SHORTER NOTICES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 18 October 1913, Page 9

SHORTER NOTICES.

"Precious Waters," by A. M. Ohisholra (Doubleday, Page, and Co.; per Goorge Robertson and Co.) reminds mo, in a way, of Harold 801 l Wright's "Winning of Barbara Worth." It is the story _ of some Western farmers whoso irrigation works, upon which the very existence of the community depends, are coveted by an unscrupulous financial magnate in New York. In Casey Dunne, a hardy rancher, who has put into his property every dollar ho has earned by the hardest of hard since he was a boy of fifteen, tho millionaire, York, and his rascally colleagues, strike what in a New Zealand colloquialism is entitled "a bad snag." Thoro is a long and determined, nay, desperate struggle between the opposing forces, but in tho end, thanks to the wit—and love for a cortain young rancher —of a clever ' and handsome young lady from tho East, the Westerners win, and Casey Durme— well, you can pretty well guess what is

his special reward. Thia is a much better written Btory than, the majority, of recent American novels on Wild West themes. The dialogue is bright and racy, and tho author is positively prodigal in his provision of wholesome excitornent.

When Allan Gerard, the hero of Eleanor Ingram's story "From the Car Behind" (J. P. Lippincott and 0.; per Georgo Robertson and Co.) encounters tho beauteous Flavia Roso at a motorrace meeting, and prevents her falling down a flight of stairs on tho grandstand, tho experienced novel-reader knows full well what is going to happen in the last ohapter. J3ut before wo reach Flavia's final "Oh, I love you 1 Oh, my dear, my dear," etc., etc.. Miss Ingrain gives us a rich feast of exciting incident, tangled combinations of awkward circumstances, and much good, wholesome fun, not forgetting some pretty love-making. The regeneration of the wealthy but wild young Corrio Ross, the fair Flavia's brother, is worked out very cleverly. Pictures, in colour, of the usual handsome but characterless—according to the American artist—young people.

Many a story have I read wherein a wicked millionaire trios to rob the honest ranchers of tho wild and woolly West of their hard and honestly-earned property, but in "The Wilderness Lovers" (Hodder and Stoughton; per S. and W. Mackay) Mr. E. R. Punshon introduces a highly-original variation of the usual plot by making one of the outlaws, for such the dispossessed young ranchers have become, kidnap a charm-j ing young Englishwoman who is visiting the millionaire. The story_ has not only an excellent plot, but is vigorously written and possesses a fine human in'terest. A very readable novel.

" Pebble," by R. G. Behrens (Duckworth and Co.; per George Robertson and Co.) is a story of latter-day London life, the three principal figures being a barrister and autlior, his wife, and the inevitable '"third," a lad.v of great personal fascination, who lives apart from her husband, an irreclaimable wastrel. Sympathy leads the barrister, whose wife the while is in Switzerland, to interest himself in the affairs of tho over amiable' Mrs Sheridan, and thence result " complications," as the old lady said of her husband's carbuncle; "complications" which end in the barrister being released from an awkward position by the lady's suicide and his return to domestic happiness.

" One Woman's Life," by Robert Herrick (Mills and Boon; per Whitcombe and Tombs) is a clever, if rather cynical ' study of feminine selfishness, being the life history of a would-be' social climber, a. Chicago-born joung lady, who is unconsciously egotistical, and tfho sacrifices in turn to her selfish ends, a father, a husband, and a kind-hearted ladv business partner, with almost cheerful insouciance. Mr, Herrick proved by that fine novel "Together" that he thoroughly understands a certain type of American woman and his latest story, if perhaps over elaborated, contains many a .clever character sketches.