Evening star., 1923-12-04
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
THE YELLED EMPRESS. BENJAMIN

~ A. Morton. C. r. Putnam's Sons.
The fame of the West indies lies. in
more or less even distribution, with
Columbus and pirates and legendary
treasure, and Alexander Hamilton
and rum. All these, save one, have
settled into history and romance
into history that sounds like romantic
adventure, into romance that reads
like fable. Just lately, however. Rum
in it's own person and in that Of its
numerous variants and next of kin
has moved up into present actually,
reviving the ancient trade of Snug
CLING in a vigorous attack upon the
prohibition barriers set up to the
north. But neither the settled facts
of West Indian history nor the pic
turesque doings of it's day of pure ad-
venture nor the present recrudes-
cence of its rum-running exploits,
form the foundation of Mr.. Morton S
strange story. That lies in between
these two periods. 1t follows the
slender thread of a personal expert
ence which matters of more public
concern have served To hide.
x 4 4 X
The Island OF Martinique provided
the clue for this amazing disclosure.
An island of famous women, or so il
seemed for the time being under the
researches of this author. For upon
Martinique lived the little girl, Fran
cOise d'Aubigne, who in the course of
her early years married the witty
and worthless poet, Scarron. Then
the poet died. And the Widow Scar
ron became the wife of Louis XIV,
sun" king of France. a most tre-
mendous :urn the wheel of fortune
took that time. And upon this island
too, was born Marie Joseph Rose
Tascher de la Pagerie. We know her
better as Josephine, empress of the
French. There also her daughter
lived for time-Hortense. queen OF
Holland. mother of Napoleon Ill As
tonlshins as were the workings OF
fate in the lives of these three, they
seem of commonplace complexion be
side the destiny OF the fourth one,
whose story is given here.
4
Aimee Dubuc de Rivery is the
fourth one in the group that helped
to give to Martinique a peculiar fla
vor Of distinction. Strange. indeed. was
the fortune of each of the other three
Astounding the destiny Of Aimee Du-
buc de Rivery. Like the empress OF
the French, Aimee was born upon the
island, close to Josephine herself III
the ties of both blood and age. Like
many another of the children of
French colonials in the West Indies
the young girl was sent to France
TO be educated. For more than eight
years she lived in a convent at Nan
tes. Then came the day when she
was TO sail away for the old plan
tation home in the islands Of the
west. Hardly out to sea was the shin
when terrific storm swept the Bay
of Biscay. Disabled. the vessel was
rescued by a Spanish sail bound for
the Ba learic Islands. So, east instead
OF west, the girl was carried on a
toe OF circumstance that had for
her weirdly strange significance
Salllng the Mediterranean toward Ma
Jorca, the Spanish craft was set upon
by Barbdry corSairs. Ship, crew. car
go and passengers We're borne away
by the pirates to their overlord. some
thing OF a pirate himself, Baba Mo-
manned ben Osman, Dey OF Algiers
CCOi4NifS Over MS pIuIueT ora Bd Da
came upon a jewel of great price-a
snow-maiden, all pearl and gold and
sapphire in fair skin and cleaning
hair and shining eyes Now. clearly.
thread of romantic imagination ran
through the deep political acumen
Of Baha Mohammed ben Osman. In a
fash his mind flew to the great city
Of Constantinople, where. between the
Golden Horn and the Sea of Marnora
the ancient seraglio hid deep within
its heart the harem OF Sultan Abdul
Hamid /. Like star he saw this
fair girl shining among the. dusky
beauties OF the sultan's household
Prompt and active as any twentieth
century promoter, Baba Mohamme eG
fitted out a sailing craft in an i'm.
pressive toggery of oriental splendor
In a mighty ceremony Of departure
he sent upon its momcrtous wav this
prize gift TO Abdul Hamid. whose
gratitude would, most certainly, re-
dound to old Baba in liquidated debts
and substantially increased credits.
:; X =
The harem of the Turk closed around
Aimee Dubuc. the young French girl Of
Martinique.
x X X