Evening star., 1898-08-06
CHAPTER i.
~ King and Two Emperors-'


fear with the same issue"
rs there no hope of a peaceful settle
ment?"
How can there be peace between a rob-
beE and his victim. Germany is resolved
that France must be crushed. Crushed she
will be to the utmost bounds of hunilia-
ton. unless"
Unless YOU go back again, guv'nor, and
take hand in the game
The interruption came from Arizona jim,
who was sitting with Varsittart and Ev-
eIyn in canoe. which lay motionless on
siIvery lake in the heart OF the Adiron-
dacks.
For moment no one spoke. 1t would
seem that this privileged adhercnt had
blurted out the millionaire's secret though,
and the possibility alarmed Evelyn. In
sharper tone than was her wont, she cried,
after a quick glance at her husband:
Don't say such foolish things. Bates.
Your master has given enough to France
without adding mis- life to :he score. TWEEN
ty years hence you viii suggest that
Henry should follow in the same cause.
The sole object of your existence is TO
seek danger and trouble
The alIusion to her three-year-old son
softened her voice to breaking point. Her
eyes glistened with tears as She looked
wistfuly from Cne to the other of her
hearers.
Arizona Jim was astounded at this out
burst The use of his surname conveyed
far more reproach than mere words He
w0rshiped Evelyn with dOglike fidelity. and
now. in mute pain, he sought encourage
ment with q look at Eansittart. But Je-
rome steadily watched spiral of smoke
from his cigar curling into shapeIessness in
the sill air. So Jim essayed to defend
himself
Well. mum. there was a time when I
used ter fool round lOOkin' for trouble.
But l kinder thought that bad ole time had
passed The biggest trouble l didn't allow
for, an that is for you to be vexed with
me- As for danger. I'm sorter fixed in the
notion as how it amt in hands. Kings
an sparrows run under the same rules
"Oh. jim. I'm not angry with you. But
you don't understanG-you don't under
stand and EvelyR's repressed tears forth
with became downright sobs.
II her wayward mood amazed Bates it
as quite comprehensive TO Jerome, who
now silently admonished the other to leave
matters where rhey were.
In very truth the impuisiye Texan had
placed in words the thought which for days
past had thrown a shadow upon Evelyn's
bright existence.
Bismarcks policy still prevailed in Ber-
hn' though his domineering presence was
removed from the council chamber "A
strong France is menace to Teutonic as
pirations." In European disputes the
bayonet is the court of appeal Blessed
are those who possess" These were his
apnorlsms and the hOt-headed ruler of the
German nation considered them to be still
as vital TO the longevity of his empire as
in the troublous period when the first chan
cellor proclaimed the reign of blood and
iron.
France had thriven amazingly since Van
sittart converted the arid Sahara into a
panorama of eornlands and vineyards The
commercial prosperity of the people
brought with it expansion in the trade
marts OF The world Germany, soured by
the uselessness of her own colonial efforts
experienced the novel sensation OF being
heediessly elbowed to one side by her mer-
eurial neighbor.
Frenchmen were taught reason by con-
teEtnent The Russian atidnce was no
longer coveted; chickering's against England
became spaSmOdic and feeble while the
last man that Henry regarded as an an
tagonist was the German emperor
France. in her dream of peace. was even
forgetting the lost provincesi
But the king and his advisers should have
read the open book supplied by the record
Ell utterances of their greatest enemy
Every state sa;d Bismarck. must
recognize thai its security rests on its
own sword Henri did well to enrich his
people, but III TO neglect the safeguards Of
French independence
The New York press explained the siiu-
alton with point and 1ippancy Germany
must hight or bust" wrote one paper The
Kaiser must either throttle France or be
urLmmed out OF power by impoverished
people, IaHlshlns and mutinoLS. The ma
ton is sinking beneath ever-increasine mil
ltary burdens which must be met out of a
falling revenue The alternative, to the
otl man emperor thinking. Is simple. The
Isst OF the world desires peace; he must
have war-an1 every other inte, est but that
OF the house of Hohenzollern may go
harg."
No wonder. then, that Evelyn Vansittart
Was sad at heart in the midst of pleasant
surroundings. or that. her emotions were
not IN harmony with the joyous springtide
in the hills. She knew full well that France
sore pressed. would in the hour of extrenl-
fty appeal TO the one man in whom the
pcpuIace placed unbounded faith. And she
herself would be the first to admit that
duty ana honor alike offered her husband
but one course of action
After all. money does not bring happiness
The millionaire and the man in the stree
are separated only by some bricks and NOR
TAR IhelF lives are very similar when
viewed through the telescopes of the gods
Five minutes of quiet thought revealed
the situation more clearly to Arizona jim.
When Evelyn had Gained somewhat. in
response TO Jerome's half-iocular FaIf-
sympathetic raillery, Jim ven.urcd 10 saw:
Its ike this, mum ltll do no good for
the guv-ncr to fight, anyhow. This is a
business for armies, an big ones at that.
But the French want some one to do the
thinkin' for 'em. That's nore'n half the
game, an allus hez bin. ever since the days
OF Nebbycodnezzer."
Jerome laughed outright at the extraor-
dinary asuston Even his wife smiled as
she dried her eyes.
why on earth do you drag in Nebuchad-
nezZar. Jin?' cried Vansittart when he
was able to speak.
. Cos he thought he could live on grass.
an 1t KEEP him goin' for seven bloomin'
years"
The conceit put them in better huuor
They were about to resume their inter-
rupted fishing when Jerome caught sight of
Harland walking toward them down the
hill on which stood their summer residence
They watched him in silence until he
reached the verge of the lake. Then he put
b.s hands to his mouth, and shouted:
"Cablesram for Evelyn
a ID fO. L.
In astonshment. From whom, L wonder?
Paddle in at once, Jerry. Surely there is
nothing anliss with mother. or aunt / had
letter odly yesterday. Why doesn't Dick
call out its ccnteEtsy' Had she been on
shore she certainly would have examined
the printed envelope to see If it gave any
Indications OF the nature of the interior
message.
She did not walt to land before she cried:
who is Il from, Dick?'
From the Queen OF France"
What is II about?''
1T will best convey its own message.
Thinking u was from home / opened it, IT
IS written in the private code used by the