Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-07
SUMMER FICTION
FOR ALL TASTES
ancient History and Modern
Manners Among the Back
grounds of Neto Nouels

Maurice Hewlett. who has recently
been writing a series Of novels based
on ancient Morse and Icelandic legends,
told in a robust yet romantic saga
fashion. has added to them 'The Light
Heart which readers who like his
torical fiction or fiction cast in the his
toric. form will enjoy very much. Mr..
Hewlett has the same warmly glowing
style. the same capacity to tell story
by action rather than clogging or cloy-
ing description. in this new story. and
seem to create belicvably the traits and
manners of men long ago gone.
Dolf wyllarde. the Australian move
list, has written in Temperament"
That is. the people and the posture Of
events are literal transcripts from rou-
tine life, but the spirit animating this
narrative Of their ways and their com.
plexities is romantic in cast and color.
The heroine herself Is Of romantic
temperament. and she builds up a ro.
mantle legend about scion of the no =
bility, who is a man of fashion. Her
own career leads her to musical sue =
cess. The story of their love, and its
problems, is handled dramatically.
sometimes bit Internationally. but
always engrossingly.
James B. Connolly is always at home
on the sea, and his stories Of ships and
sailormen are joy to those who love
action and adventure and hazards on
the ocean wave. The narrator in his
new volume, "Hiker JOY" is the young
Gotham gamin of the same name, and
old Bill Green, the seasoned salt. is q
conspicuous figure in the several yarns
They are written in an easy going dia
lect. that has many quaint turns and
an individual charm. Spies, conspira
tors, undersea sailors, marine myste
only few of the enthralling ingredi
ents of the stories which have suct
alluring titles as 1.-THE Flying Sailor
Secret Service Stuff" 1.-THE Fier,
Sea" and '"The Mystery Ship" Ant
above all, Mr.. Connolly Is adept in hi.
knowledge both of ships and the psy
chology Of the men who man them.
"Poor Relations Is a different kint
of book for Compton Mackenzie. 1t i
a sheer comedy with a touch of tn
farcical, instead of realistic novel o
q story with a purpose, such as man,
Of his other books have been. The her,
is budding playwright. who has ha,
big success. The story tells of hi
trials and tribulations and troubles iron
the horde of friends and relatives VIII
throng about to share in his prosperit
as a lucrative literary producer.
> Lee Thayer, whose THE Thirteent
Floor" was one of the most battling o
mystery stories of recent years. ha
followed suit with another that is &
cannily and craftily dcvHlo"'d as I
keep the practiced reGder ing ii
the authors revelation - finale
; She calls it "The Unlnt Door.
and it relates the predica;" 1T of tn
hero. who, after a convivial part,
stumbles into a mystery by accidental
going up the wrong stoop and findin
the door unlatched What he saw thei
acts as a corrective even more effec
, water. But it must not be told her
. nor the clever denouement. Suffice
l to say. as might have been surmist
Y from the foregoing word 'stoop," tn,
s it is story of New York life of Il
present time and that its perplexiti,
a are varied with pleasingly sentiments
= love story. The author writes fictio
s as a recreation from her regular occu
patton. which is that of art director f.
e an old established" firm of illustrates
e and designers.
! "The Inscrutable Lovers" is stol
I in contrasting national types and dis
t positions. The heroine is an Irish gi
: and the hero the son of a Scotchmai
d, The one is the daughter of patriot
g idealist and the other the offspring
t a hard headed business man. Alexand
= MacFarlan, the author, whose secor
e book this is, makes the twain of love
e directly opposed to what might be COZ
e sidered their logical temperament
:. traits from their heredity and env
= ronment. He has carried out his cor
trasts whimsically and with singul
s good humor and a nice sense Of gent
satire.
THE UNLATcHED DOOR. By Lee Thaye
New York: Century Co.
? THE INSCRUTABLE LOVERS. BY Ale
I ander MacFarlan. New York: Dodd. Me
e POOR RELATIONS. BY Compton MacKenz
r New York: Harper 1 Bros. ''N
YORK: chas. scribner's Sons. S'
I TEMPERAMENT. BY Dolf Wyllardo. Ne
c York: John Lane Co.
n THE LIGHT HEART BY Maurice He
|, lett. New York: Henry Holt & Co.