New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-02-12

Our candidate for the 1924 non
sequitur prize occurs on page 119 Of
She Who Was Helena Cass, by Law
renee Rising: "Her story that Don
Pedro had been struck by Helena's
beauty and the exotic appeal of for
elgn type now assumed less color
since it was discovered that he pos
sessed a wife"
She Who Was Helena Cass is a de-
cidedly readable mystery story, with
rot little vivid Spanish background
to hold the attention, in addition to
the details of action. But, like all
mystery stories, the solution does not
begin to be half so interesting as the
problem. Helena Cass and her mother
come late at night to little inn of O
remote Spanish town, and, although
they desire to share q room, the pro-
prietor assures them that the inn is
full and that the best he can do - to
assign them small separate roomss at
opposite ends Of the hall. No. S is
the mother, sleeps very soundly, so
soundly that she suspects the WINS
which she drank at night was dragged,
In the morning she knocks at herr
daughters room, and a strange man,
comes to the door. He insists that he
has occupied this particular room for
Eeveral weeks, and that he has not seen
or heard Of Helena Cass.
Mrs. Cass Is convinced at Arst that
She has msde mistake, but she exam
ines all che other rooms on the floor,
for not one of them has been occupied,
in spite Of this statement Of the inn
keeper, and not one of them Is like the
room which her daughter entered the
previous evening. At length she in
sists On being admitted to No. 5.
The strange man now in possession
makes no objection, and, much to the
surprise of Mrs. Cass, this room, too,
is quite different from the No.
which Helena Cass occupied. She had
been struck by the peculiar wall paper
of the room, but now No. merely
has plain whitewashed walls. Also the
furnishings of the room are quite diff
ferent Amazed and terrified, Mrs.
Cass appeals to the proprietor to help
her find her daughter. He replies,
blandly, What daughter?" and insists
that Mrs. Cass came to the hotel alone.
Hers is the only name on the register,
and the driver Of the mule diligence
supports the innkeeper's story by tes-
tifying that he brought no passenger
to the inn except Mrs. Cass. No one
in the town has seen Helena Cass.
For three years the disappearance of
Helena Cass remains one Of the most
sensational mysteries in journalistic
II novelist, discovers her. Just how
this comes about 1t would be unfair
for US to say. The explanation is not
impossible, but it Is by no means as
ingenious as the mystery.
All the professional readers OF She
Who Was Helena Cass must have had
at least one hearty laugh out Of the
book, for ON page 16 the novelist hero
is pictured "in deep preoccupation, oc-
casionally producing a gold cigarette
case, the gift of his publisher"
New York would be pleasanter
place to live in if our bandits would take
heed Of the manners of the gentry who
follow this calling in Madrid. AT
midnight" writes Lawrence Rising,
"the crowds remained undiminished,
vivacious, orderly, without insult or
drunkenness. And although pick
pockets might ply their trade II was
done suavely, with dignity. For
Helena, feeling an alien hand in her
pocket, grasped mans wrist. He
bowed, raised his hat with his free
hand and remarked: My mistake,