Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22

recovery of a whole city lost a thou
sand years ago, lost under the stran-
Cling and discriminating growths of
the tropic jungle. 1t is a fascinating
theme a gruesome one besides, for this
counting time by the millions OF
years upon which time demands to
be counted-iS the common fate OF
every civilization. However, let 1t 60.
Let lis look upon this buried area,
slowly emerging into the light of day
from it's thousand-year sleep under the
soil. 1t is upon such actuality Of hui
man history that Mr.. Willard builds
this thrilling novel of modern explora-
ton by a young American archeologist.
Substantially based upon a foundation
of fact, as these facts have come into
the open, this author has interviewer
the old and the new, the dead and the
quick, in an artful consistency of
old man, the wizard" in his powers Of
intuition and divination serves to re-
embody, In q measure, the salient
points Of that long past which science
Is reading anew from sculptured stone
and crumbling temples. Around this
central motif Mr. Willard creates the
intricate difficulties of love between two
whose blood and traditions are the dis
parate products of different ages and
alien races. The young American and
the daughter of the rich and secluded
daughter of naughty Pedro Cocoon.
Here is the romance for which most
readers will welcome the book. For
it is a colorful, well conceived, finely
projected love story. But for others,
for the many who have fallen under
the spell of that lost race, under the
spell Of the buried Mayas, the novel
will possess a much more lasting charm.
In both respects the story is a fine one
One Of these will fade away gradually.
The other will create In readers an
urge for more and more about the
Magyar temples, about the sacred well"
as the emblem of this lost people.
X X y
NICHOLAS GoADE, DETECTIVE. By
e. Phillips Oppenheim. Boston:
Little, Brown g. Co.
EVEN on the idlest of vacations every
body, In spite Of himself, pursues
his particular vocation. The doctor
lettering over the countryside finds all
test. The lawyer takes hand at right
ing trihing wrongs. The realtor spin
ming along for "a real rest" plats fiat
grass-grown fields into village lots and
city suburbs. The banker counts the
assets of his firm and the broker looks
for easy innocents to gobble up his
holSum pitched to the tune of millions
in it." AS matter Of fact, nobody "takes
a vacation" simply because he himself
goes along. So with Nicholas Goade,
detective. Like all the others, Nicholas
upon idleness, loafing, eating and
sleeping, gulping down the grand air Of
the English downs-and positively
nothing else, nothing else at all. So
he cranked up the little old Ford-or
whatever one has to do to the little old
Ford-invited his Sealyham friend,
Flip to hop in and the vacation was
on for these three. They looked just
like that too. just like vacation. The
Ford, quite in the spirit Of the thing,
loitered, and jiggled. and said many
protest and complaint as she made this
little knoll or that modest hill, such as
the Downs specialize in. No use. Things
began to happen right away, things to
prick the ears Of Flip and to fire the
eyes Of Nicholas Goade, detective. No
less than just about a dozen times in
that short 10 days, or whatever it was,
mysterious things rose in the pathway
Of this trio or trailed them with omens
and signs and symbols Of strange doings
roundabout, crooked things that had to
and Lizzie. Sorry to have the vacation
go to pieces so thoroughly, but, from the
point OF view OF the one reading, or
listening, 1t was sheer good luck for
him. For here Nicholas Goade, detec-
tive, sets Mr.. Oppenheim on his way Of
making the most believable and the
suavest Of yarns based on the frailty or
the wickedneSs of man, Of man pur-
sued by 3 queer Nemesis-part sleuth,
part Sealyham named Flip, part an
old Ford car Of characteristic grit and
stories, because they are short, passing
from point to point in the strange hap
penings along a sleepy wayside, or over
faint trail across the moorS.
y y
SEE MY SHINING PALACE. BY Diana
Patrick, author Of Call It Day."
etc. New York: e. p. Dutton g. 90.
TT Is quite an old matter-use of the
- marriage rite to mix blue blood and
red in the hope OF mutual advantage
The one gone poor not only In its
vital powers but in its bank holdings as
well. The other, rich In both. This is
the theme on which Diana Patrick
builds an active, Swift-turning novel of
love and nnarriage-and the afterwards
Of these. The new-rich business man
possessing also lovely daughter. The
depleted nobleman with a petered-out
son to recoup old losses with brand-new
currency and husband Of sorts thrown
in. Keen of insight and wit, ready in
the turns Of speech that set characters
out with vividness and vitality, this
writer follows the course Of a courtship.
old in content, but cut to a pattern
wholly modern, pursuing 1t with an in
tuition and a skill that work gradually
out from a sordid and unhappy situa-
ton into one Of rather ideal texture
and pattern. A good novel-that never
ness and insipidity-one to give an eve
ming the color Of genuine enjoyment to
any reader who likes q good story.