Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18

of observation and record. Beginning
with the original Colonies, from which
waves Of migration moved in slow sue
cession across the vast country, the
pioneer areas and localities have not
yet entirely given way to the familiar
equipment of modern life. There is a
group of writers who have served well
these various pioneer sections, making
records Of ways of life that are not
different from those that the Colonial
settlers were compelled to practice.
Hamlin Garland. Sandburg, Anderson,
Masters, Roolvag, and many another
stand as chroniclers OF the Midwest
In its colonial aspects and implications.
Poet, historian or novelist these all Pic
ture Eastern settlements moved out into
the West, not different essentially from
the true Colonial settlements. The story
of william Hart. MY Life, East and
West takes its place among these an
mails Of the Middle West. To be sure,
the life of Hart az actor on the stage
and before the screen does not bear
so directly upon this theme as does the
vivid account Of this writer in deScrib-
ing his childhood in the West. Nov
ing around in what is now the near
West, Hart's father, q miller, mined
-four, 1.-The white gold" Here from one
point to another in Illinois, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, he moved while the lad,
William Hart, shared the work and
as boys WIN, found time for no end Of
browsing around the prairies with dog
and horse. A boy sees more than any
other human, a live boy does, and it
is due to this fact that we come into
possession here OF a really rare store
OF fact concerning those days IN which
Indians took part m the common life
Of those white pioneers. The days when
"Bill Hart" farm-boy took his share
IN the business Of making q living.
Now, later, when Hart became celeb
rity the story Is less fresh, perhaps less
interesting, though Of that I'm not sure.
It is, from beginning to end, a forth.
right story OF work and success and
failure and beginning again-such a
recital as no other country could stamp
as authentic record of fact. Yet, here
In this land Of miracles, of the See-saw
of great wealth and deep poverty, OF
the movie millionaire and the chewing
gum Midas-why. this account OF Bill
Harris life does not sound at all like
a dream Of Haroun AL Raschid. Just
instead. The first OF the story Is valu-
able history in general view Of print
tive modes of life in the United States.
The rest Of it is just as true, no doubt,
but rather more personal in its reach,
more fantastic in its actually.
&&4&
THE FIFTH LATCHKEY. BY Natalie
Sumner Lincoln. author of The
Man inside" etc. New York: D.
Appleton g. Co.
EOUREEEN mystery tales stand to
l. the account of this Washington
writer. The last one. like the others,
makes use of the Capital City as the
scat of crime and mystery. Well, there
is nothing wrong about t1at-nothing
unreal about it. To the local dweller
this plan gives undeniable zeSt to the
reading, gives vividness to the action.
For instance, the murder that starts
this particular book upon its questing
road. Easy to imagine saying. Lets
drive up this road to see the brick
house where Natalie Lincoln set her
latest murder" And so they do. Back
in town it is easy to go around to II
street where In bachelor quarters that
mysterious Russian lived. And across
there to the Office of the doctor, Isabel
Beale, specialist in high standing. young
and beautiful besides. And there are
others for us to find. those who had
roles near to leading ones in the muir
der OF Eric Van Vecften. The fellow
really ought to have been made away
with-he was too fascinating, too un-
scrupulous, too-oh, many sorts OF
things besides! A very skillful series
of plans and counter plans keep the
reader on the road good part of the
time, burning up gas on the road back
and forth between Rockville and Wash
ington In many a trip that turns out
IN each case to be an adroit blind
lead. As usual in one Of the Lincoln
mystery tales the reader becomes set
upon single pointe That is that the
youth who looks guilty-not very guilty
but enough so to breed alarm In the
reader-shall not really be the one
who did the deed. OF course, he wasn't
Couldn't be-yet one is nervous. Then,
at the proper time. when very ex-
cellent romance of Washington society
has been pictured as in some way IN
terested in the unhappy maternity
then the real criminal is found. Bless
him! Did you say Bless him? Yes,
that is just what said-Tot about the
murder. no. not about that, but about
other things.