Evening star., 1933-08-06

characterizations and dron satire As Heavy
Weather" opens, Lord Tilbury, not q country
gentleman, but business Lord, sits gloonily in
his London Office, Tilbury House, reading over
for the third time (for "the human tendency
to twist the knife in the wound Is universally
. letter which has come by the morning post.
It Is enough to cause gloom In . publisher
whose business thrives scandal books. The
Honorable Galahad Threepwood brother of the
Earl of Ellsworth, after having agreed to give
T1lbury House the publication Of his Reminis-
cenceS "of his colorful career as man about
town In the 90S," has sent back the advance
check and announced that he has decided not
to publish. That undoubtedly means relief to
many decorous dukes and viscounts who shared
that career about town, but it means disgusting
financial loss to Lord Tilbury. So he sits
slumped in his chair and repeats his favorite
expletive several times-"Cor!"
Troubles once begun multiply and that same
day Lord Tilbury looks aghast at a page of the
current number of Tiny Tots" the firms
paper for children, and reads story by the
assistant editor in charge, telling children how
to make quart whisky bottle hold more than
quart. The assistant editor, young Monty
Bodkin is a f1ippant, attractive pepinjay, whom
Lord Tilbury has taken on because he is the
nephew of a friend. When Monty is of course
sacked, since Lord Tilbury is already in such
a temper, Fate holds communion with herself
attempting to decide whether to send him
around the corner for long consoling drink
or to the Drones' Club to meet his friend, Hugh
Carmody, with momentouS results" Fate
makes it the Drones and the momentous re-
suits affect the lives of Ronald Fish and his
fancee, Sue Brown: of Clarence, ninth Earl
Of Ellsworth, and his famous pig, the Empress
OF Blandings; of Lord Tilbury and his pub
fishing company; Of Sir Gregory Parsloe-
Parsloe of Matchingham Hail. and of Percy
P1lbeam, head of the Argus Private Enquiry
Agency. But this is telling enough of the
heavy weather" encountered by Lord Tilbury
and Monty Bodkin. There is rough going for
some others, too, but at least Lord Ellsworth
is perfectly happy when, "draped bonelessly
over the ral of the sty his mild eyes beaming
with holy devotion he gazes upon his prize
pig, the Empress Of Blandings. Heavy
Weather" can be guaranteed to pull any one
out Of personal depression
THE TRAIPSIN' WOMAN. BY Jean Thomas.
New York: E. p Dutton & Co.
THE words Of this title might well have ap-
Piled to the pioneer woman who followed
her husband and took her children across the
plains IN the early days of the settlement Of the
West. But this "traipsin' woman" belongs to
. later period and though she had fewer hard
ships OF one sort, she had many experiences at
which the pioneer farm woman might have
shuddered. In spite Of her gold-sealed certifi-
cate from the business school stating that she
could do 100 words minute in shorthand. she
lost her first job, with smau-town Kentucky
iron company. But while she was wondering
how she was going to pay the installments on
her typewriter, the most famous criminal lawyer
IN Kentucky came to her door, with recommen-
dation OF her from the business school, and en-
gagged her to go into the mountains to act as
Stenographer al murder trial She was
frightened, but she went. The criminal law
yer became circuit judge and she went with
him from court house to court house on the cir
cut, taxing down testimony in cases. most
OF which had to do with feuds and resulting
murders. Herself of mountain parentage she
easily came to understand the customs and
preJudices OF the mountaineers, and was able
to observe and take notes about many interest
ing things outside the court house. These she
mas put INTO this bit of informal biography.