Evening star., 1921-06-26
Reviews of New Books

of view, the book makes straight
appeal-supplying to the full the
needs of the utility man. and answer
ing to the call of the ranger and
the poet.
OVERLOOK HOUSE. By Will Payne
author of 1.-The Scared Chin" etc
New York: Dodd. Mead & Co.
This is a mystery story, but one
fails to realize this for a long time.
1t sets of in smart fashion, as IL it
were bent on developing a modern
romance out Of the materials Of pros
porous American life. A country es-
crowning point. is the scene of a
happy. domestic to-do. with oriy
enough of trouble material to act as
suggestion rather than as actual
threat. In the course Of this current
Of events. all vigorously and interest
From this disappearance. or soon
thereafter. the mystery becomes full
fledged. and the modern art of detec-
tion is brought into action. A natural
and very interesting romance comes
that suspicion takes. unsupported
traits of character get into the open
on the part Of rivals in the game Of
bve; Even affairs of business become
involved in the general mystery.
ten good love story and a good mys-
terry story upon lines that are refresh
ingly free from the stereotyped de-
velopment of the thousand-a and
current stories Of this kind
TANG. By Helen Bell. Boston: Small,
Maynard G. Co.
1t is the setting of this adventure
that reaches out and gathers the
reader in so promptly. AS for the
story itself. the pursuit of a GRIM
inal is. nowadays. a commonplace
The pursuer is in this case. however.
sturdy member of the famous
northwest mounted police. And
another fresh touch is given to the
enterprise by the fact that the out
laws sister and his dog become in
girl opens the way. moreover. for
the romance that finally develops
1t Is. nevertheless, the land itself
that captures the reader-its mo-
notony of endless extent. its ferocity.
its enmity toward all life. One gets
the feel Of this malign force as these
mere creatures are beaten by it's
storms. misled by its trackless miles
OF sameness, starved and frozen. 1t
is strenuous story and. at times.
so hopeless in its outcome that one
rebels against its austerities and puts
I
see If they did. superhumanly. sue
cor themselves. There are people
who thrill to this fierce spirit of the
north. The tang of it is to them
irresistible. They will rejoice in this
contest between man and the clear
relentlessness of nature.
TENSION. By Z. NJ Delafield. author
of THE Pelicans." etc. New York:
The Macmillan Company.
Education. as a profession. is first
Snug. then arid. then drab. 1t is not?
Well. you prove that it is not. In
hand is one more proof. out of ten
thousand, that it is. This is the pic
ture of university group in an Eng
lish town. The background is fine
trees. velvet sward, time-mellowed
buildings. a sweep Of rich countryside.
and the rest of it. The professional
imagine a smile-sardonic in its twist
with which this author resolves to
do justice-no more. no less-to the
group of youth leaders. youth in
spires. So she sets their round of
duties. and their departure into
depressing as the other The respon-
sibility Of the teacher Weights the at
mosphere here. Ridiculous self-esteem
walks about, brazenly. Picayune in
tereStS swell to large patterns. Every
body takes himself seriously. One or
two real human beings get into the
compound. but these are speedily
ousted. Upon one character the
author has outdone herself in charac-
terization. This is a grand lady. a
patroness, by position-narrow. jeal-
Gus, vain woman by nature. Every
bit of her is here, to the credit of
this authors power over realistic
methods. Not much of anything hap
pens, but it all seems mighty big and
important to these school folks.