Evening star., 1927-05-15

ling he would have known that this |
couldn't be done. But he isn't and so |
he broods the dead days into pale
likeness of life--and thereby comes
within an ace of losing a priceless
thing. But he doesn't lose 1t. And !
TN the belated search for IL, friendship |
rises TO the beautiful height OF self |
sacrifice in helping to find II. There
is not a point of strain here. not a |
breath of artificiality. Instead there |
is fine and lovely movement that
bathes the reader in refreshment. ana
opens a triumphant way FOR tnlS
strong and genuinely inspired young
novelist. Elswyth Thane.
y Xf
EVELYN GRANGER. BY George
f. Hunnmel. author OF Suosoii'
etc. New York; Boni & Livertght.
THAT man is an animal. though
a true according to the classification
of science. is not accepted by man
himself. That. being an animal, ne
is by nature pelygamous. as animals
are. At this deduction man reoeis
and makes violent denial Most TOO
violent. However, this is not the
theme Of George HummeEs new novel
A word about Humme!. He's too log
ical, altogether. Hes too unhuman-
ly scientific in his studies OF life. Ap-
pears to have had no early training
in the sanctity of tradition or in the
laws of human behavior. Certainly if
he had such schooling. the mans for.
gotten it. He takes up a man, or a
woman, as il it were a bug or bee.
turning it over. pulling it this way
and that. crouchins beside its private
and intimate behaviors, social and
economic, telling what he finds out in
devotion to truth that is not at all
necessary. And he tells his discov-
cries so well. writes with such certi-
tude and with so captivating swing
to his sentences, that II makes things
worse because it makes them so con-
vincing. Take this new novel-this
Evelyn Granger. Somewhere along
his way of investigating the human
Hunlmel has reached the belief that
they are all, In sum, alike. That you
can't set off one set of traits for the
male and another for the female.
Can't do it, Well, that's the story of
Evelyn Granger. Is man really
polygamous? Well, then a woman
may be, too. Everybody will fight
him about this novel. He was pretty
badly knocked about over "A Good
Man. But. reduced to its real sub
stance, it is a matter of mere empha-
sis with this author. a novel way Of
saying that we all of us are much
too engrossed in a matter that should
give way to more generally useful
and more helpful prepossessions than
this paramount one.
PENELOPE FINDS OUT. BY Pa.
mela Wynne, author of Ashes Of
Desire" etc. New York: The
Macauley Co.
OPINIONS differ widely about the
~ fnatter--matrinony. One side
claims that to be happily married the
man and wife must be separated a
good part of the time. The other side
Is positive that to be safely married
the twain must never be apart. One
looking on can gee no difference be-
tween the marital safety of either set.
The divorce court acts impartialfy as
well as frequently on both sides. The
husband in this case was off in India.
as English husbands are so likely TO
be. One day, all of a sudden, the
wife, without any notification what
ever. sailed away for the East. That
was unfair. Still no one but herself
had to bear the penalty of this incon-
siderate act. Once in India. the wife
becomes the victim of plot so nelo-
dramatic as almost to take the mat
ter out Of the prosaic readers atten.
ton. A look at the daily paper as
sures him. however. that the East In
dian intrigue against the girl is not
the extravaganza Of young writer's
fiorid imagination at ALL 1t is an
everyday affair instead. So one goes
on reading in a renewed interest. for
this is an engaging heroine. and il
she comes out all right il will be a
bit OF triumph, can tell you. No,
the story isn't quite so enjoyably con-
csived and projected assay, "Ann's
an Idiot" an earlier romance by Pa.
mela Wynne. 1t is adventure, how
ever. of the strenuous sort, and as
such achieves good average of in
vention.
THE HOUSE OF SECRETS. BY
Sydney Horler. author of False
Face" etc. New York: George H.
Doran Co.
WHEN person, more or less impe-
cunious. inherits an estate, no
impulse is stronger or more natural
tnan TO take possession at once and,
Tor a time at least, to enjoy the cas-
ing effects Of comparative affiuence.
The hero of this tale is of that usual
pattern. AT once he moved down to-
ward his patrimony. prepared to begin
mild orgy of full days free from
care. But the place was walled
against him. and fierce dogs added to
its seeming impregnability. and
huge negro of satanic bearing further
he. hi
work of the matter. What. In the
name of modern procedure. was man
to do to get possession of his own
hearth and rooftree and the rest of
his household appurtenances? The
innumerable things that he did have
to do, all of them loaded with menace,
all of them wrapped in deep mystery.
go into the making of mystery that
is little off the usual track of these
tales, and to the measure Of this
divergence it stands above the COM
mon run. Oh, yes. there is a lady in
the case. and if the story as a whole
needed redeeming this girl would
most capably serve such turn. For a
long time. TO be sure. she stood in the
sinister light of the whole unexplain-
able business. But as it turned out
the main secret of this house was an
innocent one. though there were side
issues bearing upon it villainous
enough to satisfy the most exacting
demands for sheer wickedness. II the
girl hadn't been proved to be almost
a super bit of innocence. then the
story-weli, no matter. She was all
right. And the whole business is a
good bit of invention fashioned to pass
the time in interest and excitement.
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