Evening star., 1933-09-10

two miles down the lumber road to Wither-
stones with messages, Walter reconstructs the
whole story of the association during two Sum-
mers at Fitchs Pond of Julius and Mary and
George Nettleton, Rolf and Eloise Deming and
himself
What or the surface seemed normal, happy
arrangement of two families of similar interests
spending their Summers together in a wooded
wilderness became through the rapid deteriora-
tion Of the already weak character of Julius
and the uger-cat quality of EloiSe long
martyrdom for Mary and Walter. The story in
its retrospect involves also the Winter life of
the Nettletons and Walter Drake in their
small college society. There was in Somerstown
an acute old doctor, with whom Walter at first
lived, who unerringly interpreted Julius a
weakling who had always lodged life, largely
because his mother had been a fool Dr.
Keynes. Walter. Rofe, every one except her hus-
band Julius. all loved the gentle and adaptable
but undscriminating Mary. For our part, We
agree with Walters exasperated judgment that
she asked for" what she got and became rather
weary of her vibrations between the kitchen,
where she was always manipulating pots and
pans, and the living room where she was
always bending over sewing. Only once do We
her at any other occupation when she
made a sketch Of Rolf, a poor one, which
played a part in the tragedy which was in
preparation.
All of the characters are finely worked out
and become intensely real as their relations
unfold. Rolf. kindly chivalrous, apparently
blind to his wifeS faults remains q trifle
statuesque-the least vital Of them all. George,
the good -natured, seli-centered boy who is
forced into manhood between Sunday after
noon and Monday night, is certain to turn out
all right. His mother need not tear for him,
especially with his father gone. Maxon, who
comes into the story but briefly, is excellently
done. He runs small camp for boys on one
m he ~ fha lie ctico1
and freedom from all morbid introspection
make him admirable guide for his boys and
furnish an agreeable contrast to the completes
and complexities Of Julius. The character Of
Walter, it is developed through his telling
of the story Of the Nettletcns, with himself
only incidental, stands out as one Of the
best in delineation Because Of his lameness
and timidity of temperament he has accepted
for himself the quiet ways Of life, but has not
found contentment. Recognizing in Mary q
humble soul akin to his own. he loves her de-
votedly, believes he is capable Of sacrificing
her happiness to keep her in his life, but finds
at the critical moment that he loves her bet
ter than himself. He understands julius bet
ter than do any of the others. To them his
death will always be accident. the final
chapter in their life at Fitchs Pond, before
the woods and the pond are again left to the
deer, the looms and all the wild people" who
have been waiting for the disturbing humans
to go away. To Walter that last trip with
Eloise in the canoe will always be a puzzle,
either act of cowardice and vengeance or
supreme effort to be hero in his own eyes
while leaving the Life he found no longer en-
durable.
VULNERABLE. BY Dale Collins. Indianapolis:
The Bobbs- Merrill Co.
THE author of Lost" has entertained himself
and perhaps relaxed tired nerves by writ
ing series of comedies and tragedies of cards
dedicated to "the queen of hearts" Cards, ac-
cording to popular faacy, were invented for
q mad French king, but Mr. Collins discredits
this entirely. He enumerateS several other
traditions Of which he prefers. He says
The cradle of their race could only lie in
the fertile, willy. ancient East where they may
have been created to amuse the concubineS of
a Chinese potentate With word about origins, :
Mr.. Collins jumps to Hobcken, where Mary
O'Malley is playing her cards badly and the
three other women at the table are critcizing
her mistakes in customary fashion The four
are the wives of sea captains. The ship of
Mary's husband, Shaun, is in port but she
is by no means certain that he will appear
at home that night She has had an anony-
letter. probably from a discharged
steward, more than limiting about a blond, "a
fine lump of girl" So Mary plays cards
badly and finally trumps her partners ace.
There is a clever bit of intrigue in this story,
brought about by the doctor called in when
Mary becomes hysterical and seems on the
verge of nervous collapse. The doctor absent
mndedly picks up box of the cards left lying
on the table; the knave of hearts falls out.
Capt O'Malley is outwitted and recognizes the
fact This is one of the best of the stories
but each one has unexpected turn. which
is in some way associated with the cards, "the
pasteboard people"
Most of the stories relate episodes of the
voyage Mary takes with Shaun on his ship.
Shaun is not a cordial host, having been
trapped into taking her. One dark starless
night when they are standing astern, looking