SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3094, 26 May 1917, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION

I "The Leopard Woman." I In his latest novel, "Tho Loopard Woman" (Hodder and Stoughton, per WbiU oonibo and Tombs), Air. Stewart Edward AVhito has deserted tho old Western American background of those fine stories "Tho Blazed 'mil," "Tho Forest," and "Tho Rivormau." and has utilised his oxporiencos of big-game hunting in Eastern Africa, giving us a really "rattling yarn,' ' as ' boy critics would say. The plot contrcs round a myslorious Hungarian countess who tries to carry out a deep-laid scheme to securo tho assistance of a powerful native chief and his people for tho Germans against tho British, but is outwitted by an Englishman, a famous African -Nimrod, who is also on a secret mission with a similar end iu view on behalf cf tho British. The story, in which thero is a strong and ingeniously worked out sentimental interest, is as full of luridly-exciting incidents as one of Sir Rider Haggard's popular "Quartermain" ncvels, ami conveys in a decidedly agreeable form much interesting information, on Eastern African ethnology and natural history. "Tho Thirteenth Commandment." Mr. Rupert Hughes's latest novel, "The Thirteenth Commandment" (Harpor and Bros., per Whitcombo and Tombs and S. and W. Mackay), deals, aB did its popular predecessors, "What Will Pcoplo Say?" and '"Empty Pockets," with tho inanity, extravaganco, and' gross materialism which seem to bo such prominent features of Now York life: "Thou shalt not spend more than thou, earnest" is tho "thirteenth cominandmont," which is broken by most of the characters in the Btory. The heroine, Daphiio Kip (daughter of "Kip's Kalkulator"), comes to Now York from her native Cleveland, Ohio, to marry a smart young broker, Clay Wimburn. Before tho wedding day is due, Clay is "dead broke," and even when he temporarily emerges from tho financial crevasse into which his firm has been cruelly tumbled by the war, ho finds his fiancee bent on aii independent career. Then wo have the good old round tho novel reader knows well—the search for work, theatrical, office, and factory experiences—all this tort of thing by this time a troll-worn cliche of American fiction. Wimburn and Daphno's brother make good by booming munition concerns, but not till tho very end of tho story docs the always doubting Daphne, by this timo a partner in a, successful ladies' outfitting business, relinquish her independence and mako her devoted Clay a happy man. Tho best drawn characters in tho story are Daphne's sister-in-law, Leila, a slave to dress and an easy and willing victim to the flattering . blandishments of tho fashionable "man-milliners" of tho .city, and the long-suffering Kip pere, a true type of the American "poppa," who toils night and day to pay for the silly extravagances of "momma" and ".tho girls." The story is full of the "hustle" and slang of the great city, but it goes with n. swing of its own, nnd is amusing though in its way. In tho "Treasure Island" Vein. Air. H. De Vere Stacpoole's latest story, "The Reef of Stars" (Hutchinson, per Whitcombe and Tombs), is a second "Treasure Island," save that its chief villain, a world-roaming adventurer, Macouart, an oven greater scoundrel than the famous "John Silver," is as moroso and repollanf a. figuro as John, who for all his wickedness, was genial of humour and personally fascinating. The storv opens in Sydney, where Macnuart turns up with his story, so often told, so often discredited, of a, vast store of Dutch gold hidden up a certain river in New Guinea. Two other adventurers, one a young Englishman, of good family, but sadly buffeted by evil fortune, and au old sea canlain, a deadly enemy of Jlacquart, join iu the venture, which is financed by a

shrewd Sydney merchant. From Uiu very beginning the horrible Maoquart lias planned to "do in" his partners. Onco arrived in New "Guinea jio finds a congenial partner in his villainous scboino in a disreputable. Dutch trader, ono Wiart. How Macquarfs plans are baffled by tlio young .Englishman and his partnors; how tlio former falls in lovo with a half-caste girl, who saves her lover and his friends from a terrible death; how tlio treasure is recovered—of these things and of tlio hor- ■ riblo end of Macquart I must not toll. Suffice it to say that Mr. Staepoolo has written a most exciting "hidden troasuro" story, the only fault in -which is tho absonco of a few'-of those touches of grim humour -which contributed not a little to make Stevenson's famous story a masterpiece. "Blow the Man Down" "Blow the Man Down," by Holman Day (Earpcrs, per Whitcoiubs and Tombs), is a vigorously -written story of seafaring life on the iN'orth Atlantic coast of America, more particularly between Now York and the northern coastal ports. The hero, an honest young captain, commands for a time a.millionaire's yacht, and incidentally is in love, or imagines himself to bo in lovo, with tho millionaire's daughter. Later on tho captain becomes enmeshed in a wob of intrigue and criminality, 6pun by (he millionaire and his business rival, an equally unscrupulous financier, and through a dastardly plot is unlucky enough to lose Mb steamer, and with it, for a time, his captain's certificate. In tho long run he is saved from ruin by the kindly assistance of a shrewd old skipper, to whose pretty and plucky daughter tho young man has transferred his affections, the millionaires daughter, upon the orucial test of having to decide between honour and dollars, displaying hor real, and at bottom, very sordid nature. Tho whole story in redolent; of tlio wholesome, if blustering, breezes of the- Maine coast, and contains soma excellent character sketches of the Tough mannered, but warm-hearted, seafaring folk of that, region. Polly Candago is a most engaging heroino,