Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04

terrain OF adventure Is the peninsula
OF Florida, stretching the long finger
of harborage to the pirates and SNUG.
glers Of early days, to the pirates and
smugglers of modern persuasion. DooS-
ing the late land boomer, Mr.. Terhune
takes retreat In the neglected interior
of slow streams and dense growths.
of hermit birds and anchored alligators.
Away back there he discovers house
"a mansion mouldy and grown,
but quite splendid withal in Its clear
reminder of other days and other
places. Merely the dream OF an old
pirate come true. Such Is the starting
point around which Mr.. Terhune' s
"secret" grows This bit Of old-world
grandeur, built of many successful
maraudings. becomes the stronghold OF
various law-breakers, ranging from the
simon-pure pirate Of Black-Beards Gay
to the familiar bootlegger OF the mo-
ment For good measure in this racing
TODD, remnants of the powerful Semi
noles play a part, both considerable and
picturesque. These elements OF ad-
venture ares resolved into order and
action by the agency OF the nero OF
the business as whole. The hero Is
a man-and-a-dog. A young man, seek
ing secIusion for the great novel he is
going to write. "Sea-Dream House
looked like seclusion distilled to the
very essence of isolation. But-well.
the young man didn't know about that
house even q part of what have told
YOU about it. But in no time at all
things began to happen. Such a va
riety of, stress and adventure as can
hardly be imagined. Read about 1t for
yourself. You will get into the thick
of things at once-and they certainly
are thick" A likable young man ana
a quite captivating collie-of course,
the collie is what one expects. and gets.
There is nothing at all the matter
either with the old serving man Gedge.
And there is full job for all three.
Yes, a girl. Yes, a love story. Yes,
an uncomnonly good story teller. be-
sides. Just the thing for a Summer
afternoon.
THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP SEA:
BY Elizabeth Jordan. author OF
Red Riding Hood" etc. New York:
The Century Co.
WE'VE all been there, more than
w once-"between the devil and the
deep sea-" Nevertheless, this novel pre-
sents a strange corner Of that familiar
domain Of disauietude. The last VIII
and testament of Catherine Chandler,
spinster and a very unpredlcsaoIe one
at that, set a probation for her waiting
relatives before they could inherit from
her fortune Nothing less. this trial,
than that the whole kit-and-caboodle
of them should live together In her
house Enough to satisfy even the most
vindictive of old maids, don't you think!
Enough to work the complete undoing
Of every single legatee. don't you think?
Looks that way to me. But In the
meantime there goes on in that OLD
house of such mixed population the
most exciting incidents Imaginable
such as Elizabeth Jordan can handle
with a gusto and an edged wit. with an
ingenuity and clear fair for the un-
expected that, rich as they are. still
manage to stand within the limits OF
credibility and acceptance. A hectic six
monthsi Within it there are many
revelations-some concerning the new
occupants of the house, one dealing
with the fact that Miss Chandler did
but rather as taking of. at the hands
of another This last dread disclosure
comes to the fore in very simple way,
but a very startling one. Following it
is the development of perfect orgy OF
suspicion in that divided household.
Everybody In it has his clear notion Of
the guilty one. All are pointing in
secret in different directions. Then.
one by one, the various theories fall
away. Finally, there Is the necessity for
combination and cooperation among
these relatives in order that the facts
of the case may come to the surface.
An agile writer, an adept romancer, is
required to carry through along this
novel line. Here she Is. You have
found that out from about ten novels
already sent out by Elizabeth Jordan.
So go along with this new story, for a
spirited ana absorbing pursuit of the
way by which Catherine Chandler,
spinsterS moved out from this world
into the next one.
THE CASE WITH NINE SOLUTIONS.
BY j. j. Connington. author of
Mystery at Lynden Sands" etc.
Boston: Little, Brown g. Co.
A MOST complicated case of murder,
as the title implies. However. the
reader has at hand helpful master
OF the criminal mind. since here and
there at stated points he rounds up the
evidence for his immediate subordinate,
an ambitious young fellow who thinks
he can learn something from his ST.
perior. A bit doubtful at first about
the curious completely of this double
AAh. 1SA Va NoS AZ obASAAAC' Va HtoShpJ
accident? These three possibilities set
up very devils dance of mystification
under the severe logic drawn to support
the widest of their meetings and
partings. Gradually, however. the COM
binations show signs of shrinkage-
now only seven probabilities, and now
but five-till at last there remains, not
a probability. but a fair certainty
standing alone. Those of precise and
calculating minds will enjoy this turn
to Mr.. Connington's fastest mystery.
Those. however. who want to rush for
ward toward pursuit and apprehension
will not find themselves measurably
hindered by these accountings of the
experts. And. by and by, a very I'M
likely criminal steps out. under COM
pulsion-though If one had not been
so hot in pursuit of two other suspects
he might have gathered a suspicion
toward the really guilty man. The
writer of the mystery tale has fairly
easy Job. because his reading public
is so big and as rule. so uncritical
They want the deep thrill of vicarious
crime-devil take sequences and piausi-
bilities and such. But the more exact
ing reader will grant that Connington.
certainly, is not falling down on his
job, Is not turning out the trick of a
sloven at writing. Good story through.
out.