SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 9

SOME RECENT FICTION.

TWO NEW- "AMERICANS." The scones of Will Harljcn's latest • novel, "The Desired Woman" (Harper Bros., per Whiteombe and Tombs) arc laid, partly in tho busy Southern City of Atlanta', where-two of tho principal figures in the story., Richard Mostyn and Jarvis SattiideTs, are partners in- a. banking firm, and partly; lip isi the mountains, where Saundors lias & small plantation, Xα which his partner, "inn down" in health, repairs, there meeting 'a pretty and clover young sofeflol* teacher. Although engaged to a wealthy and fashionable city beauty,Mostyn falls in .love with tho country girl, who, on her side,, mistakes her admiration of the man's more cultivated speech and manners'for real love. Returning to the city, however, Mostyn promptly forgets poor Dolly. Hβ marries the city lady, and flanges more deeply than ever into speculations. His marriage proves an unhappy oney his wife finally eloping with an old admirer, and her only child dying under an operation within* a day or two after her flight. . Siricken '<lo\vu' in health and. spirits by this dot-ib'e blow. Mostyn ..comes under 'th« influence, of a "tramp prcaeher," ami, realising tho emptiness of his- hitherto selfish a-nij worldly life, sells out his share in the business, makes over a large sarn to a broken-down old' man, whom, in years gone by, he had heartlessly ruined b>; an' unscrupulous "business; deals" and retires to - Giliforma, his partner, ■Saunders, a 'man of' strict integrity, who' for years has been a sUcirt wor-i shipper of tho pretty little schoolmarin> marrying that young lady, and settling, down on his plantation. The story has a fine moral, not spoiled by. being over-emphasised) and the mountain "scenes arc fresh and picturesque. A very readable, wholesome story. .As nil who remember "Graustnrk" and "Truxtou King" will cheerfully agree, Mr. Geargo Ban- M'Cutclioon, tho author of "A Fool and His Money" (Dodd, Mead and Co. ;■■ per Whiteonibe and Tombs), is m excellent- storyteller,' who has generally tho good tuck to. strike upon a siugulai'ly . original plot and to work it out in a rigorous, lively,, and essentially popular style, in his latest yarn , a ymiitg American anthor, who suddenly tames hi to a considerable fortune, is wandering about Europe; and takes into bis b,<ki ; 3 to biir a half-ruined, romiwee-hauuted, and delightfully situated castle on tho Danube. He'-imagines hiniself the only occupant—servants eseepted—but soon discovers that Schloss JMnkofcn ■'bas another tenant, a beautiful young Austrian countess, American by b-irt.h, who, with her'infant son. has tak-cii refuge in an isolated tower, with padlocked doors, and a secret entrance—from her rascally husband, whom she is divorcing, but who, through, some.legal, .teoh- , nicality, is temporarily, empowered tohave custody.of the child. ' Hett\.the young American comas to'the assistance of: his-harasped coiwpatriqt.; how he cleverly , .'"euchres'' lire selfish tt-nd dissipated Austrian count; how, eventually,, the lady and her. child get safety away to the States, and v,-hat is the filial ■ sceue in the Tatnpwskv nratrv monial drama, a scene, In which, it is almost needless to- say, tho American hero and heroino ott-hc story plav very prominent parts, you are strongly r<s- - to road' for yourselves , in itr. M'Cntcheon's Ijrightly-writtai. an-d highly-entertaining n-ow3, in which a strongly humorous eleniftftt agreeably varies tho dramatic, passages.