The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17
BOOK. REVIEW AND
MAGAZINE NOTES

onward path in life 'by It's reflection
Il OF the love of God"
THE PORT or MISSING MEN, BY
Meredith Nicholson. Illustrated BY
Clarence #. Underwood. Bobbs-
| Merrill Company, of indianapolis,
publishers PIP 800: Sl.h0.
Mr.. Nicholson's blouse ofa Thousand
| Candles" created such n sensation NJ
the time of its publication that another
| book by the same author ms peeh
| greeted with enthusiasm.
| The scene OF this later book opens
4 in Geneva with a conversation between
an Austrian diplomat. Count Won stree
! bel. and d young man. who callsd NM
\ self John Armitagc and passed Tor an
! Ilnglishman but who in reality was
| Frederick Augustus stroebel the
4 Counts son. lie had run away from
| his native country, Austria, with inc
| Archduke Karl when q mere lad, ana
| had incurred the Counts deep and last
| ing dispcasure by his preference FOR
| democratic Americn The Archduke
went into voluntary exile because OF
| the unfnithfulncss OF his wife, ana look
! with him his son, Frederick Angustus,
ana the lad, Count Stroebelis son. He
| had learned to hate the Austrian en-
pire and everything connected with II.
| So he concealed his identity In q new
| found Western Canadian home, and the
! world that had known him knew him
no more.
The years passed. Frederick Angus
| tus, the Archdulse's son. was killed In
| IN accident, and the Archduke himself
/ died within q year. Frederick Angus
/ tus Stroebel, who had been successful
! in America, and had come to own
large ranch in Montana. was intrusted
with important papers proving the
death of the ArchdulSe and his son,
4 and stating in detail the reasons of
| the Archduke's voluntary exile. stree
bel placed these papers safely with a
! New York trust company, and, in the
summer of 1909. he went to Paris and
4 met his father. Count von Stroebel,
whom he had not seen for years
Il The Count had devoted his entire life
and all his energies to the service of
Il the Austrian empire. In his old age
he seemed to see the fruit Of his cf-
forts crumbling from under his hands.
, The Emperor, old and infirm, was tot
tering on the verge of the grave. The
prospective EmperorKing, Charles
Louis. his son, was threatened with
! assassination so that Francis, the dis
owned son of the Archdule, was in
danger of being put on the throne by
a band of conspirators, OF whom well
). kolried and Rambnud--or Chauvenet. as
, he is called in the book--werc the
, leaders.
John Augustus Stroebel gave to his
father, when he met him in Paris, q
packet containing the Archduke's ar
raignment of his wife. That packet
!, being of Importance to the would be
!, usurper, Francis, in his efforts to gain
: the Austrian throne. was stolen from
the Count. After vainly endeavorinE
! it's recovery the Count recalled his
!, son, from whom he had parted in an.
: ger after the Paris encounter The
second meeting took place between
4 them at Geneva In March of 1903, ant
h is described in the first chapter of this
: book.
i At this interview the son gave his
: father conclusive assurance OF the
~ death Of the Archdlke and Of his son
n and offered to try and recover the
/ stolen packet. The son was not known
: by his real name, out oy one which III
e had assumcd-John Armitage. Coun
8 Stroebel, in the moment of their 1na
y. parting reminded his son mat he him
re self was an old. fee..c man, and tina
st the two might never meet again. II
+ besought him. in spite Of the fact tina
et the son had chosen to live in America
to do some service for Austria, some
- thing worthy of the name which be
', longed to him, but which he did no
es bear.
=. - a few days later Europe was startle
q. by the news of the murder by an ASA
80 SINS hand. of the Count Stroebel, as h
T. was travelling in his private car frOi
~ Geneva to Vienna.
:. Count Stroebel's son, otherwise job
y, Armitage, heard it and recognized |
ed It the work of the conspiracy uesirin
an to place the worthless Francis on til
nd Austrian throne, He went to Vienn
on and as an unknown stranger atIende
his fathers funeral, registering aires
lid u VOW to fulfil that fathers last l..
MS quest by defeating his enemies ar
lot avengng murder.
It's AS first step toward accomplishir
CO his end, he returned to Geneva
Ter await the arrival there OF ono
Ter more of the conspirators of whom h
father had told him. When they cam
Old he overheard a conference betwet
'ut them, and in Il struggle which int
RS posed before he made his exit from t
nd. house. he succeeded in recovering fro
lca one OF the conspirators. Chuuvcnet, t
NC packet stolen from ('ol,n il ST.