concerns of its characters
with the inquisitive and boldly tenta-
tive spirit OF this unusual time. Tho
novelist appears to be smiling a little
as he smoothly and lightly proceeds
If he deals correction it is with a vel
vet hand. There is satisfaction in
Mary's understanding and avowal a,
the last. as she nestles ~reconciled