THE Childerbridge Mystery.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue I, 4 January 1902, Page 40

THE Childerbridge Mystery.

NEW STORY BY

GUY BOOTHBY.

Will be COMMENCED IN THE “GRAPHIC” Of JAN UABY 25th, “The Childerbridge Mystery” is an exciting ano breathless story of love and crime. It opens on an Australian sheep station, changes to London, to au English country house, and finally" returfis to Australia. The first set of dramatis personae are William Standerton (an early colonist who has amassed half a million sterling), his son and daughter. James and Alice Standerton, and Richard Murbridge—one of the villains of the piece. Under his assumed name, Murbridge has a close connection with the Standerton family. On the family’s migration to England they purchase a country house, in which, as they subsequently discover, a mysterious black dwarf makes periodical appearances. This dwarf, however, turns out to be a very real creature of flesh and blood, and upon its doings many of the exciting scenes of the story ultimately turn. The near neighbours of the Standertons in their new home are a Mr Bursfield, a mysterious recluse (really a madman, but whose madness is intermittent), and his ward, Miss Dueie, a beautiful Englishwoman. Young Standerton (a splendid specimen of an athletic, well-bred colonial) becomes engaged to Miss Ducie, strongly to the disapproval of Bursfield—from which time the story is full of the most striking and exciting events. There are two villains, one murder is accomplished, and another attempted. Two love passages run through the tale, and end in such manner as is sure to please every reader. There are minor characters, who, in their way, are as interesting as the chief actors. These are an old family butler, a detective, the factor of the Australian sheep station, and others. Mr Boothby’s great success as a novelist, and the world-wide popularity of his, almost render it unnecessary to say anything in praise of this latest work from his pen. It should be sufficient to recall to our readers’ minds “Dr. Nikola,” “The Beautiful White Devil,” “Pharos the Egyptian,” “Long Live the Ring,” and “A Prince of Swindlers,” to make them eager to peruse “The Childerbridge Mystery.” From a recent article by Mr Wilfred Klickmann, we extract the following: “GUY BOOTHBY AT HOME.” “Any bookseller will inform you, with an authority that confirms the more general testimony of the novelreading world, that Mr Boothby is the author of some of the most strikingly successful volumes of the last six years. These boefes are for the most part tales of adventure so startling, so weirdly ingenious, yet withal so stamped with that imprint oi earnestness usually associated with truth, that the reader is temptea to aver,' ‘This must be true, for it is even stranger than fiction!’ To give an instance of the effect of Mr Boothby’s powers of narration on the mind of at least one reader. In a railway carriage I once sat beside an archdeacon—He was reading ‘Dr. Nikola,’ in serial form. ‘Well! well!’ he murmured, as he concluded the twentyfour page instalment. ‘Wonderful! hut why can’t these magazine people give us a few chapters every month, instead of these scrappy little bits?— er—pardon me’ (to rayself), ‘did that porter say Horsham? Why, I wanted to get out at Tulse Hill!’ ”

LOOK OUT FOR THE “GRAPHIC” Of JANUARY’ 25th, PUBLISHED ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22nd.