New Mexican Mooncalf

STARRY ADVENTURE--Mary Austin--Houghton Mifflin ($2.50).*

Ever since the time he thought he saw God peeping over the top of an aspen tree Card lived in expectation of something wonderful happening to him. He did not know what it would be but he was sure it would happen in New Mexico, because that was the country he lived in and loved. Card had a fine time although there were few boys to play with and his family was not rich. His father was a "lunger," and ex-professor from the East; his mother a vestal virgin dedicated to keeping the home fires burning.

When the rich Hetheringtons bought a neighboring ranch to summer in Card became great pals with their young daughter Jane; he told her about the Something Wonderful he was expecting; she thought he would probably get it. But he did not find it in college. He let the War go by without him, worked on the ranch instead. Then he joined up with an architect; he liked building, but it was not quite It. Jane suddenly appeared and asked him to marry her, to save her from her family who had persuaded her to get engaged to a tycoonish Easterner. Just to be friendly Card went through the ceremony; Jane went East to put that in her family's pipe. Card considered himself bound to Jane until the rightly notorious Mrs. Ballintin thought it would be quaint to have a New Mexican house and got her clutches on Card. Then he thought It had come at last. When she first beckoned him into her room at night he was sure of it. Pretty soon he found she was just amusing herself. Then Jane came back. Card told her everything. Jane kept her head; one fine day they discovered they were in love with each other.

The Author is reputed to know more about Indians of the Southwest than any other U. S. woman. She lived 16 years in the California desert, working like an Indian woman, studying their lore. In 1891 she married Stafford W. Austin. When her only child died she began to write. For a time she was one of the Carmel, Calif, literary colony, then built a house at Santa Fe, N. M. Between literary jobs she goes on what she calls "jam-borees," makes enormous quantities of jam, jellies, pickles for herself & friends. Her flower-garden is famed. Other books: Isidro, A Woman of Genius, No. 26 Jayne Street, The American Rhythm.

*Published May 27.

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