Evening star., 1923-03-25

radeship that stands out quite as n1ari;-
ediy as do the thoughts and OPINIONS
themselves.
A. KING IN BABYLON. By Burton
e. Stevenson, author Of THE Hoi-
laday Case" etc. New York: Dodd
Mead 6, Co.
Nothing short of a very special
Providence could have rounded UP
the company with which this nin
set out for Egypt to run off the pic
ture he had sketched from Henley's
couplet:--
When I was king In Babylon
And you were a Christian slave"
For, right in that company, was
the reincarnate king himself, in the
person OF handsome Jimmy Allen,
movie star. And, II you would be-
lieve 1T. the French girl taken on at
Marseilles was none other than tho
slave, come back TO have another
try in this difficult world. OF course.
these two astounding facts never
would have come out, but for an ex-
cavating party that, right next IA
their own location, opened up a tomb
and found in Jimmy Allen.
Jimmy had been acting queer all
along, When that dead old king
turned out to be himself, Jimmy
commenced TO bullyrag that slave
girl. in the person OF Madamoiselle,
quite to an old kings taste. And
she was not bit behind Jimmy in
her part. You may be very sure
that the film was OF an entirely new
order. Nothing like II in the WHOLE
screen world-or SO on judgs Surely
the making OF It was OF q novelty
TO satisfy the most exacting OF movie
fans. Improbable as the whole thing
is-impoEsible as II is-the author
gets stir of weird reality into It,
partly by the triumph Of Jimmy
Allen himself. and he Is a triumph,
and partly by very adroit blend OF
the modernism OF the picture expedi-
tion and the ancientry with which he
projects the irnmemorial tomb OF the
desert. A most entertaining inven-
tion. because It Is a capable and
adroit invention that one accepts
with interest and even enthusiasm.
THE TAKERS. BY Robert ".
Chambers author Of The Com
mon Law" etc. New York: George
H. Doran Company.
Mr.. Chambers new novel sounds
bit fastastic today. Maybe in about
seven million years from now these
doings will be a commonplace. like
steam cars and motors. Some say
that that Is all the miracle is--a
plausible and consistent act, cut loose
and waited away from its setting
in time and progress and that, by
and by. we shall again have caught
up with this order Of achievements!
Well. the novel concerns itself with
the theories and beliefs that Conan
Doyle and his co-laborers are work
Ing upon with industry and deep sin
cerity. Does the soul fly away from
the dead body at once? Can life re-
new itself? Can evil overcome good
in the essential spirit Of man? These
questions and conjectures are here
brought TO earth in the person Of 8
young and beautiful girl in a man
OF secret and sardonic powers, who
makes the girl his victim. IN a youth
no-wise remarkable except that ne
is modern and has no use whatever
for the occultism that appears TO be
walking across his path TOO often
He is to be. as a matter Of course.
the final deliverer Of the girl, from
the evil power Of her master Incl
dentally he will turn out to be her
lover, in n romance that one hopes
VIII get summed and aired In the free
out-of-doors. Mr.. Chambers gives
something of an air of plausibility,
and 4 good deal OF interest, too, TO
this grtwsorne matter by setting the
action down in New York, and max
ing il the business OF group Of
more or less progressive folks TO
whom he gives the very proper name
of The Takers"