Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-19
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and medicine exact. 1t brings out the frail
bulwark Of human nature of individual hon
eSty or the lack of this the main prOtec-
ton Of the public in its relation to the safe
keeping Of its savings. In effect, this Is tho
point of the story Adventure in money, spec
ulation, wealth, loss mainly by weak financial
laws and vulnerable financiers the common
run OF three generations to demonstrate the
"shirt-sleeve" theory Of gain and loss. At this
moment sensitive topic generally. And here.
in the course of this modern novel, is q robust
discussion of the matter that Is worth several
text books on the subject, worth many tech
nical discussions Of theories Of business and
finance.
The book will be read as another Rex Beach
novel. Inside the romance. however, hes the
good current substance of q vital and immediate
phase of business life.
NIGHT IN THE HOTEL BY Eliot Crawshay-
williams. New York: Horace Liveright
DROOF, for the second time that the most I'M.
promising Of themes may, under good man
agement. turn out a book Of good substance
and deserved popularity. The motley OF tTav-
elers gathered temporarily into hotels appears
to offer single bond by which they could
be induced to harmonic for the uses of fiction,
not even for the brief contacts of the short
story. Yet the author dares to take a hand at
just this adventure. Admitting that the ex.
ternals are too artificial to yield accommodate
lions to fiction and romance, the author de-
clares that when night comes, the separate
apartments Of this transient and unrelated
crowd become vivid and keen with the charac-
teristic life Of each. It Is upon this theory
that the second hotel novel" is making an
assured and confident bid for attention. Twenty
people, or thereabout come into this drama
Of night in hostelry Each behaving in his
or her own peculiar budget Of personal idiosyn-
Grassy. An advantage here over the actually Of
such case, since the author may deny shelter
to the dull and unpromising. Naturally one
expects to find a picked crowd" And that
is what he does find. Youth and age profess
sion and calling, beauty offset by unbeauty or
singularity, the serious and the light are gath
cred here in an authors good Judgment to give
little studies in life by way of the caravansary
crowd. Twenty or more offer themselves for
this night OF entertainment in that hotel on the
cliffs overhanging Nice. Nor does it seem like
the separate talents of this or that artist per
forming, as it might easily SEEM Rather
Is there an Intervening of slender threads Of
incident, so that the whole gives out the coher-
ency Of the novel, and not the merely conven-
lent association OF group of short stories An
ingenious and successful experiment An inter-
eStlngy clever conception carried out in q vivid
and confident manner that clearly. is taking
hold OF exacting readers.
THE SIXTH JOURNEY BY Alice Grant Ros-
man. author Of The Window" ETC. New
York: Minton, Balch & Co.
ONE OF the less conspicuous effects of the
- World War was a stable army of inegiti-
mate children. Here Is notable story offone
OF these unfortunates Notable from the quite
singular fact that the father war done admits
MS paternity after fashion and takes charge
OF the little girl. Her status is that of ward.
an adopted niece, or the daughter of a friend
something like that. The point is not essen.
tial The journeys, one of which names the
story itself have to do with the presentations
OF this young one under the nervous anxietv
70 keep the little girl out of the way of a
possible uncloaking of John Falconer's father
hood. John has q wife. troublesome com.
olnatlon, or so 1t would SEEM Not in this case
however, since the wife dotes on setting tr1inps
straight more than she hates thourhta of
JOINS sin. So she manages the child here and
there, from one forlorn spot to another atilI
more oreary. And it might have gone ON
forever had not the wife died and had not a
really human young woman come by chance
upon the waif This is of course a love storv
Just one OF the usual turn. The interest of the
situation lies in the good heart and good sense
OF mat young woman. Finding out that this
Is johns girl, that he really wants her. but
mas been held back by the virtuous females of
ms iamny, the young woman In love with
MIN penaveS like q human being brings the
chno nome, where she belongs; loves her and
makes her happy. You know what the neigh
oo,s Saio: Ol course you do. You know the
agitation among children workers over the en-
ample OF such bra1en doings To be sure. YOU
40 The young woman and the little girl make
tne STORY and 1t Is good one. John is b,
rlgnt too-but John is a man, and so. timid
nyNks-