Show I Dramatic Power r Revealed Novel in-Novel in N vel by Popular Writer Graphic Des Description in A A AFree Free Soul Marks Adela R. R St. St Johns John's Work rk r rBy By HELEN GARRITY A fine dramatic sense marks marks Adela Rogers St St. Johns John's new novel A Free Soul making It an unforgettable unforgettable gettable character study Her keen Insight cloaked In the magic of her vivid diction app appeals ala strongly t fo tO the emotions indeed emotions indeed the battle between be between be be- tween convention and an the brilliant ironical sophisticates Stephen sh and his daughter Jan Tan is watched by the reader with a tar rarely ly ly aroused in Jn fiction Whatever Jan Tan is she is-she she sh shall honest cried Stephen Ashe defiantly 0 antly t to his protesting family when they referred to his daughters daughter's strange upbringing upbringing- II cant can't cheer the tIe kind of virtue that hides hides' be behind behind behind be- be hind a wall and is afraid to come and meet life If she's not stron strong enough h to 10 stand it Id I'd rather shed she'd go down fighting than be a cowardly cowardly cowardly cow cow- ardly pamby liar She shall not believe preachers' preachers lies no nor noi lovers' lovers lies If It ft tt strikes us both down dow she shall look upon the naked nake truth about life And she thail be bea a free sou soul Such a doctrine co could ld not fail fall t to appeal to a child of St Stephen phen Ashe one of San Francisco's most ful fut and p picturesque criminal law law- lawyers Her reputation hopelessly blackened by by years of risque asso associations disreputable tures Jan Tan the woman wonders wondel why the he is so alone inspirit mis misunderstood understood even by her husband Ace Wilfong a notorious gambler With With- her marriage her ostracism from the select social odal circle to which she belonged by birth wa was made even more severe The disappearance of her father makes this isolation unbearable and to avoid ennui she again in In curs curs the wrath of society by her public flirtation with Dwight Sutro the scion of a wealthy aristocratic family The terrible climax of her life ute com comes comes s when her husband murders Dwight Sutro and her father now a amere mere shell of a man broken b by drink appears as as the lawyer for the de defense fease at the sensational l trial Stephen Ashes Ashe's last effort costs him him his life but It redeems his mis- mis philosophy Jn In one striking courtroom scene With an unsuspected and there- there effective moral to conclude the book the authoress has accomplished accomplished accomplished an outstanding piece of t writing A Free Soul is undoubtedly undoubtedly undoubtedly edly one of f the seasons season's most engrossing en engrossing cn grossing novels Cosmopolitan Book Corp New York |