Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-03-09
NEW BOOKS
AT RAJ DOM
~ MARGARET GERNOND.

McBf1de 4 Co.
On the southern shores Of the Eng
lish Channel Napoleon was awaiting his
chance to land a conquering force in
England. Villeneuve was maneuvering
his fleet to draw. Nelson OF from the
defense Of the Straits Of Dover. All
England was alarmed. The regular
forces were being massed for the de-
tense and the militia was being drilled
for the emergency that seemed at hand.
French spies were at work in the Downs
country Of Sussex, finding strategic posi-
lions for the invaders. A lonely house
became the scene Of the activities Of
one Of these, an Irishman posing as a
Frenchman, gallant, shrewd and tricky,
using as his tool an eccentric English
scholar with grievance against his
government-and lovely daughter.
A young squire, pursuing some thieves
who had stolen one of his finest horses
and had been hurt in the chase, meets
the girl and thus romance begins. But
the way to its fruition Is long and pain
full, and death comes near to ending 1t.
There are traps and schemes into which
Jasper Benham is lured and finally he
Is caught and held . prisoner.
Meanwhile the spy and his accomplice
are watching the preparations for the
defense and seeking communication with
the French forces just across the water.
The militia drills, the disposition Of the
regulars, the naval movements reported
from time to time keep the tale in lively
tempo. while the romance flourishes. At
Stonehenge-the "home Of spies"-there
Is constant coming and going. It be-
comes the veriest nest of treason.
Mr.. Deeping, who has studied his his
tory to good purpose, weaves a tale of
intrigue and peril with strong materials.
The House Of Spies" presents stirring
picture Of episode that passed with
out the actual invasion of England. For
Vllleneuve was quite effectually stopped
by Nelson and Napoleon abandoned his
plan to conquer his neighbors.
The tale chiefly concerns the romance
OF Jasper Benham and Nance Durrell
daughter Of the eccentric scholar whose
brains have been added by his studies
and who becomes the plant tool of the
1rish-Frenchman.
A delightful character appears In
Jeremy Winter, master swordsman, who
coaches Jasper in the art of fence and
prepares him to meet his enemy. Alto
gether THE House of Spies" Is q stirring
tale, moving swiftly from one adventure
to another, and told In the fluent,
graphic style that has made Mr.. Deep
1ngs novels Of English life uniformly
entertaining and absorbing.
THE amulet OF GILT. BY Proebe
Atwood Taylor. New York: w. w.
Norton l. Co.
Cape Cod has been the scene of nu-
merous good tales of dark and mys-
ti1yin' murder that have given the
rest Of the country a deep insight
into the native qualities that are
characteristic Of the sturdy stock that
from the days of the first settlers made
their own small section of Massachusetts,
distinctively attractive and wholesome,
Through the extraordinary accomplish-
ments Of Asey Mayo in solving crime
mysteries and as master of many crafts
dozens of types Of Cape folks have been
presented to readers of Phoebe Atwood
Taylor. and this latest thriller, like its
predecessors, introduces another group
OF natives and maintains the link of older
acquaintance.
Many strange people visit the Cane
ana many others establish residences for
a season. But the assortment that in
this story occupies the handsome home of
rich man Is about the oldest that ever
invaded the normally quiet neiRhbor-
hood. 1t is the Pilgrim Camera Club
that spots the peculiar inmates. Three
enterpr1sing youngsters, bent upon tax
Ing pictures, attempt to invade the prem
lses, but they are quickly repulsed by
an army OF green-shirted servants with
there Is dazzling blond and an austere
elderly woman who heads the house.
They tell Asey their troubles, but he
scons at their descriptions as too fan
tastic to be true.
Unfortunately the youngsters are only
TOO right, for Asey soon discovers for
himself that the exotic blond is no myth
and that shootings and mysterious in
1ur1es seem to be only casual occurrences
IN the big house. The mother of q friend
OF Betsy Porter's is found murdered.
Soon afterward Asey discovers that one
OF the green-shirts has been murdered
and another wounded. Next it appears
that the mistress Of the house is in dan
ger and that the killer is cold blooded
and ruthless. Having received q some
what cryptic message from q man with
whom he worked In war days, Asey sus-
poets that his friends appearance in
the neighborhood Is somehow linked With
the visit Of Mrs. Monfort and her fan
tastic green-shirts. The blond dissp-
pears, Jenny Mayo Is bound and gagged
and showed into a cupboard in her own
house. Aseys hat is shot of another
mans head, q man in search of an ele-
phant persistently intervenes at critical
moments in the man hunt, q steam-
roller tears up lawns and shrubbery in
the dead Of night, Asey is robbed BY
one person, has his car stolen and is
badly mussed up by another and the
Pilgrim Camera Club gets into more
trouble. Another murder is committed
before the criminal is brought to book.
and the Cape settles down to its normally
quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Excite
ment races along wherever Asey speeds
that famous car Of his over the tricky
roads and by-ways.
Most Of the mysteries in which this
fascinating solver Of crimes has particle
pated have been Of local nature. This
one, however, skips over from Central
Europe and involves q bit Of inter-
national finance.
Moving Drug Stores.
Prom the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
That flying drug store that has been
49, ~ l. nj