Evening star., 1937-09-25
By NC. r.

THE reviewer is able to inform the
public that the great newt
mystery has been solved at last.
= Those who read this page last
Saturday may remember how she
stated on 1t that she had been receiv-
ing strange communications, the bent
Of which was to assure her that her
nevis were being well taken care of
and would without fail be shipped to
her very soon. Well, this had been
going on for some weeks. 1t actually
was not until the reviewer felt her
mind begin to crack under the strain
that she mentioned the matter in these
columns
For there really was something very
insidious about the whole business
The letters came on q handsome
cream -colored stationery bearing the
letter-head Of the "Salamander Syndi-
cate" with an off1ce address In Prague
and branch offices in Singapore and
New York. They were neatly typed
personal communications and they
were phrased in such earnest conf
Dental terms as might we'll come from
q genuine, though slightly eccentric.
business. They referred politely to
the reviewers previous communica-
ton" and assured her, with practically
passionate earnestness, that nothing
but the unusual weather conditions
and the consequent delicate state of
the spawn" had prevented shipment
OF her nevis, but begged her not to re-
pine-her nevis were receiving special
care and would certainly be shipped in
time for her October opening" There
was absolutely nothing in any of the
letters fthey came at intervals of
about 10 days, giving the hapless re-
viewer time to forget one by the ar
rival OF its successor, so that each was
bright new shock, there was nothing
in any OF them to suggest anything
but the purest Of good faith and the
most honorable of intentions.
There was a good deal, however. to
unsettle the mind. For the reviewer
could not escape the conviction that
this good faith and honesty was seated
in a business concern of the most ex-
traordinary sort. Nevis? she asked
herself on receiving the first letter.
Salamanders? Vague memories of
course in freshman biology seethed
feebly in the lower levels of her mind.
and she decided, without more respon-
sible cerebration. that nevis were un-
pleasant little animals that lived in
water and looked a great deal like
tadpoles but had no such future as the
tadpole to Justify their LONELINESS.
Yet here. unmistakably, was
worldwide business that was occupied
in marketing these horrid little
beasts. When this aspect of the mat
ter presented itself fully to the re-
viewer, she fell victim to her own
good nature and tolerance. One thing
with which she would never quarrel
is her neighbor's taste in pets. even
though that has very frequently
seemed to her distinctly peculiar. Just
think, for example, of other peoples
dogs. They are as unlovable as other
peoples children, almost always. And
so. thought the reviewer, although
with some incredulity, it may well be
that there are people who love nevis
1t seemed queer In fact, it seemed
Xxx queer. But if such a love there
was, then to the reviewer henceforth
that love was sacred. Love your
neighbor, love his nevis became one
OF the items of her philosophy. But.
having no nevis of her own. nor yet
wish for any, she still could not see
why she kept getting those propitia-
tory letters.
And, as the letters arrived in appar-
emily endless succession, this first