Show Weird Religious Rites Pr Presented by H H. R R. Haggard Treasure of the Lake Possesses Possesses Possesses Pos Pos- Strange Charm and Interest By RUBY JAQUES Treasure of of the he Lake Is the latest addition to H. H Rider Haggard's Haggard's Haggard's Hag Hag- gards gard's novels Involving further ex experiences experiences ex- ex of Allen Into Inlo the unexplored ored regions of British South Africa The story Is Is' built around the strange religious rites of a tribe of African say savages Hidden beyond a range of m mountains lives a lL group of people known as worshiping worshiping worshiping wor wor- a goddess goldess called Shadow who lives JIves upon an Island nd in the center center cen cen- ter of Lake Mone Mono She controls the gifts girts of hea heaven v sending rain or withholding It and doing many things that tat happiness or 01 misery misery misery mis mis- ery to men Ulen Although she Is not Immortal they believe her power ver is immortal that Immortal that it goes oes on from one generation to another When hen the go goddess dess is a certain age she ahe Is married to to the ilie head priest or chief of this group group and when a daughter born to them grows up her mother vanishes Some believe she Is drawn up to heaven some that she swims out into the lake and alid I Is lost beneath It its waters and some that the virgins virgins vir vir- gins who attend her poison polson her with the scent of certain flowers that bloom upon the island At least she departs and her daughter reigns in her place and in time Is married to her high priest It seems scorns that the chief never outlives outlives out out- lives es the shadow He knows when she Is going to fade and he fades at the same time or earlier His fate Is an actuality Generally he seeks fame in fighting his enemies the Abanda and bravely rushed among them alone until he is killed or Or oi mortally wounded If he does not die this way he must choose other roads to death because If he does not he is seized and burned alive Marriage to the Shadow is the greatest honor which can befall any man in the tribe Moreover he knows that when his lire life here is over over he will dwell with her forever In In- Joy in heaven In fact they will willbe willbe be twin stars shining through all aU eternity ty Therefore before the chief marries the Shadow he names some child he lie loves to be the husband of that Shadow which shall appear Allan native guide was named to be husband of ot the Shadow has Ho-has Committed on itt d the religious crime of of endeavoring to behold the mother of f the Shad v to whom he is betrothed and for tor this reason reason is banished from Crom his people until such time as he can return pure and worshipful Their Theil Journey to Lake Mone Mon and the Ithe weird things which happen to them are are elaborately elaborate and minutely described Though the action is slow the picturesque charm of of the settings coupled with the strange unreality of the plot serves serve to entertain entertain entertain en en- the reader to the last Jast page Doubleday Page Co Garden City N. N Y |