Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-17

graphic.
There is nothing Of the pseudo .ro-
manticism Of "Graustark" In George
McCutchcon's new book. anderson
Crow, Detective" It's a delightful and
droll set Of yarns of midwest village,
told with high comedy touch. SOME
times tingcd with farce. The hero Is
different from most heroes Of fiction.
40 far ms the age limit Is concerned.
anyhow; he happens to be past seventy
five. but Is alert and rcsourccful at that.
As village marshal he seeks to sleuth
bucolic mysteries. often with such lu-
dicrous results that the reader will he
weak from honest laughter. Among his
other important jobs are street commits
Sioncr. fire chief. post commander of
the u. a. r.. truant officer and turn
Key OF the calaboosc. In any one of
these capacities he would be a scream.
! Imagine what n regular fog horn siren
he Is as a syndicate! The other Nc
Cutchcon. John T.. supplies character
ittic and Illuminating pictures. --
The title Of Happy House." the
newest novel Of Baroness Won IIutten.
symbolizes the wealth of hope and
world Of joy that Violet walbridgc
brought as bride to the home she thus
named. The name persisted. though
the joys and the hopes II symbolized
cyanshed during the years Of her mar
ried life. which dispcllcd ideals con-
ccrning mntrimony and illusions con.
ccrnihg her futile. unsuccessful spouse.
In her children. too. Violet wns not sin
gularly blessed: they gave her much
trial and toll. She herself Is a SUCCESS
ful novelist. and in her art she finds
some bcnison for the gifts of domestic
felicity that life has denied her. Her
optimistic personality. her capacity, her
sense Of life. make her life tolerable at
least. And II Is her personality that is
the binding tic in keeping properly as
scmblcd In the readers interest the way.
ward. Unsuccessful group Of people that
impingc on Niolet's life. Baroness Won
Hutton has written novel of much
understanding Of domestic life. 1t has
some power and much charm. II IL said
to be based on the life story of noted
English novelist.
There is something of the mclo-
dramatic in ''Thc Girl From Four Cor
ncrs." by Rcbecca y. Porter. The ia
miliar material Is that of n girl who
seeks fame and fortune in great city.
This time it is San Francisco, the dcbo-
nairly bohemian atmosphere of which is
conveyed. illusively but without too
much scene painting. in a part of the
book. The mclodramatic part deals
with the girls earlier career. She il
the daughter of an idealistic, earnest
than he ought to be. Like Kathleen
Norris's Julia Page In the novel of the
same name. Freda. for short-Frcder-
lea is her name-lifts herself out of
crude and Grass environment, mainly
aided by mother love. that battles al
ways with the selfishness and ne do
wellness OF the father. The character
drawing Of Freda is . nice handling OF
the clashing motives Of her heredity-
the disssluteness Of the father and the
right impulses Of the mother. The out.
come Of the conflict Il well-won happi-
ness.
'"The Dark Mirror" marks a devia-
tion from the sensational situations and
methods of Louis Joseph vance's con-
ventional fiction. But Il has its own
sensa tions as well as novelty. 1t is a
mystery story, but not the routine mys-
terry Of externals and apparent adven-
ture. The heroine is a sort of Doctor
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde. Her daily life
Is law abiding. but in her dream life
she Is a lawbreaker. The marvellous
opportunities for striking situations
presented in this novel posture of events
are cleverly realized by Mr.. Vance, who
has written one Of his most interest
holding novels. And 1t is strictly up to
date in its turning to fictional account
the present wide interest in the psychic
The author of THE Untamed" has
written another dashing and intrepidly
imagined story of West that is both
wild and woolly in '"rrailin'. /" An
easterner, but by no means effete, con-
ducts vendetta against the man who
Is believed to have been the murderer
of his father. This Is in barest outline
the theme on which the author develops
series of stirring incidents that keep
the interest continuous. Romance COL
ors the pages. and there is definite and
appealing love interest. Mr.. Brand
shows genuine understanding of the
temperament and conditions of the
West.
DIANA OF THE EPHEsIANs, BY MIRA.
n. Stokes Co.
Possessed. by Cleveland Mofrett New
York: James A. McCann Co.
THE DARK MIRROR. BY Louis Joseph
Vance. New York: Doubleday. Page a co,
THE GIRL FROM FOUR CORNERS. Il,
Rebecca Porter. New York: Henry Holt.
HAPPY HOUSE. BY baroness Won Hutten.
New York: George II. Doran Co.
TRAILIS'. BY Max Brand New York: a.
ANDERsoN CROW. DETECTIVE. BY q.
d. McCutcheon. New York. Dodd Mead
4 Co.