Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-19

| Talbaret, an old man, who takes up the
work for the pleasure there is in it for
| him. If the reader did not know the
date of publication Of this story, he
might think the idea an imitation from
our own S. S. Van Dynel But he may
feel sure that If Van Dyne had invented
Monsieur Talbaret, or M. Lecoq, those
gentlemen would scarce have been the
real human beings they are. This
statement Is no reflection upon our
modern author. He is q product of
his age. His bright young-and bored
detective is almost inhuman. He even
does not speak like human being. 1t
Is as II his creator had unused to him.
self, Now, let me see, Poe had SUCH
and-such a detective, and Gaboriau
had his Lecoq, and Doyle had his
their pets, what in the thunder shall I
create?"
Well, he didn't create much, it must
be confessed. The worth of such stories
as the Canary" and Greene" murder
cases lies solely in complicated and
effectively concealed solution. The
whole trend of the present phase Of
detective story telling Is along lines OF
cleverly concealed crimes which defy
the reader to solve them before the last
page or two.
Gaboriau worked under no such
handicap. Just as often in a real muir
| der case, many persons hit on the
right solution by instinct, and are
right" without proof or even reason,
so he worked out 1.-The Lerouge Affair
in such a manner that the ordinarily
shrewd reader Is able to know the real
criminal long before the detective him
self stumbles onto him.
This, of course, Is one recognized way
! of doing it. It permits the reader to
feel bit superior, and to read forward
with supreme interest, not alone to see
"how things turn out" but above all to
see if he, himself, was correct In his
deductions.
In addition to presenting the reader
with an excellent tale. of this type,
| "The Larouge Affair" gives him the
| typical humanity of the human French
novelist. The reader who likes to un-
derscore good lines will find much play
| for his pencil here. He will be delight
| ed with the quoted words OF an Illus
| trous duke, who said: Il pay my
lackeys to be insolent, to save myself
the trouble and ridicule of being 50"
ANY one who has met discourtesy from
Office boys or other underlings win rec
ognize the worth in that.
His pencil will underline, too, the
words of description applied to the
|
part throughout the world.
He is one of the fortunate ones who
arrive without having to start"
And maybe he will have had enough
experience in life to recognize some
friend or other in the following de-
scription of the doctor hurt by life:
He still wishes, and more than ever,
to acquire distinction, but he no longer
expects any pleasure from his success.
He used up that feeling in the days
when he had not wherewith to pay for
his dinner No matter how great his
fortune may be in the days to come, he
has already paid too dearly for it. For
him success is only a kind Of revenge"
Now isn't that good? No one but
a Frenchman would dare to bare a
human soul so on paper. At least, no
| one does.
The reader also will recognize this
person: she has looked at everything,
but then she looks through her own
pretty glasses which show her every
thing as she would wish 1t, and which
are to be obtained of dealers In IL
| lusions."
Many a reader, no doubt, will find
his own portrait drawn here: HE
possessed none Of the qualifications
| which insure success. He was cold and
| grave even to sadness, reserved and
tinid even to excess. His mind wanted
/ brilliance and lightness; he lacked the
facility of repartee and the anliable art
Of conversing without a subject"
| 1t Is such observations as these
which make M Gaboriau'S tales some
thing more than just detective stories,
although they are excellent ones, and
surprisingly up-to-date. AS fiction,
they are in the genuine line of the
great French novels, than which no
more can be said.