The San Francisco call., 1909-06-13
The San Francisco Sunday Cali
"The Kingdom of Earth"
By Anthony Partridge sptlo~ oe

by Anthony Partridge sutlior OF The Dis
Trlo1torS etc Published by Little. Brown
q Co, Boston. Price $50.
Bergeland. according to its own crown
prince, was the plague spot Of Europe.
us KING was a thoroughly disreputable
ara olssolute monarch and Haunted his
vices and his eXtravagances in the face
OF his subjects until they We're almost
upon the point Of rebellion. Tie crown
prince, John Valentine Peters had ac-
CURED reputation quite as bad as that
OF his uncle. the king. but for some
reason the reader is ia sympathy with
MN ana looks about constantly to find
some looDhOie Of an excuse for him.
at the opening Of the story we see
Ihe crown prince travelling incOgnito as
.ohn Peters, and he appears to have
lailen IN love with Miss Grace Peilisier.
Sne IS an American actress. but late i'm
tne book we discover that her mother
was Bergian. Shc belongs 70 a secret
society Of philanthropists. At least so
thcy call themselves, but they have de-
cioed snarchstic and socialistic Ideas
and tendencies and people call them
Crdnhs bhey appear TO he rather harm
less cranks until suddenly one night,
when Miss Pcllisier has only Just
learned the Identity Of her friend. her
associates ask her to send him home at
eracuy 1-30. She knows what thar
=
tween her heart and her conscience and
her principles. knowing the man. John
Feters. y seems almost incredible that
he IS possessed Of q double personslitv
hut that IS the only possible way to ex-
pain hls oebauchery and generally
riotous living.
Grace compromises with herself hv
Fonoing hint away az I O'Clock instead
o. l-oe. but q few moments after he
has gone she discovers that her clock
has stopped and that il is in reality The
nme she has SO dreaded. The man who
IS been selected by lot bv these self
yled "philanthropists is a bunvIer
o when he attempts 10 sfah Tobn
Peters he misses his mark Peters in
H-sNS upon oelng taken TO the other
members or the band at once and is
sstounoed when he discovers that ne is
pelig taken back 10 Miss Pellfsier's
apartment His nerve in this dificult
situation saves him. The other mem
pers, four are there, and he talks
Quietly with them in order TO learn
tnelr point Of view. They of course
arc blinded 10 the defects OF their svs-
tenn and IL is so much breath wasted
when the prince says: The greatest
causes can be debased by false. methods.
TIE world viii never be set free bv the
assassin knife or the throwing of
com os- The meeting ends bv a sort of
truce. The philanthropiSts promise to
give the prince six months safety ana
then II is to be war again.
ne real character OF Prince John is
slowly revealed in the story. and he is
more and moro noble I'm each cbapter
ne secret which he SO carefully guards
~ the risk ~ his life is not revealed
uhui The last few chapters though the
careful reader thinks he sees ii long
before. The tale itself is Interesting
ana though purely imaginary is. not i'm =
possible Il has a ''Zenda" flavor in
sp9bs. out is not really "Zenda" story
ana IS much more satisfactory. The
book Is illustrated by A. r. vvenzeD in
MS wen known style. and makes one
wonder again at the vogue he has
gained by his weird and unnatural
drawings Of men and women.