Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-15
Reviews of New Books

Us TO appear Doth rooHSh ana Wlckeu
is something out of the usual for
don a writer for a single lapse, and
anxious to find explanation for this
misadventure, one assumes that the
character of Andrea Dove is a delib-
crate creation to show one OF the
side-lines of havoc resulting from the
war. To offset this illogical and I'M
satisfactory person, however, there is
old Nine. Brooke, who is in herself
joy of Independent and self-contained
personality In a world that appears
pretty generally to have gone wrong.
CoLETTE OF THE FIELDS: And
Other Short Stories. By Milton
McGovern. Washington, D. C.
A deep confidence in what are COM
monty recognized as the truths of
religion forms the foundation upon
which these twenty short stories are
in the main built. They are sustained
by general atmosphere of piety and
pointed up6n the moral belief that
righteous behavior brings a surpass-
ing reward such as the mere gratifi-
cation of desire could not possibly
produce. The leading story. "Colette
of the Fields" provides a typical ex-
ample of the theory of religious COM
pensations which all of the narratives
suggest in varying degrees of en-
phasis. This STORY is set in France
among the peasantry. Marital fideI-
ity is it's theme-fdelity to drunken
husband while manly and attractive
lover stands SOLICITORS in the near dis
lance. The writer appears to be, in
each of these tales. thoroughly pos
sessed of a conviction which, by way
of these engaging stories, he mani
testify desires to pass into the work.
ing consciousness of his readers. This
is pre- eminently serious work-a sort
n bo
immediate appeal of the social drama
THE MYSTERY OF THE SILVER
DAGGER BY Randall Parrish, au-
thor of The Strange Case of Cav
endish." etc. New York: George
H. Doran Company
The problem set here is that of find
ing, the owner Of the silver dagger
picked up from the floor of the car
in which the murdered man was
found To pitch the matter to the
right key of excitement and interest
Mr.. Parrish makes use of about the
full sum of modern methods of de-
lection. But, before that, and along
with the pursuit after it is well un-
der way. he piles on with lavish hand
more and more of mystery in the way
of daring supplements to the orig
inal crime itself. AS a matter of
course, here is the young superman
who puts to blush the bungling meth
DDS of constituted authority in crime
detection. And here, too, is the young
lady who, part the time in the shadow
of suspicion and part the time in the
full sunlight of complete innocence,
becomes in either case the supreme
interest of the young amateur in
sleuthing. Good invention, OF quick
and not too unbelievable turn, keeps
the reader wide awake to the moves
of this exciting game. In contrast to
an affair of this sort in life itself,
the guilty man is discovered. the con-
spiracy is laid open, love meets its
rightful reward, and readers have ha1
a first-rate bit of recreation by way
of it all.
NEXT BEsTERs. BY Lulah Ragsdale,
author of Miss Dulcie from Dixie"
etc. New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons.
Here is a youthful and engaging
little romance of Pollyanna brightness.
The two beautiful and miracle-working
daughters of an impecuniouS aristocrat
living on his down-at-heel southern
plantation furnish the center of at
traction here. The little story is a
good game of make-believe-to make
servants at every turn. to make believe
that the ragged estate is still in it's
early lush plenitude, to make believe
all manner Of things that for years and
years have been out of existence-this
is the motif of the tale. Then, at the
right moment. two beautiful young
men appear, rich young men of the
right kind to fill the dreams of girls.
Then the make-believe wakes fast and
furious. And, Of course, disclosure
comes, but not till the affections of
these two youths are fixed beyond es-
cape. A pleasant little fairy tale of
southern flavorS.