Country Joys

VILLAGE TALE--Phil Stong--Harcourt, Brace ($2).

"Woman's place is the home, and I could tell you which room." So says an unrepentant old sinner in Author Stong's latest bucolic melodrama. But the actions of Village Tale's unashamed characters speak even louder than their pungent words. This highly colored tale of country wickedness will, like State Fair and Stranger's Return, find a welcome in Hollywood.

To outward appearances, the biggest thing that ever happened in Brunswick, Iowa was the daily arrival of the 6:45, which sometimes came in on time. But plenty of other excitement went on just below the surface. Drury. the town villain, was making a cuckold out of little Bolly Hootman. Slaughter Somerville, No. 1 Citizen, was in love with the deacon's wife. Station Agent Ben doggedly pursued cat-like Lulu, unaware that she was after Slaughter. When the deacon found Slaughter and his pretty wife practicing hymns together in the church and peppered them with birdshot, all these situations began to come to a head. Villain Drury, not content with hurting Bolly's feelings by letting him see his horns, picked a fight, nearly killed him. When Slaughter found out what had happened he did the same to Drury. Bolly drowned his shame in the river, and Drury was arrested for murder. To make a clean slate, Slaughter took the deacon's wife, Lulu left town with the conductor of the 6:45.

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