Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-09-26

how caught his attention. and despitc
the evident desire OF the party to
keep his identity concealed, Jones
guessed 1t.
"My God!" he muttered hastily, cit
is the president visiting Monaco in
cog, to see what manner of witch 1t
is that lures so many from the gay
capital all through the winter"
Having overcome the uneasiness
produced by his discovery he began
to put two and two together.
The royalists undoubtedly knew
the French president meant to Sc
cretly take a flying trip under cover
of an assumed name to the Rivera
perhaps the assault on the train had
been made with the bold idea OF cap
turing this illustrious parsonage.
These valiant sons of France. how
they love sudden. bold stroke that
wins admiration from friend and foe
alike--as Louis Napoleon seized the
reins of government and fought his
way to the throne, so others aspire to
follow the example thus set.
There are many who declare all the
designs OF the times point that way,
yet the sincere friends of the repub-
lie are just as vehement in asserting
that it can never be.
Had those same partisans been
| present at Morte Carlo on this night,
when for the second time the Amer
lean adventurer broke the bank that
had seemed to be as stable as the
rock of Gibraltar itself, and could
they have witnessed the mysterious
and hurried consultations between
little knots of men who were many
of them well-known personages in
| the recent life Of France. they might
have shuddered to contemplte the dis
aster that seemed so imminent, and
have realized that secret under
standing with the army generals
might be possible whereby under GER
tain conditions the military forces
would be wheeled into line like magic
and with the disappearance of the
| president a mighty shout go up for
the old empire and new emperor!
Doubtless it was a singular freak
of fortune that had arranged matters
| so that Merrick should play his little
game of hide and seek in the name
of love. surrounded by all the disturb
| ing elements that went to make up a
| revolutionary upheaval.
Circumstances govern the condi-
tons in all such cases, and poor NOR
! tails must rest content to accept what
ever the Fates bestow.
Jones had missed the valorous
count from the scene of action.
This did not come about through
| any delinquency on the part of Vile
bois, VINO, on the contrary, had never
known buster hour in the whole
| course of his checkered career.
II he could secure possession OF
| the secret document, which, he felt
+. sure, was somewhere about the per-
son Of Mark Merrick, and at the
same time carry OFF the girl who rep
| resented those South African dia-
mond mines in the sovereign state
of Dom Paul Kruger, he would be
killing two birds with one stone and
feathering his own individual nest,
whether the revolution came about or
not.
Merrick's Search continued. Not
until the last spark Of hope had gone
would the lover own himself de-
feated
Such conspicuous pertinacity sure
ly deserved some reward, and Mark
was finally delighted to discover the
face for which he sought.
Strange to say, he did not hasten
forward, as he had contemplated.
For Constance was not alone.
The count was there, making him
self as agreeable as only a French
man knows how. N~tt
Merrick came to full stop.
OF course, it could not be pleasant
to see an old-time rival, who had
been the cause Of his suffering and
their parting in the past, talking ap-
parently so confidentially to his
sweetheart; but Mark would have
SnoWA IL Ills SoOu oSAkoC w oLCpPihS Iva :
ward and letting the count realize
his proprietorship in the precious lit
tie bundle of femininity by various
signs which he could not mistake.
Later on he was sorry he had not
done SO. But he was only a man,
not demi-god, and had few little
weaknesses of his own.
He turned his attention upon the
count and indignation began to arise.
The count seemed at his very best.
He could be very brilliant man
when he chose to exert himself, and
he was certainly doing that same
thing now. He fairly scintillated with
wit and endeavored to dazzle Con-
stance.
He apparently did not take Mark
into account, since that individual
was under surveillance. and when the
prearranged signal was given would
be incontinently laid by the heels, the
usual fate of reckless individuals
who ventured to cross his plans.
So the kettle simmered and bub-
bled, ready at any suspicious mo-
ment to take sudden turn and boil
over.
CHAPTER NH.
When Jones had to grapple with an
enraged bull, metaphorically speak