Evening star., 1924-10-12
Reviews of New Books

having its own way with itself as
youth Is bound to do. Curiously real
these young fellows. We get ac-
quainted with Peter and the iest. and
like them for the youth that Is In
them. and the undying dreams or
youth that they project, and shed. for
the next procession Of young men to
seize and carry on.
WINDS END. BY Herbert Asquith.
New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons, Brentano's.
Maybe through creative stir. or
maybe through contagion of the tai
ent Immediately surrounding him, or
just possibly not to be outdone by
the women folks Of his family. young
Mr.. Asquith has gone into writing.
Winds End Is his first novel. A
story calculated to keep readers
guessing about the source of one out
rageous happening after another.
Winds End" is lonely English up
land around which creepy legends
gather. The matter in hand starts
when a foolish young man lays the
wager that he will sleep out alone
on this barrow of bad repute. The
next morning-dead. This is the be-
ginning of a series of calamities in
the netghborhood Of this relic of the
old Roman occupation of the island.
That which sets these fatalities apart
from other similar mishapS is not
only their number, but the sheer alb
sence of siEnsAof violence upon the
victims, Of any marks pointing upon a
clue to the mystery. The common
officers of the law gather, after their
fashion, and bestir themselves with
IfS at ut
Then the great detective, whom we
an appearance. to find himself con-
fronted by genuine supermystery
MIR. Asquith is up to the moment with
his mystery Here, finally, one comes
upon that invisible, inaudible instru-
ment of death that no longer than
yesterday the newspapers were ar
guing for and against. Along with
the action leading toward this dis
closure and climax goes that of the
disintegration Of a mans mind and
moral force under a fanatical urge of
scientific pursuit. The story moves
along these two lines Of material fact
and spiritual decadence without ap-
parent effort to do more than present
this case and then to unrayeI it
that is, there is no attempt toward
fine writing. The situation calls for
the prosaic front of solving a prob
lem. 1t is to this requirement that
the form of the story fits itself.
THE FOURTEENTH KEY. BY Caro-
lyn Wells, author off The Clue"
etc. New York: G.. P. Putnam's
Sons.
One knows this Joyce Gilray to be
an imposter and an impersonator from
the very moment and circumstance
OF his appearance. Else there Would
nave been no story. 1t is the art of
the subsequent proceedings that
counts here. With skill secure and
easy moving Carolyn Wells takes one
away from this initial certainty over
into doubt and then on into the well
come suggestion that this may be the
right fellow after all and that the
story is going to justify itself along
some other line than that of uncover
ing a villain. Of course. it couldn't Its
business, its sole business. is to prove
Gllray scamp. But one doesn't want
him to be scamp. or if he has to be
that, one really wants him to get
away with it. For this Joyce Gilray
Is a delightful chap-young, hand
some, frank. friendly nothing to con-
ceal, his life an open book, and the
rest of it. This is the way Of the
mattel, Audl w NlHSlOW-TlCn, aging
and regretful and desperately lonely
-advertises for the child of his
daughter whom 20 years before he
had disinherited for a marriage un-
pleasing to him. Joyce Gilray is the
response to that call Armed with
evidence indubitable, Gilray prompt
ly steps into the vacant place of the
old mans heart, filling it to the brim
with the Solace of warm companion
ship and devoted care. A keen and
knowing fellow. besides. of use to
Mark Winslow in business ways. a
fine little story of an old man and a
young man companioning each other
opens up here. You read it. And at
the end you will be more than half
displeased at the SNUG happiness of
the lawful heir-who is an heiress-
and the young nephew who has been
so hopelessly displaced at the ap-
pearance of the young imposter. Yes.
the two good ones get married. They
are not SO very interesting. The
Fourteenth key? That is the tiny
overlooked point that is always left
for the supersleuth to discover, to
the discontinue Of the swarm of near
sleuths standing around.
York: D. Appleton & Co.
This is a story of the supernumerary
woman. one out Of the large surplus
beyond the strictly biological need. as
this need is cabined within the mar