The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-05
THE BOOK SHELF
px THE stBLIoPH,Lr
7 its authors most valuable

Is probably it's authors most valuable work
 "SCANDAL''
 By Cosmo Hamilton. illustrations by
 Richard Cutter Little Brown and
 company, publishers, Boston.
 There is no preaching in MT. Hamil- tons new novel, Scandal is simply a story, g. vivid, human story of peo- pie doing the things we see going on all around us. Beatrix Vanderdyke, the central character of the tale, exercised the power of wealth and exceptional beauty with little restraint. Allowed to decide her own comings and goings, the self-willed girl ran her head Into the moose of a most hazardous situation. Scandal was whispered and Beatrix had to meet theanger of her family. Then Pelham Franklin's appearance gave Be atrix the chance to save her face py perpetrating the crowning audacity or her career. Play up" she whispered, 'oh please play upi" and then announced her secret marriage to him. Franklin played up--but in a most surprisln2 manner, for he was determined to teach Beatrix lesson. He at once acAnoWl- edged her as his wife and to her dis may, proceeded to treat her accord ingly. How the situation, after many complexities, works out to a final hap
  joyable manner.
 THIS WAY QUIT
 By Frederic A. Isfam. Illustrated by
 Hanson Booth. The Bobbs Merrill Com
 pany, Publishers, Indianapolis
 The daintest of comedies, with the maximum of dialogue and the very mini mum of narrative and description. with all of the values fanciful and none of them realistic, This Way Out" floats through the readers mind like bit of thiStledown. Tenuous SIS is the develop ment, the plot itself is wholly delightful and perennially popular. A nominal mar riage, subsequent courtship, a mas querade, a delightful revelation. have all sorts of amusing and enchanting pos abilities. The element of suspense, of curiosity, is quickly eliminated. the reader has not gone far when the por- ter straightens his back, shuts firmly his gaping mouth, and allows the light of whimsical intelligence to play over his erstwhile solid features. From thenceforth, there only remains to know the reason for his guise. and his precise place in the aristocratic scale-that he belongs near the top is evident The amusing phases of the narrative have been fully treated; the risque ones that offer themselves so freely, have been passed over--a neglect so unexpected that great gratitude is felt To catalogue the situations in which the hero and heronie find themselves is to offer sum- mary of the humor. Each one is fresh and surprising; each one is met with the same lightsome sparkle, Thether it be the marriage, the journey, the ship wreck the casting away on the ladys own estate, the domestic dilemrnas, the improvised chaperons the arrival of the former suitor or the denouement No reader can foresee what is coming, or how the new impasse will be navigated. All he can do is to laugh and surren- der all initiative of his own. The touch- andgo method, the swift skimming over realities, the dependence on dialogue, are admirably fitted to story of this sub stance and type.
 The ClemaireS are very amusing as they arise and Alexander seems a sim- pie child of nature, with the conti- mental peasant notions of woman as a beast of burden and Estelle feels the uncanny charm, as if being in the inn mediate vicinity of Alexander was like camping on the verge of a volcano. And the reader is quite as fascinated as is the lady, and sympathizes with the servants in their comic demand for chaperon to regularize the situation. The story is as light as whipped cream but it's novelty, cleverness, humor, de- serve praise