Evening star., 1933-12-13
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.

mol. Boston: Little, Brown g. Co.
Twenty years is a long time to wait
for the fulfillment of a wish, but If the
wish should have happened to be for
a new book by Jeffery Farnol continu-
ing the unmatchable story of Peter
Wharf and his beautiful Chairman the
span of years will be quickly forgot
ton in the sense of elation which de-
scends like a blessing as page after
page Of THE Way Beyond" is turned.
Though more than a score OF years
have passed since The Broad Highway
made its indelible imprint upon dis
eliminating readers, hope has persisted
that there would be sequel, and at
last 1t has come.
Perhaps it would not be too bold
a thought to suggest that Mr.. Farnol
definitely planned this lapse of time
before carrying on the story Of these
two delightful characters. The fact
that he places the action in the present
romance twenty-one years after, the
closing events of THE Broad Highway
makes possible the belief that he may
have been a studious observer of the
welded life of his hero and heroine
witnessing the growth Of their love as
year by year 1t has deepened into that
perfect harmony of understanding and
appreciation in which all marriages
must be rooted If happiness IN full
measure Is to be attained.
In the life of every wholesome indi-
vidual the years in which the greatest
mental and spiritual changes are ex-
perienced are those between twenty and
forty. During this period comes the
realization that the responsibilities OF
life must be assumed and that all human
relationships. depend upon the good
faith in which those obligations are
met. The sweetheartS of twenty are at
forty the parents of new generation
Of sons and daughters who have arrived
at the romantic age. Years Of perpetual
change, to be made glorious If accepted
with spiritual grace and fortitude, or TO
be sunk in misery If marked by selfish
ness and indifference. Great indeed Is
the love and mutual respect which can
survive the test. And the love Of Peter
and Chairman has survived.
The years have brought luxury anc
immeasureable happiness to Peter vi
bart, who is now Sir Peter. He is the
same vibrant, lovable and attractive
person that he was in THE Broad High
way" though he may be bit heavier
in weight and inclined to nap on q
warm Summer day Impulsive and. at
times, as peppery as in the former days
he is nevertheless led, guided and man.
aged so gently and SO effectively by his
devoted wife until he is more lovable
end compelling than ever. As fol
CHAIRMAN, she has grown from tht
willful, impetuouS girl who married
Peter into a gracious, beautiful anc
brilliant woman.
In the opening scene of the story
young Richard Wharf, son Of Peter anc
Chairman, is confessing to his mother
his love for Rosemary Ford. With al
OF the fervor and ardor with which
youth is aflame in the first Towering
of love. he is making an impassionec
plea for the sanction and blessing of hi
parents. and urging that be be allowed
to marry the object of his Alteration
without opposition. He has made severa
attempts to talk with his father, bu
there is in Sir Peter quality of auster'
reserve through which he has neve
been able to penetrate. Chairman must
therefore, plead his cause for him
with both Sir Peter and Rosemary.
But Sir Peter has other plans fo
Richard. Rosamond Beverley would b,
an exceedingly good match for his son
She has wealth. culture and social posi-
tion, and she is, from Sir Peters stand
point, a girl of unusual attractivenes
and would make a most acceptabl,
daughter-inlaw. 1t has been on tn,
occasions when Sir Peter has talkec
upon the desirability of such a mar.
riage that Richard has endeavored tC
confess his love-and failed miserably
Lady Chairman intercedes, and Sil
Peter is the recipient of a profound
G irct 1Nn
in his own plans for the future of hi
son that he has neglected to notice tht
lack of enthusiasm on Richards part
and he does not relish having his plan.
wrecked. Second, he and Chairman
have often discussed the matter o
Rosamond and agreed upon the ad
vantages which this marriage woult
bestow upon Richard, and now he find
his beloved Chairman pleading in an
other direction. Third, Rosemary i
governess to the children of Lady Bed
ingham, daughter of the vile and beast
| ly Earl of Abbeymere, despissd ant
mistrusted neighbor of the Vibarts
Furthermore, Rosemary is the daughte
of BLACK" George, the giant smitl
who won the love and admiration o
all who read THE Broad Highway"
Remembering the trials and the heart
breaking experiences which attended hi
wooing of Chairman, and knowing tn
heights of happiness which the fulfill
ment of his love has brought, Sir Pete
not only consents, but enters whole
souled into the romance of his son ant
the daughter of his beloved friend
BLACK George" But fate must inter
vene and throw panic into the lives o
| this happy group, upon whom onl,
/ BLESSINGS ch0lJ1d he ShNuprnd
The Earl of Abbeymere's son, Valen
tine, who is both despicable and lovable
adores Rosemary and is determined Il
marry her. The complexity of hi
nature demands that if he cannot MARI,
her Richard shall not marry her. HI
hates his beastly father, and he pre-
tends hatred for Richard which th
memories of childhood friendship ant
schoolday devotion will not permit II
| be real. The old earl would himsel
| like to bend Rosemary to his will, but
knowing that to be impossible, he de
| votes his evil mind to plotting her re
moval from the scene in circumstance
calculated to place upon her q mantl'
! of scandal from which she will neve'
be able to emerge.
On the night set for the mysteriou
abduction and disappearance Of Rose
mary a supposedly dependable cog il
the machinery slips, and the earl is tn
victim, in a sense, of his own trap. H
is found dead in his own house, hi
head shattered by bullet from his owl
pistol, but a handkerchief found besid
his body bears the initials "R. "" o.
the morning following the discovery O
his body both Richard and Rosemar
are missing. That Abbeynere has beel
murdered is plainly evident but TO
reasons undoubtedly dark, Valentin
elects to manage a verdict of suicide an
to return to Sir Peter with a mag
unanimous gesture the handkerchief h
found beside the body Of the father h
could neither love nor respect.
It will be remembered that Pete
Wharf, abandoning all thought of com
plying with the terms of the will of hi
uncle, took to the road. Now Richar
Is a traveller on the broad highway
seeking peace for his own mind an
searching every minute for the woma
whose love he cherishes and withou
/ l. - l.