Evening star., 1898-09-17

| marx on you.
Francois returned with a rope.
Schwartz said Folliet. its my turn
row. Place your hands behind your back
until Noir ties them. Don't hesitate. I
have no time to lose, and 1 will blow your
brains out to avoid delay. You have told
me all 1 wish to know"
| The German obeyed. His swarthy face
was pallid with pain and desperation, but
he managed to screw his features into one
| of his terrible smiles.
Not all. Folliet, not all. I still have my
| revenge left
Pooh! A telegram to Paris will slap
your precious fellow conspirators in prison"
"Ah. yes: Ribou and Lacontel. They will
| be shot. But ask Vansittart tomorrow.
| He will explain
The man perpIexed FoIliet but the ur-
| gent need of haste prevented further ques-
tioning. With a warm word of thanks to
| Jim, he asked him to help Noir in escort
| Ing the prisoner to the village. Then he
tore off rapidly to Gravelotte. for it was
| 1880 pm. and the Paris authorities must
be warned of the communist plot, If 1t
| were not already too late.
| AT the council of war discussion waxed
| hot as to the next move to be made. The
advocates of a forward policy were numer-
| Gus. but divided among themselves.
One section, headed by General Daubis-
son. counseled the immediate investment of
| Metz, with the possible chance of isolat-
ing the kaiser from his people. Another.
| with LIE Breton spokesman, urged the
need of penetrating into Lorraine and thus
| GmphaSiZ1ng the nature -and extent OF that
| days victory.
| Vansittart tired and worn after the fear
| full strain of the afternoon. superadded to
| the physical WEAKNESS of continuous riding
| for nearly fifteen hours. did not at first in
| terfere in the argument until, in more than
| one instance, it threatened to culminate in
| a duel.
Then he quieted Daubisson by few tact
| full questions.
Have you seen Metz since the war, gen.
| eral?"
No; but well acquainted with the
| situation of the town.
| Yet you have surely forgotten that the
| Prussians could not properly invest the
| French fortress with army of 200,000
men. How much less can We hope to do
| so with even twice the number when the
| Germans have converted II into a fortified
| camp ten times the size? The very posi-
| tions from which Prince Frederick Charles
| menaced Bazaine are now important por-
| tions of the defenses."
| Exactly" broke in LIE Breton. "That is
| my contention. March into the interior. I
! say, leaving a sufficiently large corps of
| observation to hold the Germans in Metz
| until our supports arrive and enable us
| to reduce the place"
'FYour plan is bold. lie Breton. but 7 fear
| impracticable," said Jerome. ''The enemy
| will allow us more surprises Though
| we have won today 1t would be the Wild
| est folly to underrate their resources. and
| if we were defeated somewhere near the
| Ncsges should meet with irreparable
disaster'' POI ''-
I've might either advance or retreat"
! cried Dauhtsson
| Hardly" Va asittart rose and bent wear
| fly over map. What I recommend Is
| that while an army corps of Jn0G0 men re-
| mains here. strongly intrenched. the re-
naainder of our force should line the left
| hank of the Moselle from Nancy to Bigny
| and thence inland to join the troops of
| Gravelotte. Meanwhile powerful columns
should imm ediately advance from verdun
| and Montm2 2dy toward Diaienhofen and
| complete the seizure Of the MoseIe. In
| other words, Metz will he partly invested
| on the Fre12h side v bile we will he In a
| favorable position for advance In. any d.
| rection when our lireS of communication
| are completed and our supports arrive"
AS usual his words carried conviction.
| More than that, he conveyed by his manner
| to both Dau1isson and lie Breton the pleas
ant assura nee that he lad combined both
| their projects to the best effect.
| Once the inair question of tactics was
settled. the council devoted itself amicably
! to details. Vansittart had. with his left
| band, drafted a long telegram to the min
| lister of war. urging him TO forward another
! quarter of a million of troops to the front
| without delay, when field telegraph or
| derby entered with message
Jerome had mmuniCated with Evelyn
| and the king about 9 o'clock. Henri had
long since sent his congra tulations but
| there was no response from Evelyn.
| A glance showed him that this message
was from Evelyn. and his wearied brain
oid not Tor a moment grasp It's full sig
nficance.
! 1t ran: 'T am more than terrified yet I
| rejoice that shall soon be with you Bear
| up for my sake I come with the utmost
speed
When Va lsittart awoke to the actualities
| of the case he forgot the weariness
To his quick intelligence no protracted
thought was needed to extract the terrible
meaning of poor Evelyn's distracted mes
sage.
Some one, bitter and malignant enemy,
| had cleverly managed to send her a bogus
message telling her that he was wounded
She had left Paris to seek him. 1t was Il
decoy. Evelyn would be captured perhaps
wounded. in order to shake his set resolve
| to free France from her open foes
His pale face, with its tense expression
and wildly staring eyes, alarmed the Off
| GERS present. Then he burst from the
room, to encounter Folliet in the passage,
| Read that"
The chief of police rapidly devoured the
| words and like a lightning fash came
| the memory of Hans Schwartz's sneer
Waltz he cried, Il will bring definite
news"
| He disappeared. to return Immediately
with Arizona Jim, Francois Noir and their
captive.
Producing revolver, and speaking with
| the air of a dignfied judge sentencing a
| prisoner to death. he said:
Hans Schwartz if you fail to answer my
| questions fully and truthfully swear that
| l will in the next moment send you to an
swer your crimes before the last tribunal
| Who sent a tele gram to Mrs. Vansittart
announcing that ker husband was wounded
and required her presence?"
Herr Won Ritterburg, the chief of the
Berlin secret police"
"At what hour?"
When our troops retired, about
o'clock"
From where?"
"Some place behind the French lines He
managed to get through in the disguise of
a French soldier
What was in the telegram"
The prisoner, livid with pain and terror,
hesitated. and the revolver clicked. .1 am
not sure ne faltered. Il did not see it"
But you know what was intended to be
said?"
Yves. The herr told me he would
| word 1t so that the lady would tell no one
| to avoid panic in Paris"
MY poor giri!' broke in Vansittart. "She
would obey too well. 1t is devilish. You
hcund-to fight with woman"
Who devised this internal pot@'
81 cannot tell 1t was an order from
high quarters-a last attempt to drive him
away from the front-to leave the French
troops leaderless."
You dog; you dogsr cried Follist, and
| he turned from Schwartz.