The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-26

author unnamed. some one found ous
 the piece to be "A Cottage In the AIT.
 ascrtbed to Edward Knoblanch ana among the first three or four new plays for the millionaires theatre. IT one may say he recognized at glance a thing he never saw before beg
 leave to supplement my discovery with considerable one of my own. admit
 I am not even positive that q story
 of Anthony hopes was called ra
 Morrisons Princess" but the title was much like that. Mir. Hope dramatissd 1t, but neither he nor the manager who
 held the play for this company was
 quite satisfied. It is possible that Mir.
 Anoblsncn---a young Harvard man.
 whose stage position rests almost
 wholly upon his dramatization or the
 novels of others--was called in to im-
 prove upon Hope. And 1t Is further
 possible that the manager who held
 the American rights from the start has
 only given over the New York City
 privilege to the New Theatre In any case, the KnobIanch play is remark
 ably like the Hope sstory. Further
 more. If seem to do Mir. Knoblanch an injustice. I can only add that any,
 one so closely eQualling the literary grace and charm of Anthony Hope is
 to be congratulated.
 "A Royal Runaway" to call the com
 edy by its present title. shows very
 up-to-date, seif-willed little German
 princess who has imbibed no end of
 noble but impractical theories from an
 oid, dreamy. bookworm or a professor.
 The result is that when her father. the
 reigning grand duke. arranges a mar
 riage for her with an English prince,
 she runs away. although sne is already
 haif in love with the young man. She takes the professor and a mad along, and settles in her cottage in the air In an obscure English village. There she sets out to do all the good she has worked out in theory. But her treat for the children results in indigestion; her generosity with money in idleness, drunkenness and even theft: her broad minded theories about the Sabbath in possibly fatal quarrel betw cen bishop and the local vicar, with a wife and SIX children to support; and her fascination Of person to what a young baronet feels to be the utter breaking of his heart.
 At the last. the princess finds she has spent all the money che professor brought with them. and to send for more would reveal their hiding place. The tradesmen are about their ear, with unpaid bills; a glass of sour mi,K Is the or ly nourishment left; her only gown Is soiled and torn. To the last. she has held, half unintentionaity, to Ter royal hauteur. telling people they may sit.' and dismissing a group vf gossiping tea-drinkers with something very close to the audience is at an end" At last. she confesses to the mother of the fove-sick paronet who she is. and explains her theory of Iiv- ing simply among the people. There- upon. that wise lady gives her a plain" talk on royalty; points out the havoc she has wrought throughout a community: that she is not really living among them: and that. as successor to her fathers thronc. her | for good deeds will be am | pie: also. nearer to her training and 
 Of curse the prince turns up at her | most disheartened moment. having | kept afar off. but with protecting eye | on her all the time; and she is very l happy to rest in his arms. The com l edy has its faults--some pretty bad | ones--but one literally hares to be re- | of them. 1t is like bothering | about a cloud or two of smoke in sight | on a day that Is for the rest all clear. | 1 do not care who the Mir. Blank may | be who puts forth this play so myste- l If rival to Anthony Hope l can write. with such delicate fancy, | such whimsical humor. such romantic | charm. he is welcome under any name | he likes.