The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23

the seaport cities OF the Western coast
of America Is the most formidable
armada that ever sailed the seas. start
ed on it's route by flower garlandel
Japanese maids. singing gay songs.
The United States government has
Issued an urgent appeal to the people
of the United States, asking for judg-
ment on its conduct of the war to be
temporarily suspended. In the mean
time, in response to demand, sui
denly modified and powerful Amerl-
can army springs into existence aud
guards the 5000 miles of border land
between the United States and Canada,
preventing ingress or egress.
Representatives of foreign nations
are hurried across the border line,
vessels of an nations. friendly or I'M
friendly, are summarily excluded from
all American seaports. and the United
States is isolated by sea and intrench-
ed behind cordons of soldiers.i The
world stands aghast at the passivitT
of the great republic, apparently
awaiting the onslaught of Japan.
But the time arrives for the arrival
of the Japanese fleet at Honolulu, and
no fleet comes One week, two weeks,
three weeks pass by and no sign of
VIC littI is given. Iuc "OTlu tnut mas
stood in expectancy, realizes at length
that America possesses some new and
terrific naval force that has given It
mastery of the seas.
Japan. hopeless and driven to ex-
tremities. appeals to Great Britain for
news. Great Britain in her turn starts
her most powerful fleet for Canadian
waters to remain until the war is
over. In a little while the hitherto
mistress of the seas learns from a
South American tramp steamer the
Esperanto, that her greatest battle
ships have met the same fate as that
which has overtaken the Japanese
fleet, the Esperanto having picked up
In mid-ocean sailor. floating on n
lite raft and wearing the uniform of
the Dreadnaught, the flower of the
English navy and its pride.
The sequel of the book furnishes the
explanation of all this mystery ana
shows that the United States. while
| invincible. Is nevertheless merciful and
not cruel in the exercise of its power
me description of the radioplanes and
their manufacture by an American in
ventor is most interesting. A love
story between Norma Roberts, daugh-
ter of the inventor, and Guy Hillyer.
secretary of the British embassy in
Washington, invests the story with the
requisite amount of romance to render
it interesting.
The book is clever and uncommon to
a fascinating extent.
SERAPHICA. BY Justin 1Iuntly Nc
Carthy, Harper e Brothers, pub
fishers. s1.5O.
This very interesting novel dates
hack n ais
In France during the boyhood of King
Louis XIV, when there was a regent
on the throne.
Two neighboring duchies in the pro-
vince of Artois had two rival heads,
both attractive and obstinate, one be-
longing to woman-Seraphica-
the other to a man, by name Prince
Renaud
The doings and adventures OF these
two young people with their environ
ment and the subpersonages intro
duced fill UP the measure of the gay
and dainty little comedy that Mr.. Nc
Carthy has written in his best style.
The painter Vatican, a romantic char
acter, hovers In the background of a
picture that he might have painted
himself.
Given stage setting in France in
the days of the early eighteenth CEN
fury. when King Louis XIV, of France,
was but a boy with a regent on the
throne, picture two neighboring Ouch.
les in Artois with rival heads, a very
young woman's and very young
mans. and these heads attractive ana
obstinate, and that is the beginning
of Seraphica. Seraphica is a duchess.
she Is young, she is gay, she is saucy
she can turn n sword like n man. and
use IKE woman n wit "a oh
nor sword. BY every argument of the
councillors she Is ready for marriage
with Prince Renaud SO that their lands,
may join. But Renaud cares nothing
Tor state politics.; besides, he is in love
with somebody clse--rashly in love
win the court fayorite whom he had
met in the capital Furthermore. he
has never seen Seraphica, calls her
unpleasant names because her father
has taught her to do things like a boy.
and runs off to Paris; and Seraphica.
20 punish him, goes following after.
disappearing as a man and fighting.
like a man. but tender as a woman
all the while, she rescues the unsus-
Ipecting Renaud from one scrape after
lanother--for the jealous regent had
given orders long before to clap him
| INTO prison II ever he came to Paris
again. They join a group Of players,
Seraphica abandoning her eyarb of how,
| as Renaud's sister, meet the little king
and the regent, and Renauds lady, and
when Renaud is caught, Seraphica by
a trick gets him free again. With
beth duchies distracted at the disap-
pearance of the two, they finally are
found. and the prince discovers the
truth.
THE STEM OF THE CRIMSON DALI
LA, BY James Locke Moffat, Yart
y CO., publishers. sl.5O.
This lis breathlessly interestina
| story Of the present time with the
scene laid in the Balkans.
An American hero and heroine ar,
caught and held in a curious net O
! Eastern intrigue. Implicated by &C
cldent with them in succession o
IEMlIllNt inc L..