Evening star., 1928-10-21
REVIEWS OF AUTUMN BOOKS
The Complete Works of Francois Von Father of French
Poetry The Day of the Cowboy-A Survey of Greece
Today-The Newest Fiction

story is by design adventure based upon
certain facts of our early settlements
AS such it will be read. with an added
satisfaction issuing from the point that
it is a true story and not a "made-up"
one AS vivid as Through the Wheat"
in detail and scope. Simon Girtv" adds
to the success gathered in bY Tho
another good story to lovers OF adNen-
ture in the field of actuality.
~ =
THE SEVEN SISTERS. BY Jean Lilly.
New York: e. ?. Dutton & Co.
MO. they are not ladies, "the seven
sisters" are not. Seven oak trees
instead, part of the "Old Prentice
Place" where this mysterious matter is
worked out into the light of open day.
The basic theme is the ancient one of
hidden treasure. with the oak trees in }
this case coming finally under deep sus-
picion as conspirators in prolonged
concealment. The story is told by
mild-mannered young man, an archi-
tect. who. back from the war, finds
himself with little or nothing to do.
Looking about, somewhat Imply. for
commission in, his own profession, he
finds himself involved in the rlost as
tonishing situations, many of which are
set by the opening up of the fact that
there Is hidden treasure somewhere
around the old Prentice place. The
young man confesseS almost at once
that in questing about for a Job he fell
in love with Nancy Prentice So there
after the story is divided one AS
love story 1t is success in a very
charming and simple frankness of WOO
ing and winning As a treasure hunt,
going back into the secrets of the Prem
tice family for many years-years that
uncover black sheep as well as white
ones-there seems to be less of certainty
in the writing hand of this author. In
this phase Of the matter the invention
lacks both virility Of grip and ingenuity
OF invention. However. a love story l.
most acceptable to the maiority-so why
not let it go at that?
THE RED SCAR. BY Anthony wynne.
author of The Sign of Evil" etc.
Philadelphia: j. B. Lippincott Co
A NTHCNY WYNNE is at home with
the story of mystery He should, by
this time, be able to carry one of these
through with skill and conviction. But.
for some reason, The Red Scar" docs
not register IN complete clarity. Pos
sibly the author set too hard task for
himself. Here is man. supposedly
killed. Certainly he has disappeared,
leaving evidence of foul play This VIC
tim is one Of the philanderer brand. one
of those irreSiStibles who pursue a course
of devastation among the ladies round
about. Three women in this case might
have murdered Raoul Featherstone. DOS
sibly should have. To make it appear
up to certain point that this one of
the three, or that one, really did COM
nit the crime, this author Is driven to
so much of belaboring the subject, of
tnventing clues that child would re-
iect as negligible. that the story either
balks entirely or is driven by main
force to advance really against its will
These mystery tales make business of
involving the innocent in the most
damning of situations or they would be
damning If they were not so thin and
friI olous. Now Anthony Wynne has
written pretty good novels of this stripe
but not this time.