Evening star., 1925-10-11


portrayal on the one hand and on the
other hand out Of his seizure Of the
atmosphere coupled with the power
to transmit this to the consciousness
of the reader.
Within such setting the author has
developed a romance of modern cast,
nothing more than the business ad.
venture of a young woman who owns
and manages a fox farm. Here you
have the past in its implications and
atmosphcres closely welded to an en-
terprisc Of the immediate present.
You will like that young woman.
And you. modern advocate of the
rights Of animals, will approve whole
heartedly her methods that so def
nitely put to shame the barbarity Of
the trappers of the fur regions.
There Is n love story going along with
the rest OF this good action, one whose
vicissitudes rest upon a throw.back TO
primitive strains on the part OF one
of tho suitors. With the lovers and
the fox farm and the elements and
the life Of the lonely islands you will
find yourself involved In stirring and
picturesque tale-one that is already
on it's way to the screen.
AFTERWARDS. By Mrs. Belloc
Lowndes. author of Jane Ogland.
err" etc. New York: Doubleday,
Page & Co.
MRS. BELLOC LOWNDES' latest
novel presents an aftermath of
the new freedom acquired in war
time. This achievement definitely sets
the youth of the present of from their
immediate elders. Especially did the
yourg women either openly declare
their independence or secretly secure
1t by a mastery of the arts OF decep:
ton. The movement started at that
time is still a robust and active one.
The story itself has to do with Lon.
doners of the Lady" and "Sir" class.
on against these stands one man Of
quite another sort, equipped by per.
sonal charm and an entire lack of
honor to take advantage OF the new
spirit of adventure possessing the
young women around him. 4 mother
and daughter are outstanding figures
here, the former fixed in the tradi.
tional behaviors Of her class, the lat.
ter bent upon personal liberty, an
adept in the practices of deceit calcu-
lated TO gain this.
In general the story progresses by
way Of the unchaperoned and uncon.
ventional adventures OF group OF
young society folks whose leader is
Kitty Fleming, heiress and leader of
the London smar, set. The real busi-
ness OF the matter. however, Is the as
sault upon Miss kittys fortune by q
plausible and insratiating scamp, Sc
cretly incumbered already with one
perfectly legal wife of his own. The
business rises to the height-cr falls
10 the depth-of q murder and a rnys-
terry. whose solution by good friends
or this adventurous young woman con-
stitutes both climax of the trle and
personal deliverance OF the girl her.
self. A couple OF good men carry on
here in the interests of women who,
upon the whole. are hardly worth the
loyalty expended upon them. That is,
the women run thin-all of them
which. maybe, is exactly what they
are intended to do, considering the
atmosphere and the circumstances in
which their lines are cast. II the
story Is warning, In intent, as one
judges it to be. il is bound for the dis
regard OF all youth for all warnings.
II 1t Is merely a picture of the new
freedom confined within dramatic
limits. then ii Is OF a quality FOR gen.
eral acceptance and enjoyment.
THE ANCIENT HIGHWAY. By
James oliver Curwood, author Of
kazan,' etc. Illustra ted by Walt
Louderback. New York: Cosn,o.
politan Book Corporation.
THIS ancient highway ie the one that
500 years ago was set in the rude
trails Of French explorer and Yoy-
aseur and priest and trader. IL is the
old Quebec way leading from the river
north into the back lands Of Canada.
Along this road the author sets the
feet OF Clifton Rrant looking for the
old home from which exile and report
ed death in China have separated him
And as Brant retraces the familiar
and beloved trails he recreates them
both in their natural beauty and in
the atmosphere with which the French
settlers SO indelibly impressed them
The whole story IS adventure pitched
to the key Of that old past. It's i'm
mediate object IS revenge-quite in
the manner Of older tales of romance
revenge against the man who plan.
nod Brant's death off In China for the
sake of taking over the rich lumber
country standing as Brant's lawful
heritage.
Collateral objects join this initial
one. for Ivan Hurd is many kinds of
a villain, inviting the chiralrous Brant
to include within his own revenge
sharp punishment for Hurd's dishon-
est dealings with the helpless French
folks fallen victim to this rapacious
land dealer. Among these Is a beauti-
full French girl-and there begins a ro-
nance whose glamour at many points
goes back 800 years to the heroic days
OF the French explorers, and comes
on down into the present through the
picturesque pathway Of the French oc-
cupation. a story of romantic love. a
story of big business, story Of the
triumph of Righteousness, this. But
above all is 1t a romance Of the big.
unbroken reaches Of a new country. a
romance that gathers its best rich.
ness from the great outside which aft
er these long 900 years Is still new in
Its uneXplored stretches Of forest and
untraveled miles of wild waters.
ant. author Of "a Coura geous
Marriage" etc. New York: Duf.
field & Co.
WITH only now and then an eycep.
w ton to stress the rule every de-
tective story begins with the corpse
with the sudden discovery of some
one violently and fouIy done to death.
This story of crime follows the rule.
1t is the simultaneous finding Of the
victim by man and woman.
strangers to each other. that sets the
mystery on its way. A mystery here
that from this point Of double discov-
cry becomes involved In a clearly geo
metrical ratio Of complexity. The
whole matter takes its color from an
incident SO implausible as to rank
with impossible things. For not even
the impetuous ardor Of the most reck-
less girl in the world would impel her
to declare herself the wife of an utter
stranger through an over generous
desire to screen an obviously fright
ened and overwrought young man
who suddenly finds himself minus q