The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-04

characters In the novel to persons
well-known in real life. For Sue
cess deals with newspapers, jour
nalists and others in New York,
ana Is written with so much evil
uent conviction that everyone Is
Tree to believe that some parts of
II. at least, are true" But entire
~ aside from this feature OF the
Norume IL 10 worth reading for two
reasons; first, because IL Is an I'M
usually tense. moving tale. and
second, because Of the sidelights II
throws on the so-called power OF
tne press" and the varying concep-
lions of truth" news" and duty
10 the public" which heset and puz-
zle newspaper men. Everyone who
reads newspaper. and that means
practically the entire population Of
these United States, will find some-
thing of interest in success
The book opens, however. far
from a newspaper Office. in a small.
Tar western railroad station. where
the agent happens to be an unusual
young person named Banneker. who
at the moment when we meet him
Is engaged in the nosat all unusual
pursuit OF studying Sesrs-Ro--
buck catalogue. A wreck suddenly
breaks in upon his peace. and
thereafter events come thick and
last. including the arrival OF q New
york society pet named Irene Wei
land, who Is of course destined to
play a large part in Banneker's
career. This part of the book reads
almost like Western thriller"
save that II Is exceptionally we'll
fS =
Adams gets Banneker TO New York
and on the stan OF the Ledger"
land OF course here the amateur
sleuths all begin to recite the
names OF New York papers and
wonder which one Mr.. Adams rear
ly means) that the newspaper stun
begins. And even here. without the
Western background, the story
moves swiftly and Is not devoid OF
excitement. More than that II 10
well-told and rings true. II IL is
pitched in q high key. II at times
II speaks the language Of movies.
headlines and circus barkers, that
is because Mr.. Adams is really ex-
cited by the things he has to say,
and has not the least intention OF
allowing the reader to fall asleep
over matters of such import as his.
Indeed. the great and saving grace
OF the book Is that fact-that the
author IL so Intensely alive to the
things Of which he Is writing.
Banneker goes straight up the
ladder of success to the top-runs
where he Is editor of reJuvenated
paper that is, with his help. out to
get the real people" for It's
readers. He resorts to all kinds of
tricks to make people read his
editorials-and they do. shop girls,
clerks, policemen, everybody reads
them. But back OF Panneker. is
the eni gmatic. sinister figure of tho
papers owner. who has ambitions
OF his own. 1t Is not for us to tell
you exactly what occurs to Ban
neker as he hits the top of the lad
der. but IL Is for us to remark that
here is a mighty good story. en-
tireIy aside from its significance as
a study OF newspapers, which sig
nifcance. as a matter Of fact. can
not he thrust aside. what we mean
Is that even II you believe that
sincere. intelligen comment on the
newspaper world will not be in
teresting. you should read Sue
cess" nevertheless, simply as good
and well-fashioned story.
.MANsLAUGHTER- by Alice Duer
Miller. CDodd. Mead & Coz
Out of what appear to be very
ordinary ingredients. Alice Duer
Miller has concocted an excellent
tale. Lydia Thorne is rich, spoiled,
clever and an orphan. Miss Bennett
who lives with her and has prac-
tically brought her up has no effect
on her whatever when II comes to
preventing her from carrying out
her least whim- Lydia II selfish and
obstinate. but so attractive never
theIess. so thoroughly nice when
she wants 70 be. that she manages
TO do outrageous things and still
keep her friends In fact, her secret
low appears to lie in showing her
power over her friends and the rest
OF the world by doing exactly as
she pleases. Then one day when
she is cross for some small reason
she takes it out in speeding-and
kills a motorcycle policeman. Previ-
ously she had incurred the apparent
dislike of the district attorney.
O'Bannon, whose passion II 10 to
prosecute all Offenders alike, rich
and Door So. naturally. O'Bannon
sets out for a conviction in her case
and gets it The whole trial and
the scenes leading up to IL. with
Lydia's friends pulling wires and
using influence, and Lydia herself
creating an unfortunate impression
by her sullenness, Mrs. Miller has
made thoroughly engrossing. Lydia
Is convicted of manslaughter and
goes to prison to serve her term.
And there she learns a good deal.
as might be expected. She comes
out a very different Lydia, with but
one trace OF the old Lydia-she is
determined to get" O'Bannon. She
believes that O'Bannon is the only
man in the world she hates, but 1t
turns out that the trouble is that
Ashe loves him. Any such bare analy-
sis Of he plot sounds melodramatic,
because all the fine shades OF mean
ing that Mrs. Miller handles SO deft-
ly are necessarily omitted. She
makes both Lydia and O'Bannon
very human; she deals wisely and
truly with her pictures OF Lydia's
kind of life; and she weaves her
story with a practised hand. She
knows Just how to create the at
mosphere of wealth and ease and
thoughtlessness that surrounds the
sarlier Lydia, and she knows equal
" how to deal with the bleakness
Of prison. The ending is less salts
factory, probably because IL is such
an impossible thing to do, to break
down Lydia's belief that she hates
O'Bannon. People are always say
ing that hatred may be akin to love.
but il is very difficult to prove 1t
on paper. No matter what one
,binkz ~ the end hoWever the drst