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and two days later their author re-ceived a note from Ethel Derby, Col. Roosevelt's daughter. "Mr. Roberts' note in last night's Sun," it said, "was read to Mr. Roose-velt, whose fave thereu[??]n registered interest, amusement and repentance. A cross examination revealed that al-though he had forgotten the title and the author's name, he remembered many of the incidents of the book, from which tthe cross examiner de-duced the name of "The Lone Wolf, by Louis Vance, which Mr. Roosevelt rap-turousy acknowledge to be the correct title." Friendship Between The Two [bold] Mr. Roberts probably sent a note to Col. Roosevelt, who soon replied. This exchange of communications led to a meeting between the two when Mr. Roberts brought up the subject of the "gripping novel' mentioned in the verses. He told the colonel that he hoped some day to write two novels of Maine, one with a Revolutionary back-ground and one with a background of the War of 1812, but that the prelim-inary labor connected with them would be so tremendous that he felt it would be impossible for him to attempt them until he could afford to give up all other activities for a year more. Whereupon, we are told, Col. Roose-velt pounded his desk and showed his teeth and wagged his finger threat-eningly in his visitor's face. "You have a virgin field," he told Roberts, "and some of the greatest material in the world. If you can't write those books now, don't write any other sort of nov-els, because if you make a success with the other work you'll never be able to give the time and the toil to writing the proper sort of historical novel. You write these books;! There aren't enough of that sort being written by Americans. I want to see those books written! I'll provide you with ton of material. I'm going to watch you un-til you write those books. I want to have some more talks with you about them." But the talks never were held be-cause only to months later, Mr. Roberts was out at sea bound for Si-beria in his Country's uniform. When he returned in 1919, Colonel Roosevelt was dead. But "Arundel" was really born during that first and last talk, for Mr. Roberts was given the encourage-ment that he needed to tackle the im-posing work that rests today upon many Maine tables. Interested Charles G. Dawes [bold] Later was to come more encourage-ment. While Charles G. Dawes, now ambassador to England, was vice presi-dent, Mr. Roberts mentioned his am-bition to him and interested him in the subject. General Dawes not only supplied the author with books from his own library but secured for him a number of rare books and dairies from the Congressional Library at Washing-ton. Further encouragement was given by Mr. Tarkington. If any man is qualified to write this story of Colonial Maine, the Revolu-tion and Arnold's secret and gallant expedition to Quebec it is Mr. Rob-erts. He is a direct descendant of a member of the expedition. He knows the Country intimately. As a small boy he has fished and hunted along the route taken by Arnold and his brave little band. And in later life he has made many excursions into that part of the State through which the army passed. With the story running through his mind for years, undoubtedly he visual-ized the scenes that occurred along the Kennebec as half-staved soldiers carried their heavy bateaux and sup-plies across the portages, battled mud, water, forest and later snow and cold. But when the time came to begin writing Mr. Roberts removed himself from the scene of which he was to write, preferring a perspective to a close-up. He went to a small Tuscan town that boasted but one automobile and one telephone, no movies, contract bridge and not a single radio. There he stayed until the book was finished. There he vividly pictured the pioneer life of Maine--the inns with their rough panelled walls and kegs of but-tered rum, the traders and Indians, the sloops bringing back the latest news of Boston fashions, the political intrigue, the forests and settlements. In this background the human charac-ters play out the drama of their lives. It is well that Mr. Roberts saw Col. Roosevelt. Maine would have been the poorer had he never written "Arundel" and so would have Mr. Rob-erts. It is in popular demand all over the Country but particularly in Maine. In Portland, for example, it is a best seller and a best lender. Book stores and all of the large lending libraries report that no other historical novel has ever enjoyed such popularity. Mr. Roberts would do well to write the second novel, that with the War of as the background. After the success of "Arundel" its reception is assured.