Evening star., 1927-07-24

FOR local color to his story of old caves
and the era of smuggling. But in that
neighborhood lived the Wears wife
and the lady had been bitten by the
pageant bug. Nothing TO do but to
stage that period when smugglers
| piled their unlawful trade. Before the
end of the matter England itself was
| likely to have been disrupted. George
| Birmingham, genial with understand
| ing and sympathy and laughter. here
does his usual good turn in entertain
ment OF the happier sort. Just point
in the human comedy OF manners,
touched off with the smiling indulg-
ence of this enjoyable writer.
** X *
THE BREEZE IN THE MOONLIGHT.
Translated from The Chinese by
George Soulie de Morant. Done
into English by II. BedfordJenes.
New York: G.. l.. Putnam's Sons.
\ CHINESE novel. written 500 years
"A aga or thereabout, comes to us
here by way of the double tranSla
ton first into French and then into
English. Not important. in face of
the strange fact that here is Il novel
as realistic in outlook and method as
is Main Street" or any other exam
pie of modern realism. No new thing
under the sun. More than that, China
proves 10 be the original source of
many an art or invention that nova
days is counted to be an exclusive
production of the present. The novel
in hand is, in sum. a love story
through whose course is given a mi
mute description of the everyday life
of the people, their pursuits. their GUS
toms and ceremonials. Even the
most devoted realist, one fears"-H.
Bedford-Jones talking-''will read these
living pages from ancient China with
shudders of horror and will finally
stand appalled, before the realization
of their import. Let one bear in mind
that he here meets no eXaggeration,
but everyday fact in the olden Chi
nese life, where every infraction of
the formal rules of conduct was a Sc
rious moral fault"
THE MAGIC MAN. BY Halle Err
mimic Rives, author of The Long
Lanes Turning" etc. New York:
Dodd, Mead & Co.
THE World War has given actuality
to that which before was counted
generally as wild flight of the imag-
ination. useful to fantastic romancers
and certain secret orders of necroman.
cy. A lost personality is nowadays
counted among not uncommon pos,
sibilities. This is the theme of THE
Magic Man" The magician in this
case is a scientist whose directing
theory is that environment is by ali
odds the chief instrument in the max.
ing of character. The great chance
for proof comes to him when a young
burglar in his house is so seriously
wounded as to deprive him of any
recollection of himself or his life be-
fore that accident. In a plausible in.
vention, that is rigidly held in. re-
Straint on the one hand and on the
other allowed to advance in most
spirited fashion, this author projects
story that is not unworthy of the
good substance of the theme itself
A theme, to be sure. that invites to
extravaganza and utter nonsense be-
sides; one in which a certain kind OF
Ignorance would be fatal to this par
ticular situation. Adroitly the author
steers clear of the deep waters of
special investigation and knowledge
on the subject of lost personality. In
stead she invents a colorful and pleas.
ant social drama that works off into
pure romance, at whose center is the
likable young fellow who is, under
the training of the magic man."
trying to find himself.
THE TATTOO MYSTERY. BY Will
liam lie Queux, author of THE
Crystal Claw" etc. Frontispiece
by George W. Gage. New York:
The Macaulay Co
MOT satisfied with one mystery, this
ambitious author offers two to
readers of lightweight Summer yarns.
One of these concerns the loss, or
supposed loss, of young man and
woman while climbing the Swiss Alps.
The other is the spider web of death
that includes simultaneously victims
as far apart as Italy and England.
And upon the left shoulder of each vic.
tim appears a strange mark whose
work is that Of subtle poisoning. Now
these two mysteries come together
through the imminent danger to a
young woman-by the way, the young
woman who was reported lost in the
Alps. Upon her shoulder, too, ap-
pears the fatal sign. The object of
the to-do is, of course. not only to
solve the double mystery, but to effect
a love story by hook or by crook in
this unbelievable maze of villainy.
The usual expedient is used-that of
a gallant and youthful gentleman
bent upon the business of rescue. In.
volved unbelievably, the whole puzzle
straightens out at the last by the
sheer strength Of the author. Indeed,
this writer's medium appears to be
the power of assertion, with never, by
any chance, a resort to plausible situa-
tions or natural human behaviors.
However, he will find readers, for the
mystery tale is a great lure, in spite
of the bad work of most writer's of
such tales.