The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-01
"The GamesterS"

ITO be brought up within the shadow
L of gambling house might seem to
be an excellent reason why tn, son and
daughter Of such an establishment should
not follow that ancient profession, on the
homeopathic principle that like cures like.
But such was not the manner in which this
law worked with Adam and Eve De Ros,
children of the Chevalier De Ros, who
called himself an Englishman, who drifted
through Europe in the early years Of the
eighteenth century keeping gaming houses.
The reader of II. c. Bailey's sprightly
novel, The Gamesters, is introduced to this
trio IN 1728 in Dresden, when King Fred
eriek William of Prussia was paying
royal visit to Augustus the Strong. You
sense Ewes quality In the opening scene,
alluring to men by her physical presence,
her superb courage, her rapierlike wit that
flashed out, bit and was back in the scab-
bard in trice. She might have been the
original of Clyde Fitch's Girl With the
Greea Eyesi
Eve encounters the youthful Frederick
the Great and thinks little of him; as
men do more and more these days now
that they have seen to what lengths such
spirit, reincarnated in the late Emperor
William of Germany, can 60 to achieve
his base ends. Frederick is not a little
the main impulse of this tale, Frederick in
the larger sense, and Ewes indomitable
spirit and her love Of adventure. It i
this spirit, driving Adam along with Eve,
that sends the gallant pair out to the res
cue of the stupid English giant Rash
leigh, Who had been kidnapped by Fred
erick Williams soldiers - make into a
Prussian grenadier. 1t is this spirit that,
although not In accordance with history,
which enables Eve and Adam to save the
young Frederick's friend Lieut. Keith
from the King of PFnssia's hands when
The famous plot Of Frederick's to escape
INTO France is nipped in the bud.
Fsmiias with the life Of Frederick the
Great viii ran,ember Lieut.. Won Katie and
his death Wy musketry," as the courts-
martial sentences read, at Custrin. Mr..
Bailey calls Won Katie Keith and sends
him of In q carriage with that silly
Frankfort maiden Lila Won Voight, SIM
ply because tits prettier so. And it is
this spirit that drove Eve and Adam to
aiding the British Ambassador at Munich
10 cure a certain ~Mr. Neville" of fool
ish Irritation with petty princess.
Ewes success at this game made spies Of
sister and brother for the English. And in
following Frederick in his first Silesian
campaign they had trials enough, such
rs are the portion of spies, in fiction at
least. Not the least of Ewes troubles is
the pursuit of her by "Mr Neville" who
IS no less a parsonage than the Duke Of
Severn and who would like to be an i'm
perturisable Englishman of the Guards
man type, bat who is often made to look
very foolish by the circumstances Of
Frederick's campaign and by Ewes wilful-
ness. Since nothing can resist that type
Of Briton, in the end Eve marries him
and Adam has a marital adventure of his
own. No novel of the day can hold a
candle to this for gallant adventures,
sprightly dialogue and quickly shifting
scene. If it is not a profound historical
romance, 1t has the admirable merit Of
holding the reader in thrall from first
page to last, which is what all books are
written for and not all achieve SO sue
cessfully as this one of Mr.. Baileys.