New-York tribune., 1921-12-04
Sheaf Of New Fiction Contains
Love and t late, Fun and Myster,
Adventures of the Much Sought After Dolf-
Story of a Prosecuted Child--More Ex-
ploits of Tish-A Horror Tale

DOLE; BY F. =; Baiiy Published By
Law AND OUTLAW. BY Mrs. Alfred
Sidgwick: Published by W. J. Watt &
MORE or TIsH. BY Mary Roberts Rine-
part. nart, r, publshed ed by George H. poran
THE PANELLED ROOM. Nv Ryp.rt
sargent Holland. Published bv George
w. Jacobs d Co., Philadelphia.
HERE is food for every taste
in these novels. The ingre-
III dients Of tragedy and comedy
are mingled in varied proper
tions in the four plots. "A girl seek
ing her fortune in London, child per-
secuted by cruel stepmother, an ell
derly maiden lady playing comic
role and playing it superbly we'll, a
woman trembling before a blackmailer
these are the outstanding figures in
this sheaf Of new fiction.
Dolf is blessed, or cursed, with a
provocative type of beauty which ex-
cites the admiration of every man with
whom she comes in contact. Running
away from the stuffy little village in
which she was born, she finds a haven
with an aunt In London and soon en-
barks upon sea Of amatory adven-
lures
Dolf's experiences with mon are
varied. but they fall into two broad
categories. She respects her lovers
either too little or too much to marry
them. Again and again she rejects pro-
posals Of marriage when she feels that
her suitor would ultimately be unhappy
with her. And through all her adven-
lures she holds back something which
is to be given only to the man whom
she truly loves.
This ultimate lover is rather slow in
revealing himself, although hs reap
pears at various stages in the story.
In the end Dolf comes to recognize
him and the novel ends on a note Of
ecstatic happiness. "Dolf" is a sophis-
ticated, rapidly moving picture Of the
London life Of girl with an inexhaus-
tible capacity for inspiring love af-
fairs. Viewed purely from a realistic
standpoint, it suffers from an over
dose Of eroticism and from occasional
touches Of ths melodramatic. Except
in old-fashioned plays, girls don't In
dulge in such outbursts as this.
Damn your friendship! I'm going to
him because he never asked me for
anything. There are men like that. ]
don't suppose you ever meet them
They'd take care you didn't"
"Law and Outlaw" develops with
poignant clarity the tragedy Of . little
girl who Ia neglected bv senile father
and i'll treated by brutal stepmother
The stepmother is almost a satanic
type. whose capacity FOR cruelty sug-
gests a pathological affliction.
! After her fathers death Peggy. the
girl. is subjected to every kind of
mental and physical torture. The
author unfolds her theme with merci-
less and gripping realism. Finally a
charming idealist Of an italian must
clan. who knows Peggy's true mother,
kidnaps the child and brings her bacr
to her mother in Italy. Here she ia
pursued by tho stepm other. accom-
panied by prig, who has been appoint
ed Peggy'a co-guardian and who feels
legally obligated to restore Peggy to
the woman who has maltreated her.
There are further narrowing scenes
before the situation IL relieved by an
opportune marriage bstwssn tho CO.
guardian and Psgsy's mother.
From the sombex intensity az Mrs,
Sidgwiek's story It IL q relief te turn
to such . feast Of undiluted humor a.
Mary Roberts Rinehart offers us In
More Tish" The redoubtable Letitia
carberry, with her conSederates, Aggis
aAA AtssaA Assa 4sssythsss unaes lA,