The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-09-26
CHAPTER II.
A ShreWd Move.

L
A Shrewd Move.
1t will be necessary, in order that the
reader, who is interested, may under
stand the mystifying event which upset
all the calculations of General Sal
varez, and filled Arthur Medworth with
dismay, to turn our attention to the
men who were conspiring against the
peace and liberty OF Venezuela, and fol-
low them in one Of the shrewdest
moves the brain of plotter ever de-
vised.
1t had seemed to Salvarez, who re-
called the words in the message of
President Crespo, that the consul at
New York had been too hasty in jump
Ing TO a conclusion.
But the sailing of the Agostura laden
Na2h arms for the royalist cause was
sac@. The consul at New York, in
cokinE his information to President
sSespo ct Caracas, had stated. nothing
bur the truth. Where, then, the mys-
te*S2 Sarewd as Medworth had been,
shSTWd as the consul had been, they
we11 but children compared to the
shrhNdnesa of Ferdinand Gomez
TAN first ching was to discover king
1t nIy be wondered at that Gomez
did n:A aim to the crown himself But
the hfsslte Spaniard was experienced
enough 70 knnw that if he as father of
the soaAne, admitted that he wished
to be iiag, ra would drive from his
side hff strongest supporters, for it
would .Eaad bare as the selfish, grasp
ing plot Il an adventurer. He discover
ed the IEs5A he wanted, and supported
by the GS.fr of the house of Aragon,
they begaa operations.
They fcesu7 plenty of sympathizers
in Spain, Bat mostly among men who
were ready 50 Join the expedition with
visions of Ssd-time Spanish conquests
before them But there We're two great
difficulties Fat confronted Gomez. The
Monroe Dd&rine so positively en-
forced and Maitained by the United
States government, made it impossible
for the royaltS movement to emanate
from Spain. TIFF impulse must come in
the way Of a revolution in Venezuela,
and for this thsss was no money avail
able. But Come, was not the man to
sit down apd acknowledge himself de-
feated.
He went 20 Venezuela. He felt the
political pulse. He appointed agents to
all the states and provinces. Then he
went to New York.
The reports of his agents were favor
able. Men were ready to take up arms
for the royalist cause. But the arms
were lacking.
Now Gomez showed himself mas
ter. He carefully studied all sources
from which assistance might safely be
derived.
One after another he cast aside as
undesirable or impossible.
In a splendid house in New York
lived proud old Spaniard, Don Juan
Cara. Don Juan had, in his own way
and time. been something of an adj
venturer. Born in CASTLE, of very
proud, very aristocratic and very poor
family, he inherited all the love of
pomp and royalty and nobility without
the means to crafty it. For a time
he served in the army, but at the age
of twenty-five he left Spain and went
to Venezuela. That country had, after
thirty years war, enjoyed ten years
of liberty from Spanish rule. The coun-
try was unsettled and dangerous,
and Don Juan had his fill of exciting
adventure, but did little to fill his de-
pleted Golfers. He remained in Vene-
zuela long enough to bring down upon
his head the anger of the government
for intrigue and political treachery
and was forced to leave. From there he
went to New York city, where he met
and won the beautiful daughter of a.
wealthy merchant. His married life
proved happy enough to keep him out
of political miscief, but his mind often
turned longingly to the pomp and glory
of courts.
The merchant died, leaving his for
tune SO arranged that, at the death of
Don Juan's wife, it should descend to
the daughter, then pretty little thing
of six.
When Lola was fifteen years of age
her mother died, and the old Spaniard's
mind turned with greater longing to
political fields.
Thus it was, when Ferdinand Gomez
was looking for some one to assist in
his great enterprise, Don Juan Cara
was looking for an enterprise to as
sist.
They met, these t-7o, and conferred.
Don Juan was sixty years old, and was
shrewd. He desired to know the exact
position of the new movement in Vene-
zuela. Gomez, therefore, sent for his
agents, and for Philip Of Aragon. While
waiting for them to arrive, Gomez fell
in love with Lola CARA, who
was herself in love with Arthur Med
worth, against whom the father had is
sued his decree
Philip and the agents arrived. A
meeting was held at Don Juan's house,
and It was made apparent to the old
man that one hundred thousand peo-
pie in Venezuela stood sworn to sup
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