Evening star., 1917-05-06

Mismnaagement and lack of labor have
produced the For Sale and For Rent
signs. The patriotic spirit which is bring
ing so many persons into the gardening
work will soon change the broom sedge
from around these signboards to flourish
ing crops of corn. beans, potatoes. to-
matoes, beets, turnips and other vegeta-
bles.
for seed. fertilizer and preparation of the
soil will produce corn and peas. if nothing
more. and every landowner should do this
much in the present crisis. even if only
ten bushels of food to the acre is pro-
duced."
But the story Of washington's garden
movement is far from being one fostered
piness between the two One wonders.
and goes back finally. to his first no
tion-that it depends on the kind of
wife. However, this is an amazingly
truthful and direct study of marriage
under the conditions set here by the
author. An admirably honest and dis
eliminating study of one of the in
Vulnerable problems of matrimony.
THE HIDING-PLACES: A Novel. BY
Allen French New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons. Washington: Bren-
tanos.
Even staid New England farm is
able to breed a mystery when its own
ers are the descendants of an old buc-
cancer whose will, handed down from
son to son, points out the fact of
treasure buried Somewhere on the
land" To the mystery a substantial
feud Is added as the farm is divided
between two inheritors. The immedi-
ate consequences of this feud are en-
ployed here for the purposes of a thor
oughly modern story. in which the son
of one heir and the daughter of another
are the principals. The author creates
sturdy hero here. who. throwing off
the stupefying effects of the great ex-
pectations that have for many years
handicapped the heirs of the old pirate,
takes place in the big things that are
of substantial interest to the active
folks of the present. In the role of
modern business man he has the usual
number of chances to go wrong, or
right, according to his bent and will.
He turns out to be one of the right sort,
escaping both business and marital mis-
takes. and presenting, on the whole,
finely companionable man. whom one is
glad to follow around through the well
managed intricacies of a good story. A
love story that ultimately unites the
divided parts of this treasure-bearing
stretch of realty pursues it's even way
in the wholesome atmosphere that sus-
tains the rest of this interesting inven-
tion.
THE HILLMAN. By E. Phillips Open
helm. author of THE Kingdom of
the Blind etc. illustrations by
George Avison. Boston: Little, Brown
& Co.
Mr.. Oppenheim here sets himself the
task of telling a love story that is in
volved with no social problem. love
story with no complications except
those having to do with the single busi
ness of falling in love and getting
married. The leading up to this ad
venture. however. is of a character to
give the adventure itself good sub
stance. with many turns of unexpected
ness in its course. First. the hillman
is to be won from his seclusion in a
remote countryside and to be led
toward more open state of mind in
respect to women, against whom a
soured old brother has sedulously
trained him. A sad commentary on the
elder brothers teaching is the instan-
taneous character of his young broth
er's conversion. Beyond this point the
city, chiefly among the stage folks. with
the young hillman acting as the cause
and occasion of much of the excitement
incident to the scramble of the mascu-
line element for the favor of a certain
fine woman of the stage. 1t is pleas
ure now and then to come across well
constructed love story that is. frankly
and exclusively. nothing but love
story.
ANTONY Y-GARDENER. BY
Leslie Moore, author of THE Pea
cock Feather" etc. New York: G..
P. Putnam'S Sons.
The obvious purpose of creating a
readable love story is well met here.
The obstacles in the way of the course
of true love are of fresh choosing and
advantageous placing. The methods by
which these are set aside are of an
ingenuity to enlist and hold the interest
of the reader. There are few. il any,
worrisome strains upon one's credulity
and no long tiresome paddings CT de-
scription. In a word, this is a clean
cut. interesting example of good story
telling. 1t rests upon freak will for
its movement. The conditions of this
will present the heir in an entirely
false position for the period of one
year. This is a sufficient time, how
ever. to queer completely a romance
that in the heros real character. had
certainly. and. indeed. was well on it's
way The story opens in South Africa.
It was on the home passage, with the
young man in his natural role, that the
romance took its start. His next ap-
pearance. the Undergraduate on
an English estate, condemns him to the
d
false pretenses. won her friendly in
terest on the long voyage from Africa.
The rest of the story is taken up with
a spirited and interesting run of stu
ations ard condolences that emerge
from this complex Of cir
cumstance. Some notably good sub
ordinate Neutrality-suspicious. Danver
and DR.. Hilary among them-support
the two principals in their respective
roles of misunderstanding and misun-
derstood.
THE MATCHMAkERS. BY J. E. Buck
rose, author of "A Bachs1or's Com
.edy" etc. New York: George H.
Doran Company.
Matchmaking is commonly counted as
woman's work. but in this case both
sexes entered equally into the business
of securing suitable husband for
pretty Peggy Hewitt. the generally be-
loved daughter of the old minister of
Little Pendleton. The hitch in this
business came from the fact that each
of the groups into which Little Pendle-
ton split for the carrying out of this