SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2156, 23 May 1914, Page 9

SOME RECENT FICTION.

TWO NEW "AMERICANS." "The Streak," by David Potter (JP. Lippincott and Coy.; per George Robortsonand Co.), is ouo of the best novels of American' authorship that 1 havo read for some time past. 'J ho scene is laid in the Philippines, whither Dick Nelson, a wealthy young merchant at' Manilla, takes, .his young American wife. Nelson, who has Filipino blood in his veins, although lie has carefully concealed tho fact from his wife, .is ambitious, and rashly engages in a Filipino revolutionary movement which is assisted by Japan. Also, in courso of time, he tires of his wife, and engages in a dangerous intrigue with another woman. The Filipino, plot is unmasked and .foiled by an American Constabulary officer, .who falls in love with Mrs. Nelson. His love is returned, hut despite tho wife's revulsion of feeling against her husband, when she discovers his mixed parentage, and her suspicion of his infidelity, she remains loyal. In tho end, Nelson is killed in a motor accident, .and' the American officer marries his widow'. The author is very successful, in making tho reader realiso the difficulties, political and social, with which the Americans have to contend in tho-Philippines, and the local colour of the story is vividly picturesque. Altogether a novel much out of the common, both in plot and style.

In "Her Word of Honour' (Liltle, Brown, and' Co., per George Robertson and Co.), Edith Mocvano "gives ns'an. amusing, if rather carelessly written, novel, the heroine of which, young lady of aristocratic parentage, half English and half French, goes to America, and, finding herself almost moneyless and friendless, agrees to the proposal of aa immensely wealthy New York lady, Mrs. Cobb, that slio shall marry the latter's only son, Victor, tho-mother being attracted by. the fact that tho girl is the daughter of a French marquis, and Drew of a real live English duchess. The pretty/littlo French" girl agrees to the ''climber's" proposals, hut when she sees her fianco, an uncouth and vulgar fellow, is inclined to revolt, a typical American_ hero turning up and falling in love with her. But tho fair Lili has pledged the sacred word of a Do Vanqnieres, and honour forbids the breaking of the engagement she has come . to loathe. It goes without saying that th-s author does not permit the sacrifice, but how honour is satisfied at no cost of true love, I must not- say. The story h worth reading if only for the welldrawn portrait of the society Vclimber," Mrs. Cobb.

THE VERY LATEST OPPENHEIM. I ' ~' Exaotly.'ii6w..'-!-,iasny] novolsi'" Mr. E. Phillips Opponheim writes every year I cannot say, but his literary output intisfc ■bo.''pretty extensive. ..His.latest effort, "The Way of These Women" (Metlwoli and Co.), has for its leading incident the murder of .1 middle-aged peer, Lord Lakenhani, at the country house of Sir Jermyn Aiinerley, who is engaged to marry Sybil Cluley, a rising young actross. This young My is suspected of having murderpd tho peer, who had threatened to expose a seemingly awkward cpisodo of her earlier professional career, the one witness who claims she knows the truth being a beautiful lady of high degree, who had herself loved tho handsome and eligible Sir Jcrmyu. As the price of her silence, tho beautiful but unscrupulous-Lucille insists upon Sir Jermyn marrying her, and to this, to save the woman he. loves, and whom he believes to be guilty, the baronet consents. A few minutes, however, after' tho wedding ceremony has been celebrated, a mysterious American avows himself to have'been. Lord Lukenliam'g "executioner," and the baronet, with the proof now before him that Lucille has lied herself inttv marriage with him, refuses to live with, her. The young, and, certainly, hardly treated actress, goes to America, and the story, now resolves itself into a record of Lucille's .endeavours to gain her husband's forgiveness and to persuade him to become a husband in reality rather than - in name only. In the long run s-lio succeeds, but although, no doubt, her punishment was reasonably ample atonement for her sin, . many readers of the story will agroo with me that,, -even at the cost of tho sinner's life, tike baroiict was not warranted in forgiving his wife's almost criminal deception, a deception which ruins an ' innocent wdman's happiness. Surely, Sir Jermyn would have been justified in seeking the- nullity of a marriage, brought about by perjury, albeit that perjury was not committed in open court. Mr. Oppcnheim tells his story well enough, but its ending ■will bo voted unsatisfactory by not- a few of his readers.

"THE PERFECT WIFE,'

When Roddy Ca-riish, quite recently married, made the mistake of bavins a private interview with Miss Hattio Deverill, who bad loved and lost him, and made the further mistake, having ingeniously staved off flattie's request for a loan of £500, of kissing ;lwr, he lit the fuse of a train of consequences of more direful import M bis matrimonial happinness.". In "Tho Perfect Wife". (William Heinomami; per George Robertson and 'Co.), Mr. Joseph Keating, who seems, by tho way. to be a specialist in matrimonial troubles, cets forth ■ tlioso consequences at kngtk. They were quite serious consequences. lor the over-susceptible Roddy and his pretty little wife, but as related by Mr. Keating they keep the reader, if not exactly in fits of laughter, at least in a ivell-nis;li continuous state of merrim.tnt. In vain poor Roddy attempts explanation and excuse. The outraged Mrs. Carlish is adamant, and leaves him at once. When, by tho efforts »f kindly relations, t!w breath bids fair to he healed, a fresh fource of suspicion is provided by Roddy's mistaken good' nature, this tiiiKi in acceding to 1-lattie's request for • financial assistance. Now the fan grows fast_ and furious, mid threatens to attain the character of. Palais Royal farce when the exiled "hubby." miite innocently, is forced to ■conceal himself in liis wife's bedroom. Those, however, who may here sniff some possible improprintv, some Hubert- Wa'.esian incident, will lm disappointed, for the moral of Mr. Keating's story is everything that could be desired. H is a story mainly told in dialogue, and sanio of that dialogue, is delightfully witty. Huttio, I am afraid, will lib denounced by Ip.dV readors of tho story as "a tittle cat," but in tho end/ oven she is not excluded from a share of the author's (lift of all-round haiipinoss. "Tin-- Perfect Wife" is a capita! story in its own class