The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-09
Latest Book from Pen of Hoo
Sier Writer to Be Issued
from Presses Today.
GETS FAVORABLE MENTION
1.-THE PORT OF MISSING MEN"
PROMISES TO GIVE NEW LAUR.
ELS TO AUTHOR OF "HoUsE OF
THOUSAND CANDLES"

Meredith Nicholson whose The
| House of Thousand Candles had
such a remarkable sale, placing the
Hoosier author as one of the foremost
novel writer's of the day is soon to
add further laurels to his name. His
new book, THE Port of Missing Men"
will be issued from the presses of the
Bobbs Merrill company today. The
literary critic of the Indianapolis
News who has had chance to read
the novel in manuscript says of it in
part:
I'm the selection of a title for this
new work the author is again extra
ordinarily happy and fortunate. for he
calls his book The Port Of Missing
Men," name that is itself suggestive
OF mystery, romance and adventure.
And whatever promise of these the
title may seem to convey, the novel
amply justifes. 1t is a stirring tale,
well told, interesting from first chap
ter to last, and, once begun. not likely
to be put aside until the reader
comes to the end of the story and
the solution of the mystery.
1T is a modern r,hance of mediae-
val intrigue, peril md adventure; it
brings the past to the present and
recasts it in the mold of today. Eu-
rope comes to America, and in the
mountains of Virginia battle is
fought for crown. On the issue of
the conflict and the conclusion of
plot. counterpart and conspiracy de-
ponds the succession to the throne of
Austria. Authors less bold would hes
itate, perhaps, before they would thus
establish definite background as a
setting for their novels. Anthony
Hope, for instance, evaded it, although
one might gather from his stories
that he did it reluctantly, and con-
tended himself with disrupting the af-
fairs of state in municipalities unmap-
ped. But Mr.. Nicholson has shown
no such sensitive reluctance. With |
daring-which some may re- !
gard as audacious-he has elected to |
play his romance about the throne Of
Francis Joseph, and the attendant re-
suit fully justifies the liberty.
Novel Move on Fiction chessboard.
ut is needless te say, ef. course,
hat this is a novel move on the chess
board of fiction. Mr.. Nicholson is
known for novel methods. In THE
House of a Thousand Candles" he
built mansion beside an Indiana
axe and stored buried treasure in
is chambers, laid subterranean pass
lges beneath it's foundations, equip !.
,ed it with secret panels and brought
LII the other romantic appointments
O house beneath it's roof At the
ame time the story was entirely con-
-incing and plausible enough to sat
sly the more exacting readers.
Now he shifts to Virginia and,
With Austria looming distantly but not
on the European horizon
# his story, within a stones throw
f fashionable health resort, where
tatesmen and diplomats from Wash
ngton are want to foregather. he
rings together the tangled threads of
n old world romance and unravels
he snarl on American SOIL Here /,
We are" as one of his characters OBJ
erves, Gin one of the free American
tates, about to turn card that will
ethrone a king. if we are lucky. And
ere is man we are trying to get
Mt of the way-a man we might make
ing if he were not fool, In Ameri-
a, 1t touches my sense of humor. !.
ly dear Jules.''