Evening star., 1925-08-02

first effect. An inconSequential effect
is that | like Theodore Goodrich, as
III warrant, many a reader will. Like
him or not, there is a good many of
him. and likely to be more under ex-
iSting conditions.
THE PAINTED VEIL. BY w. Som
erset Maugham, author of "Of
Human Bondage" etc. New York:
George h. Doran Company.
THE pathway toward adultery is a
l. trail that offers the novelist mate
rial for road-building of an exciting
nature. And many writer's make use
of this material. Almost none of these.
however, takes for theme the stony
path leading down again from this
sharp summit of transgression. Som
erset Vaughan is in THE Painted
Veil'' one of these exceptions. The
story opens in a climax of detected
and discoyered guilt. There after it
is plain Vecord of fact. The husband
offers freedom. provided the partner
in sin shall provide for the wife's fu
ture- Confident. the girl accepts. You
know the rest of the chapter-the as
constituent of her paramour. his
prompt denial of either desire or jim
tention in such direction. All the
other chapters go into the making
over of this woman into the pattern
that the world sets for its good
women. A clear anti-climax closes
this story of the mis-mated man and
woman whose initial mistake was that
of marrying each other, the one with
out love and the other conscious of
this lack. India provides an interest
ing background for this domestic
tragedy. since it gives to a wholly
hopeless situation, the superficial dis
traction of setting that Mr..
Vaughan himself likes and to which
he gives an intelligent and artistic
consideration. The spiritually mind
ed will dispute the allegation of anti
climatic closing here. since out of the
travail of sin and disappointment
stands one who sees the pattern of
life as a rich highway of charity and
mercy underneath the glitter Of its
surface lures and snares.
SEDUCERS IN ECUADOR. BY ".
Sackville-West, author of Grey
Wethers," etc. New York: George
II. Doran Co.
1T was the glasses that did it. the
ones LomaX put on to soften the
desert glare for better view of the
Pyramids and the Sphinx. Such a
soothing light these glasses shed
Such long perspective did they cast.
oddly suppressing the usual clutter |
of useless detail. Such straightfor |
ward and simplifying glasses were |
they that Lomax determined not to |
take them off any more. And back on |
the yacht. homeward bound, they |
proved on the one hand to be happy |
insulating medium and on the other a |
clarifying agent of high intensity. For |
instance, of the company there was |
Miss Whitaker, deep in sorrow over |
some man In Ecuador. A touching |
figure-through the glasses. So, |
sternly keeping them on. Lomax asked
the girl to marry him, convinced all
the time that there was no "seducer in
Ecuador" nor anywhere else, unless he
legally constituted himself the star in
that role. This he did. Might as
WELL" the glasses told him. Poor
thing-all that trouble to get you. or
somebody, or anybody And there
was Bellany. too. host and owner of
the yacht. Bellamy who. sentenced to
death by dragging disease. implored
Lomax to hurry him out of the horror
of this labored exit. Help the poor
devil" said the glasses. You may
want a lift over yourself some day.
Life is just something to get along
with" And Lomax gave Bellamy a
lift to the other side So the story
goes on. 1t was the glasses that
Lomax wore, you see, the particular
glasses that we all wear, that were
responsible for his queer visions and
strange acts, that are responsible for
our outlook and behaviors, too.
Miss Sackville- West here introduces
the characters of her little story. to
repudiate any suggestion on the pop
ular mystery motive-"It was in
Egypt that Arthur Lomax contracted
the habit which, after pleasantly
varied career, brought him finally to
the gallows." LAS to the companions
of Lomax, perhaps MISS Whitaker de-
serves precedence, since it was she,
after all, who married LoTnax.' And
perhaps. Bellamy should come next,
since 1t was he, after all, for whose
murder Lomax was hanged" An
hours reading that is calculated to
jolt you out of your smooth rut.
THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY. BY
Earl Derr Biggers. author of
Seven Keys to Baldpate," etc. In
dianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co.
MANY a mystery tale falls down
A'A upon itself from a op-heaviness
of device that it's foundation is not
able to support. One often wonders
IlIl -