New-York tribune., 1922-10-01

" tiSHu. IL SIdNuS on LHe euSe OIL
Florida swamp, and those who think Of
Florida in terms of sun and flowers
should read the first chapter of this
tale, which is really admirable bit
OF descriptive writing, conveying q
picture of the sinister and somber
charm of that shadowed interior coun-
try where tourists seldom penetrate.
The terror that haunced Kastle Krags
was in keeping; it seemed to lure its
prey to their unknown doom by night
only. And to add to the general creepi-
ness OF the situation, the bodies dis
appeared. Even one who had been seen
lying dead was spirited away imme-
diately afterward. Would you, timid
have gone prowling about after dark
in the neighborhood of that house?
Would you have remained in the vicinity
at all, no matter what the induce
inents? Our hero did; likewise our
heroine. They deserved all they got
which is not meant to be ambiguous
for they found treasure Of various
sorts, including true love. An inter-
estlng theory is propounded inciden-
tally, of hereditary family dislikes;
that is to say, of families whose mem
befs inevitably hate each other, by
painful reversal Of the usual order of
nature.
'The Romance of Million Dollars"
is a highly intriguing title. Or, any
way, million dollars is romantic, and
the possibility of possessing it is very
provocative Of intrigue. All, there is a
question: what would you do for a
million dollars? I'd do almost anything
but work--the chances of acquiring
any such sum by honest toll on my part
being so slim as to make it scarcely
worth while. Not all of us are so lucky
talented. She could run q garage!
her to the strong-minded Mrs. Dunn
barton Kent that the old lady first
hired her as chauffeur and afterward
adopted her as a daughter. Thus was
Marie precipitated into family quar-
rel Of long standing and such bitter
ness as only near relatives can feel for
each other There are few humping
improbabilities to be assumed by the
reader, but such form the basis of any
mystery tale, and the unfolding of this
one is very neatly done.
With ''Three Blacl, Bags" we travel
I to the occupied Rhineland and get a
glimpse Of the unrepentant Hun, who
| is depicted as still biding his time, if
not for Der Tag" then for "Die
Nacht," when Deutschland shall again
rise triumphant ueber allies. It's no
use inqulring what course you would
follow il you were in the boots of
Colonel Everett Ramsey, the hero of
| Valencay, or rather it is entirely un-
fair. He was hero to begin with, and
no one less brave could have success
fully uncovered and frustrated the
deep-laid plot of the Germans to
massacre the Army of Occupation at
midnight and fetch the Kaiser back to
his old home at Potsdam. Even a man
Of equal courage, but not quite so
handsome, would have failed, for then
J the Princess Ilse would never have
! fallen in love with him, in her tiger
ish way, at sight and saved him when
/ he innocently meandered into a trap
and was brought bound and gagged to
German castle in the forest.
The problem set before "Philip
Derby, Reporter" requires lengthy ex-
position, after the manner of an
alienist's hypothetical question. Sup
pose first that you were a copy boy on
great New York daily and wanted to
be a reporter Never mind why.
Suppose, further. that vacancy oc-
Cured on the staff by reason of re-
porter being kidnapped by the Black
/ Hand. Now wait minute. We know,
Of course, that you would instantly ask
for the Job, but that would do no good.
First you must show your ability to
handle story. Suppose then that you
| went out in your spare time after hours
and tracked down that missing reporter,
/ till You located him bound and locked
4 UP in tenement on the East Side, un-
4 der guard and threatened with death.
| And suppose you made that discovery
at such time that if you called the
police in right away and set the kid
naped reporter free the morning pa
pers would get the story, whereas
1 your sheet was an evening event. What
/ would you do? You wouldn't know what
/ to do. of course.
Philip Derby never faltered He went
home and had good sleep. He knew
that kidnapped reporter was securely
/ tied up and wouldn't spoil before morn
ling. And in the morning, of course,
when his story was safe, he dropped in
and let the critter loose. This is almost
as good yarn as the one about the
cold-hearted city editor who was told
over the telephone: "That reporter
you sent down to cover the fire has
been caught under falling wall and
killed instantly" To which the city
editor replied: aIs that so2 All
4 ..--I-A