SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1948, 3 January 1914, Page 9

SOME RECENT FICTION.

"THE OPEN ROAD." In "The Open Roar], A Romance of High Adventure".'(\Vard, . Lock, and Cp. ; ;/per S. and W.-lvlackay), Air. Halljwplj Jsatcliife must bo credited, with hav--I'iigjgiyteivus one of th6"i : rcshost, bright .ess; / alid; most," completely captivating stories;'that the. present British .pub-' lishing -season hits'witnessed. Stanley AVcyman, in his earliest and best.period, never, introduced us to a gayer, more gallant, more engaging a thair young riir Jonathon Standish, who, on the death of his father, and the loss of his fortune, leaves, his home ia bonny .WJiarfdaic 0110 fino winter's morning with a I'errara sword and a pair of pistols, and with but a solitary ' guinea in his purse, but with a heart as blithe and gay as ho had been the richest young nobleman . in. the land. The period ia that of the Jacobito rebellion, with Prince. Oharlio and his scattered bands of Highlanders working their way back to Scotland. With , the fortunes of the unfortunato but still lighthearted young Stuart prince, tho young Yorkshireman speedily becomes involved, but nou before ho has rescued a young lady ..from a rascally but handsome adventurer, who is carrying her olf to ,Gretna, Green. Duels, adventures .at wayside inns, quite in tho Stevensonian vein, more rencontres with tho handsome lady ho has rescued, and who soon begins to favour her new admirer, follow in rapid succession, and a curio.us resmblance to tho Prince enables''..the adventure-seeking, young Knight to play a rolo which is both romantic and courageous. Tho "open. rOa'd" along which Standish has set out'so light-heartedly leads him to Kendal and Carlisle, to a meeting with tho bloodthirsty Duke of Cumberland, to ,a narrow oseapo from the gallows, and into, a long series of romantic adventures in ..which tho handsomo and wealthy .Miss Linstono also plays no inconsiderablo part. Althougn for a time that young lady mistrusts her idinirer,, who, truth to tell, appears at times, ' under circumstances which ivo'ui'3 disquiet the most loyal of sw'ectnearta,. youth and truo love, and good .usk,/;haro thoir.-wayin -the 'end; an :ncl. which 13 preluded by a visit to Gretiia. Green, .and the wedding of the gallant young hero and tho high-spirited heroine. The whole story is tinctured, by 'the spirit'..of tnio ' romahce, dud makes excellent reading.' In its own class "Tho.'Ope.n . Road"., is .0110. of ,the best novels I have read this many a long day. Illustrations by Fred Pegram..