THE PLAINS OF CEMENT
By
The story of the barmaid, Ella, plain but intelligent, her hopeless love for Bob, the waiter of the pub, and her vague engagement to elderly Mr. Eccles, with the hopes of freedom, offered by either a job in India or an inheritance from her father, shattered and the loss of both Bob and Mr. Eccles, leaving her with nothing. Would be pathetic if it were not for the conversational impasses between Ella and the cautious Eccles, and Ella's mental scurryings before each remark, which are delightful. Might have an appeal for Delafield's ""Provincial Lady"" audience.