Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05
Reviews of New Books

at first a happy. music-loving girl,
tops the tragic note of the whole
when she refuses love and marriage
and motherhood as her own protest
The play is pitched in a highly emo
tional key. It's dialogue falls often
into monologue. a characteristic that
suggests appeal to the reader rather
than to an audience. Perhaps an
other standpoint on the part of the
helpful drama For instance. one
that would cover the splendid half
century Of growth made by the col
ored race since its emancipation in
the United States. Or, possibly. one
based on the progress of the indi-
compensation. However. this is a
sincere and painstaking piece of
work. that will lead. naturally. to a
more hopeful and heartening theme
than the one in hand.
WITHOUT MERCY: BY John Good
win. author Of "Blackmail" New
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons
A touch of melodrama marks this
adventure in revenge. Since. how
ever. the action. at no point does go
quite over the top of possibility. it
turns out to be melodrama that holds
and absorbs one. Its central figure, a
woman. is. on the one hand a sinister
creature. on the other a woman of
accomplishments and charm She is,
moreover. that most unusual thing
among women. a financier of great
lcumen and influence. For its driv-
ing force the story goes back many
years to South America, where a
scorching episode in the life Of this
woman shapes the present line of ac-
lion. A Jekyll-and-Hyde program on
the woman's part enables her to
strike the man of her pursuit where
alone men can be struck-in their
ambitions for place and wealth. AT
the time of this story there is a
beautiful daughter for the woman to
lake into account, an account that
is greatly complicated when this man
becomes one of the daughters suitors
In one hour this woman is Mrs. Enid
Garth. head of the great banking
house Of Garth & Trelawne. In an
other hour she is the head of Cor
don's Ltd, powerful and ruthless
money-lending establishment. BY
these two means she weaves, careful
ly. net about her enemy. So i'm
placable. so sinister is she in her de-
signs for revenge that. by all the
-ods of good behavior. she should fail
And one gets desperately nervous.
fearing that she may fail. She is SO
pretty much of a woman that one
goes promptly over to her side. Mrs.
Enid Garth is, in word, this whole
story. Her enemies are material for
her to work upon. Her daughter in
tensif1es her action and keeps her mo-
tive alive. Through the story inter-
est of this invention. behind it. one
gets the distinct impression of a
great force objectified in a woman
force that sometimes works blindly
nd often wickedly. but one that works.
THE DRUMS Of JEOPARDY. BY
Harold MacGrath. author OF Car
pet from Bagdad." etc. Illustra-
tions by Ralph Pallen Coleman.
New York: Doubleday. Page & Co.
Some tales push ahead by way of
adventure alone. and some by way of
mystery. Some thrive under the
veasty ferment Of love and some under
the gentle simmer of platonic affec-
ton. This romance races forward
under the urge of all of these-some-
times abreast. sometimes in line. but
more often a mere lawless rush of
is a pair of splendid gems to whip the
lust of cupidity to it's highest. These
arc historic jewels. named as the
story itself is named, endowed with
occult powers, a bit pontifical in i'm
port and altogether desirable as plain
cash. whirled across the world they
arrive In New York, there to develop
mere print into electricity. Curious
secretive men. Of suave bearing move
about here in the essence of Slav and
other oriental derivations. These sup
ply the red" tinge to the tale. A fine
fighting Irish girl. Kitty Conover.
holds out some hope to the reader.
and Guilty" Plato to Kitty herself.
gives a sweep Of Barrie's own brush
to character. A stirring matter from
the hand of a prodigal writer. To q
reader who enjoys sitting on the edge
of his chair ready to jump into the
scrap at any moment this new Mac
Grath romance will be joy and an
EMPRESS EUGENE IN EXILE. BY
Agnes Carey. illustrated from
Photographs. New York: The Gen.
fury Company.
1t is more than thirty years ago
that the writer Of this book lived,
for the greater part of a year. as
hold at Farnsborough. England. The
book itself consists. in large part. OF
letters written almost daily to the
authors family during that period.
These letters, intimate. enthusiastic
and lavish in detail, re-create the
as il it were of yesterday. and re-
produce as vividly the, shifting moods
and interesting personality OF the
exiled empress herself. There are
giimpses here, too. of many another
distinguished parsonage: French or
EnrIish. The recent death of Eugenfe
rsawakens an active interest in her
exciting youth and unhappy age The
hook in hand stands as one or the
revealine minor chapters in the story
IL this unfortunate Empress OF
France.