Evening star., 1918-04-07

as to convince, almost, and to win. al.
most, goodly band OF supporters and
not como true-it never does. But the
young man does all that can reason
ably be expected Of him to realize IL.
for he finally gives mp his own life for
Its possible success. The business of
this story IL to push the vision toward
its fulfllment through the agency of
a group of people-the fors and
againsts in the case. These carry the
matter forward in an interesting COM
plex Of their separate and diverging
points of view. These are agreeable
folks. behaving In q believable manner
and presenting a corner Of English life
with spirit and social charm. It is the
really human character Of each Of these
men and women that gives the book its
stamp OF value.
THE BEST IN LIFE. BY Muriel Hine,
author of Half in Earnest" etc.
New York: John Lane Company.
Mrs. Sidney Coxon sets her heroine !
difficult task here. And that the girl.
at the last critical moment. behaves SO
decently appears to be a matter Of tho
ffty -fifty variety-half due to the au-
thor's generosity and half 10 the char
acter. Of the girl. A single point added
might, in equal Justice. go to either
sue 10 loao Ddpy win Sucn Dirtn-
Gentle blood. to give her gentleman
father and mother OF lower level. to
bring her to a certain point In her life
in the fluctuations OF poverty and plen-
ty-this is certainly putting one over
on the girl Out this motley OF early
circumstance the girl draws uncommon
beauty, ambition with a love for the
softer side and life, and a working
girls position. All this is plausible
enough. At this point, however. the
fairy story sets in. BY some mysterious
process. known only to witches and
wizards. the girl takes on money and
travel. Venice, canal-streeted and gon-
dola-traveied Venice. with a young v.
c. on sick leave in that, as then. unde-
scene to which the witch. or the wizard.
bears the beautiful shop girl. Very
pretty reading follows this flight, and
a true love story develops along the
way. It Is at the love test that the
girl rejects the handicap set upon her
like a good girl, and, like the good
sails into happiness. Now.
she need not have confessed. since the
writer made her half-and-half adven-
savors of the story. even more than 1t
does Of life.
THE NE'ER-DO-MUCH. BY Eleanor
FldllOWeil AOoOtt, duluoF Oh Molly
ke-Believe." etc. With illustra-
tions by James Montgomery Flagg.
New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.
A South American millionaire cele-
brates the anniversary Of his sixtieth
birthday in New York by giving a din
ner to the celebrities of North America
whom he admires but has never met.
Every type Of world fame Is represent
ed by the guest list. which is headed
by the President Of the United States.
The celebrities, after coming together,
somewhat vaguely. are kept entirely
out OF the story by the four occupants
of one table. who, being strangers to
each other, pool a prize for the one
who can relate the most narrowing tale
of personal woe. It is agreed that two
of the recitals are to be fakes. and the
plot .weaves itself into a human puzzle
as to which confession is true. The
quartet. an old man and q young one,
q dark-haired woman and a girl named
the laurels Of mystery going to
Mary" who refuses to reveal her
Identity at even the second and Anal
meeting which takes place later in Bos-
ton, under a tree. The little story will
make = pleasant companion for q sum-
mer afternoon. though It is likely that
readers will and "Puss" less spontane-
ously delightful than her predecessofs
Molly-Make-Believe.
A TrstP TO lotus LAND. By Archie
Bell, author of '"rhe Spell Of the
= Holy Land" etc. New York. John
Lane Company.
While this work is in every respect
- ~NA