Evening star., 1929-12-15

Maurice Walsh, author Of THE Key
Above the Door," etc. New York:
Frederick A. Stokes Co.
AN Irishman in the highlands Of
"A Scotlandl He goes there to visit
dear wartime friend, during his Vaca-
ton as schoolmaster. He hopes to flnd
there, as he has sought elsewhere, the
red-headed girl of his dreams. He finds
the girl of his dreams, but she is not
red headed She is, in fact. tow
headed, as he at first scornfully re-
marked. She Is Furthermore all but
engaged to a highly superior young
man for whom the small dark man"
of Erin conceives a strong distaste
There is an adventure, initiated in
blistered heel, including lively man.
to-man fight on the mountainside, a
long vigil through the night, a tramp
home, reunion and eventual adjustment
and happiness.
Mr. Walsh tells this story with a de-
lightful touch, with clear characterize
ton and with distinct persuasiveness.
He uses but few figures for his little
comedy, but all of these are vivid and
distinct, and all are very well worth
meeting in the pages Of this most agree
able tale.
STRANGER FIDELITIES. BY Ma
thilde Eiker, author of Mrs. Mason's
Daughters" etc. New York: Dou-
bleday, Doran &c Co.
A ROMANCE drawn off from the war.
a Here is a young Frenchwoman
with a soldier lover from America. The
girl has a husband, elderly and away
somewhere, probably on war duty.
Time goes by and the American soldier
goes back to his own country. The
husband dies. The girl marries q sec
ond husband-no, not the soldier OF
her idyllic love, but again an older
man, an hmerican--with whom she
comes to this country to live. This, the
situation. A lover and two husbands
toward each Of whom this girl nainA
tains a high loyalty. Sounds complex,
doesn't It'll And it is. Without an un0
derstanding Of the difference between
the outlook of the American and that
of the European, particularly OF the
French man or woman, 1t remains
hopelessly involved. Miss Eiker has
seized upon this fundamental dtffers
ence of temperament that in the two
peoples expresses itself so oppositely In
the emotion that is known as love. Is
is this deeply intelligent comprehensions
this finely subtle disclosure, this ironic
acceptance of tragedy rising out Of the
basic disagreemerlts of racial social otlts
look and custom that sets Stranger
Fidelities' so high above the other fine
fiction by this young writer. An mde~
pendent and gifted young woman with
four novels of distinctive stamp and
superior structural qualities standing to
her account as an urge toward other
creative fiction of like individuality, Ct
equal artistry.
THE CRIMSON CIRCLE. BY Edgar
Wallace, author of 1.-THE Clever
One" etc. New York: Doubleday,
Doran & Co., Published for The
Crime Club, Inc.
THE guillotine failed to work. The
n knife fell short. leaving a red mark
around the mans neck, when the mob
intervened for his release. That is the
beginning of this bad business. A band
of organized criminals grew out of the
incident. Cleverly these were held in
ignorance of one another, all Of them
in ignorance of the identity of the
leader. Extortion and, IN case OF re-
fusal, murder-such the formula OF
procedure. Murders centered upon a
certain neighborhood OFFSET against
these criminals were the agents of de-
tection--three, all told. Inspector Parr.
bit heavy. a shade dull-or 30 1t
seemed. Then Thalia Drummon, beau
tiful and bad, clever and corrupt
plainly all of these. Had she not been
up before the court which had more
than once convicted her and put her
In prison? Artful and mysterious
escapes followed-or were these escapes?
The last of the three, and the best,
Derrick Yale, master detective. You
should see him at work, smiling toll
erantly at times over the crude direct
ness of Inspector Parr or, in other
mood, offering bright suggestions and
useful hints. Or were they useful, after
all? Upon this foundation a most
active line of events and incidents
opens to the reader, who, about once a.
minute, thinks he sees "leam of light
no. it was not light, only a heavier