New-York tribune., 1922-01-12

In the long catalogue Of things
that mako the marriage yoke uneasy
Mr.. Hcrgcshcimcr in "Cythcrea" calls
our attention to one of the most Gus
tomary. The trouble with the Randons.
whose story it is, was that Lee Random,
though forty-scven and respectable.
possessed some fcshly appctitcs not
satisfied by the tepid caresses Of his
wife. This longing for the sacred
flames Of scX on the part Of Mr.. Random
was dignilied. 1t manifested itself in
puzzled reflection rather than in sly,
dsloyal kisses. He had been known to
embrace a lady in a corner at hunt
club dance, perhaps, because he was
expected to do so, but he was not at
all Of the hand-holding type Yet he
was inclined to regard with excite
mcnt tho ankles of women not his own.
There was Annette Sherwin, for in
stance, an attractive girl; "she had
beautiful legs, but they were hardly
better than Fanny's; why in the name
of God was he captivated by Annette's
casual ankles and indifferent to his
wife's?" And why did he prefer them
in silk stockings rather than bare,
and in black more than in bright
colors? Onc-piecc bathing suits left
him cold, but the unexpected dis
closures of the wind were unfalingly
potential. Why. he wondered, why:
i: n x
Though Lee Random was baffed by
these mysteries, Mr.. Hcrgesheimer is
not, and neither are tho readers of
"Cytherca." A gratifying picture Of
Mr.. Hcrges sheimer's fiction is that he
knows his characters so we'll, better
than they know themselves: and that
he is able to tell us of them with such
explicit ease. SO while Lee Random
was nonpluscd by his Indifference to
his Fanny's figure, We understood it
thoroughly. Fanny was a perfect
mother and faithful wife, good look
ing in an austerc way, with pure eyes
and prominent cheek bones. She wore
white cambric nightdresses, embroid-
cred chastely, and no rouge pots Of
scent bottles marred the rigorous In
tcgrity Of her dressing table. Dubious
anecdotes never passed her lips. Her
mind was completely virginia., with the
shrinking delicacy Of debutante's, and
when she said good night to Random
her thin kiss was but wintry adum-
bration. "The truth is" Mr.. Herges-
heimer explains, "she regarded the
mechanism OF nature with distaste."
4 X *
Random thought a great deal about
her in the Office of his cigarette COM
pany, on the golf course, in the sane
tum Of his smallcity newspaper and in
the headquarters Of his mining cor
poration. Aside from the vague SIM
merings within him he was not un-
happy with Fanny and their children.
But she was too serious, and her lure
was insufficient. She lacked, as the say
ing is, sex. He did not actually want
her to drink and swear in public, nor
to engage indiscriminately in the wan
ton struggles Of the new dances; but
something Of the sort, he thought,
might help her. At times, when she
had had more than her customary
cocktail and half, he saw in her
promise of what he desired. God knew
he wasn't criticizing Fanny; but he
wished she could be, well-a little
gayer. A bit Of scarlet in their home
life now and then, he suspected, might
augment the hearthstone's creature
comforts. AS he was pondering thus,
one autumn day, while having tea in
the golf club with Annette Sherwin,
Annette Willingly, voluntarily leaned
her firm, elastic body against him; her
ankles, as evident in wooden stockings