The Washington herald., 1912-03-24
BY DIR. A. d. JACOBSON.

apoihs
Working together with Robert Louis
Stevenson on 'The Ebb Tide" and ''The
Wrecker'' In the adventurous South Sea
Islands. which the author Of Treas
ure Island" knew so we'll has given Mr..
osbourne the idea OF placing the opening
and closing chapters Of his novel in these
far-of habitations OF savage tribes. Mr..
Stevenson's Inspiration is manifest on
every page there. and when the scene
shifts TO the hero's native New England
hamlet the adventures OF the South Pa
ciflc are tempered into q love story.
But Mr.. Osbourne has done either too
much or too little in bringing to paper
the plot of his tale, the basis for which,
Of course, is the mysterious disappear
ance OF the Austrian archduke, Johann
Salvador, who lost his life score OF
years ago when, after abdicating all his
honors and dignities as a scion OF the
Hapsburgs, he married the girl Of his
choice as plain John Mort. and sailed
TO far-on shores, never to be heard OF
again to this day.
The author. introducing him as John
Mort. who has settled on the loneliest of
all South Sea Islands, Lotoalofa, and II
is there that the hero Of the book, Matt
Broughton. an American, who was dis
missed from the Naval Academy at An
napolis for prosecuting a negro cadet
and John Mort first are found talking
together as he takes leave from his mas
ter, after serving for years as captain
of John Morris trading vessel Brough-
ton receives the ship and money as
gift: also a ruby ring for his faithful
services. Around this ring the story
turns until the end.
Broughton pawns the ring with firm
of San Francisco jewelers., who COM
rnunicate with the imperial house at
Vienna that they know the man who Is
aware of the whereabouts of the lost
archduke. Then follow a series Of perse-
cutions incompatible with common sense,
interspersed with offers OF fabulous sUnls
to our hero by representatives from Aus
tria to divulge his secret.
And here il is where the author slips
up badly. For after having veiled so
transparently the Identity Of the prince.
he lets the Emperor himself. on board
a steamer commanded by his admiral,
overtake the vessel upon which Brough-
ton. 10 evade the many prosecutions.
tries to escape back to the South Sea
Isles, and to him our hero confesses that
he knows the man they are after, because
the aged fathers distress moves him
to pity, though on parting he had prom
ised John Mort not to divulge his place
cumstances.
A sembIance OF the fitness of things
ought to be maintained even in fiction. !
The author has erred badly in allow
ing his fancy TO send the Emperor of
an empire covering one-tfth of Europe
to embark on such a chase on a trip |
of tens of thousands of miles away from |
his realm, and TO make quite sure that
no reader shall mistake his man, he has
the aged Emperor" in his cabin tell
our hero ABOUT his bereavements, the |
losing OF his eldest son (Crown Prince
Rudolf, and his empress by sudden and
unatural deaths, &C.
Has any author ever invented fimsler, |
more transparent disguise? Has any one
ever told inpossibilities so paipably i'm
possible as these?
The love story OF the hero and Chris |
is a good enough diversion, but without /
a claim to extraordinary genius or in
vention.
tie. Brown & Co, Boston.
Not a problem novel, not a mystery
story, nor a detective tale with thrilling
episodes. but one OF those sweet, whole
some. normal stories that are a welcome |
change II appears that the author |
knows his mountaineers well. for he lives |
among them during the summer.
The scene is laid in the Blue Ridge |
of North Carolina, and there are, no |
mountain cabins exactly like that in |
which the life of this charming heroine |
grew from q bud TO a flower. The book |
Is of great strength and charm, and of |
quite absorbing interest. The plot is well |
worked out, the characters are finely dis |
Criminated, and even explain themselves. |
The Incidents are natural and the at |
mosphere healthy. The description OF |
the mountain scenery is a masterpiece. |
One almost sees the beauty OF the ever
lasting hills while reading the book
THE SOCIAL EVIL Second Edition, Revised |
Edited by 4. A. selignan- -Mcvickar professor /
of political economy in Columbia University. |
Putnam & Sons. New York.
This is revised edition, containing |
new material. covering the years from |
1902 to 1911. The Social EVIL first was
published under the direction Of the COM
mittee of fifteen, which was organized |
in the autumn of 1900 to institute a
searching inquiry uninfiuenced by parti- !
san considerations into the causes of
the increase Of gambling and vice in New
York City.
It is. however, a study that is far from
being merely Of local interest and appll-
cation. The problem is considered in all /
its aspects. and for this purpose refer
ence has been made TO conditions pre-
vailing in other communities and 10 the
different attempts foreign cities have
made to regulate vice.
PETER RGFF. By E. PHILLIPS oppenh-in. Lit;I.
Brown & Co, Boston.
Peter Run evidently is a name to con-
jure with, since II spells success and again
has landed the well-known author in the
ranks of the best selling novelists. |
Peter Run is the ne plus ultra of a de-
tectiye, and no doubt the press Of the
land will sing his praises from end to /
end. New as a plot is the hero's ability
not only to detect crime but also to con-
ceal IL.
No one but oppenheim would have
the ingenuity TO evolve such character
from the thieving clerk who had to
escape through window while counting
his best girl among the suburban bour-
geoisie Of London, and who, after secur-
Ing the support Of the actress. who truly
loves him and follows him as his assistant
through thick and thin, sets up almost
under the nose Of Scotland Yard and
never for a moment is suspected OF being
their quarry. Another detective who
marries the girl Peter has been counting,
as well as the girl, herself, in after years
turn out but sorry characters, which the
author may have believed necessary in
order TO make his hero the more con-
Epicuous.
A clever and descriptive word in de-
scriblng Peter Run was used by a con-
temporary Who calls the book Super
oppenheim." Most detectives would have
been content to follow clews alone and
not attempt to provide them for others
to follow, but Peter does both. The Sc
nh lob cF,- HI Gul l