The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-13
Among the Books
and Magazines
"a Splendid Hazard,

BY Harold Mac3rath. The Bobbs-
Merrill Co, of indianapolis, ind How
ard Chandler Christy, illustrator. $50.
A Napoleonic romance that has the
power to thrill the mind and cause
the pulse to quicken with the memory
of the soldier emperor who was the
peer OF all the Caesars.
Mr.. MacGrath has chosen as the
hero OF "a Splendid Hazard" 8. great
grandson Of Napoleon. a descendant OF
a pretty little peasant boy, on whom
tho great captain, in 1913. was asked
to confer a title; for whom he created
a baronetcy, threw In a parcel of land
and q purse. Neither Burke's Peerage
nor the Almanac de Gortha legitima-
tized the title which had, as an ac-
compartment a few sterile. Bavarian
hillside acres. But single Napoleon
ic scra,wl with, letters patent. deeds
and titles to the land, fell into the
hands of a young lad after two gen
erations of the family had lived and
died In the house which he sold, keep
Ing only tho precious documents which
told the truth about his ancestral
strain.
The lad was brave and clever, but
a dreamer and an idcalist. He chose
the navy rs profession. but the story
of his birth becoming known in Ger
many, he was forced 10 abandon 1T.
AfterWard he became wanderer,
war correspondent from South Afri-
ca and a sailor in the South Seas.
In Munich he met and knew a, singer,
Hildcgarde Won Mitter. beautiful wo-
man who loved him. His interest in
her was awakened chiefly because she
was the possessor of diagram that
came down to her through her
mothers relative. the Able Fanu.
This diagram was a charge from a
Frehchman that had lived in house
in America overlooking the village OF
Dalton on the Jersey coast. 1t indit
Gated the hiding place of papers To-
eating secret trust of 1000, 900 francs
that had been gotten together as a
subscription by the old soldiers of
the Little Corporal" with the avowed
Helena. and bringing him in triumph
back 10 France. The treasure was
buried In the mountains of North Cor
sica, and when the story opens, Karl
Breitmann. Napo1eon's grandson. has
come to America, gained admission as
secretary to the Dalton house. for
merry owned by the Frenchman. ana
now occupied by a retired admiral
whose name is Kiliiegrew, and is pre-
pairing to find the Frenchman's papers
by means OF his diagram.
Opposing Breitmann's wild projects
of getting the treasure. allying him
self with the Orleanists and entering
France at the head of a handful Of
unprincipled adventures. is secret
agent of the French government NJ
Ferrand The skill Of the author is
shown in the way he groups his char
acters and brings those in active rela-
ton to the development OF the novel
together as the natural result of COM
mon social interest and acquaintance
| ship.
Defeated In his love for Admiral
| killiegrew's beautiful daughter, Laura,
convinced of the treachery of the Or
leanist party who proposed to make
him their dupe ~and squander his
treasure. heartsick and disellusioned,
Karl Breitmann. in the end. destroys
| the proofs of his identity. changes his
name and is left only the consolation
of a woman whom he has deceived.
| but who remains faithful 10 him, and
| the treasure which morally belongs to
| him.
The situations of the book are full
| of dramatic power and are we'll man
aged There are no laggings, no inter
mittent pauses The end is forecast
from the beginning. and every climax
| works up to the final revelation and to
| Breitmann's pathetic acceptance of the
verdict of fate.
"WulIic McWattie's Master,
| BY j. j, Bell. The Fleming Fl. Re-
veil Co. of New York. so cents net.
The author Of Wee Macgree gor" has
found another boy to serve as me-
| which runs SO wholesomely and so
/ n rn1 10 or f1,ip hn