Books: Plausible Romance

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THE TOWN OP TOMBAREL—William J. Locke—Dodd, Mead ($2.50).

Alcide Tombarel, artist, manque, aristocrat, judge of good wine, is the hero of Author William J. Locke's latest book. Tombarel, an artist who had not been able to make his hands behave, gave up art for surveying, then became Mayor of Creille, tiny mountain village in the Maritime Alps," not far from Nice. There he ruled supreme, a benevolent despot. Fontenay, an English painter, meets Mayor Tombarel, falls under the spell of his courteous, charm, becomes a frequent visitor, a fast friend. In the shady garden of Tombarel's mountain house or in Fonte-nay's villa at Nice the old Frenchman passes many an hour in wordy reminiscence. At each encounter he narrates an episode, always honorable, not always legal, of his eventful life. Author Locke, as usual, has written a very readable, gently humorous, gently sentimental, plausibly romantic tale.

The Author. Author William John Locke, 67, mathematician, schoolteacher, architect, novelist, has been overpraised by the Atlantic Monthly as "the kindliest spirit in English letters since Lamb." Born in Barbados, he was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, taught archi- tecture, became Secretary of the Royal Institute of British Architects, in 1907 became a fulltime novelist. Schoolmasterly in appearance, pince-nez-ed, Author Locke likes dogs, children. He is married, has one adopted daughter. Fortnight ago Author Locke was seriously ill in his villa on the Riviera, his great & good friend Author E. Phillips Oppenheim at the bedside. Other books: The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne, The Beloved Vagabond, Septimus, Simon the Jester, The Joyous Ad- ventures of Aristide Pujol, Stella Maris, The Fortunate Youth, Jaffery, The Rough Road, Ancestor Jorico, etc.