Evening star., 1923-06-24


| nia1 days.
MIR. PoDD. By Freeman Tiiden. New
York: The Macmillan Company.
Mr.. Podd made nozzles-nozzles
that were just about human In their
promptness and ingenuity of response.
The highest efficiency in the produc-
tlon of these nozzles, with a perfect
genius in advertising and marketing
them, had made Mr.. Podd very rich
the richest man in the world, so 1t
was said. Mr.. Podd was an idealist.
zles did not consume the whole of
his idealism. The troubles of the
world worried Mr.. Podd. He believed
that if he and a few scientifically Sc
lected companions could get away
somewhere out of the mess of things
away with these troubles-at any
rate, the worst of them. The plan
once in hand, he would apply to IL
the efficiency of service that he had
proved in the case of nozzles-this.
truly, a clear triumph for the theory
of conservation of forces. But how
to get away out of the mess of
things? Only one way-by ships.
So MIR. Podd bought a ship. boarding
himself and the other SaViors there
upon. The development of the plan
an arrested development. as il turned
OUTS too long and involved a story.
Its arrest was caused by one of the
chosen, who. in the theory that every
body is as good as anybody. If not
better, melted a mutiny, by way of
which the company was marooned on
lone island. while the triumphant
crew sailed away upon its own sud-
denly evolved business. Then there
were months of circumscribed but
highly exciting existence on that
island. Rescue might never have
come. had it not been for the enter
prise of the moving picture business
craft In quest of new location"
sighted the island band and came to
its rescue. gathering in meanwhile
the groundwork of an amazing pro-
duction. Good fun lies in this in
genious comedy of reminiscent sug-
gestion.
THE COPPER BON. BY j. S. Fletcher.
author of THE Root of All Evil"
etc. New York: George Fl. Doran
Company.
A novelty in the summers crop of
mystery tales. since here the reader
Is not confronIed-no further off than
the second page-with some one
foully and most mysteriously done
FOR. This is promising. 1t serves.
finally. to strengthen ones contention
tnat the mystery story of murder
should be saved up for winter pro-
duction. Then the weather is kind to
the ardors of pursuit and less trying
also for the exhibition of mangled
remains. Here is a good. cool sum-
mer story, set just over the Scottish
line in house that looks bleak and
forbidding enough to harbor any
manner or wickedness. Only another
evidence that appearances are deceiv-
ing. for this is truly hospitable
house. II welcomes. without any Gre
! dentlalS whatever. a strolling young
artist on the hunt for bits of out-of-
doors TO mt his canvas. More than
TINS. II, In effect. adopts the young
artist for the time being In the
mouse lives girl-sO the romance is
provided for in season. This is as
good place as any to say that the
romance comes off in proper subor-
dination to the main business in
| nahu: In the house, besides. is Mr.
Parslewe. its owner. an antiuuary,
! IN possession of the copper box about
winch there is so much of quest and
pursuit and elusion. AS a matter of
! fact. Mr.. Parslewe, in justifiable and
innocent possession of the conner
! poX, as 1T turns out. is the whole
story. An enjoyable man, Mr. Pars-
lewe, who can and will entertain any
reasonable reader in excellent fash
ION for couple of hours or So
THE OLD MARY METCALF PLACE.
BY Joslyn Gray. Illustrated by
Thelma Gooch. New York: Charles
| Scribners Sons
The Briarly Seminary was much
| Ike any other seminary in one re-
Specific pupils possessed a posi-
| tive genius for livening up the ira
ditional stodginess of regular school
studies and discipline in a thousand
inventions of diversion and escape,
The old Mary Metcalf place, a forest
hidden house near the school. be-
came, in the imaginings of these pu-
pils, a place of mystery and breath
| less possibilities. And on a certain
| day, when one of the girls came
across stray child at the old place
and decided to hide it-why, then,
the story that races through these
pages gets good running start.
And it never stops for a minute till,
quite out of breath, il runs down
completely. And the girls straighten
themselves out again to meet any
other adventurous possibility that
may come their way. Then proba bIy
as In this case, there will be another
ilvely story for the summer reading
of girls. 'i'e