Evening star., 1946-03-27
This and That
BIZ Charles Z. Trdce,pell.

Templeton Jones Is an inveterate
reader of 25-cent books, which are on
the market under variety of odd
names.
If you tap the Jonesian side pocket,
you are likely to run into one then and
there. Often the covers are on the
reading is solid.
Just why the purveyors Of these books
think nothing less will sell than a
lurid, skull-and-crossbones cover, Is
something Of a mystery.
That is why Templeton Jones, and
practically all other addicts, carry them
either in the pocket or with the cover
page turned in.
The razzle-dazzle cover is really no
indication of the contents, Jones swears,
but he also knows that far too many
adult persons think they are.
you can't teach an old dog new
tricks" quotes Jones, no youth himself.
He has young ideas, however, and If
the psychologists are right he will never
grow old.
There is something about paper books
which appeals nightly to some tenn
peraments. 1t is not the price, although
that is an inducement. 1t is, rather,
the form. Truly, there Is an irresistible
appeal to the booklover in the chummy
paper backed form.
Europeans, especially the French. re-
allied this many years ago. The typical
paper novel was sold everywhere, and
finally worked its way to this country.
In fact, when Templeton Jones was
about 16 years old, he ran into whole
library Of American paper backed books,
selling at Is cents copy.
They were good books, too, including
"Cyrano de Bergerac," and many an
other.
Jones would give anything to have
the copies of those old books. AS he
recalls them, they were larger than
the present deal in paper books. The
paper was thick, and the type large.
There was, of course, no paper short
age in those days.
He believes that his favorites, pur-
chased at Ocean City, Md, one summer,
were in the Seaside Library" so called.
Today Jones goes in for detective
stories. These soothe the mind, de-
spite their CORY details. The good point
of the good mystery or murder story is
that the horrible points of crime are not
played up.
What is put to the fore is the puzzle.
That is why the typical English de-
tective story has intrigued Jones the
most. He finds that nothing suits him,
In this line, as well as the story which
begins with the statement Of the prob
lem, and then goes on to work it out.
A thousand and one variations of that
simple plot have been tried by Ameri-
can writer's, but none of them beats it.
So when Jones found that his latest
thriller started off that way, simply
with the problem, and then going on to
solve 1t, he was very much pleased
He got through a couple of chapters,
then had to go across town. He thrust
his book into his pocket, as customary.
Halfway. along his journey, he reached
into his pocket.
His book wasn't there!
He remembered that in the block just
passed, he had pulled out his hand
kerchief
He had tipped the book out without
realizing it,
Jones groaned.
Still, if he rapidly retraced his steps,
in the best detective fashion, he would
stand some chance of finding it.
Back he went He found the small
slip of paper he had used as a book
mark, but not trace of the book it
self.
Some one, he realized, had scooped it
up the moment it had dropped.
What town." he moaned. "A city
of outrages! And this is just one of the
minor outrages. In the old days, people
would have pursued me for blocks to
give it back to me. Now they are just
waiting, to grab up something that
doesn't belong to them. Well, / hope
they like the book. It started out WELL .