The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-29
XIII. Cyrene the Scr2e-t.


 Cyrene the ScrPe-t.
 The dead had not been buried deep enough The shrouds of the inferred mill lions was visible through the sod. The poor lads who had bravely fought and bled had also suffered hunger. and the soldier. of ali his enemies. hates most the one who causes him to suffer hun ger. Most of the misfortunes were due to the army contractors.
 The soft murmur with which each of the two hundred thousand gives expres- sion to his discontent at the same time becomes powerful sound. But the rob- bsrs considered themselves so safe that < they continued plundering even after the campaign had ended.
 Finally a prominent general who had himself participated in the vicissitudes of the entire campaign, made the following
 The makers of these contracts for sup plies deserve to be hanged"
 And in consequence of this remark, the entire fraudulent structure suddenly fell to pieces. An imperial command was is- sued that the crimes. irrespective of per sons. should be traced and punished.
 And now. before the bar of justice, one of the most terrible dramas was pro- dueed. There were brought to light the tmpositions. by means of which the gov ernnent had been cheated out of millions. which in the total also amounted to mil. Hons. The earth, winch had been mixed with the bread and the stolen two threads issued from the graU of secrecy, and, going about like ghosts. called down into the graves of the dead.
 And those who were called answered.
 At the beginning of the lawsuit two of the principal defendants disappeared and nothing was again heard of them. It was feared that the ship on which they intended to escape to America had been destroyed on the high seas by an internal machine.
 When the general. in whose rooms the contracts were made, the beautiful, snil- ing Antinous figure, saw the finger marks of the provost on the sleeves of his beau tifui uniform, he did not wait to be over taken with shame, which is more terrible than death AS soon as the prison door was closed upon him he thrust a gold scarf pin into his heart ,and as death was not instantaneous he strangied himself with the cord of his doimany.
 The witnesses who were announced to tell what they knew were intimidated by Threatening letters, and did not dare to speak.
 A witness in very high position. a statesman. when summoned to appear be- fore the court burned his documents. of himself The principal defendant. a director of bank. and political econo- mist escaped from his prison, nobody kneY whither. Who had opened the door for him? Who for the others? Every body said that search must be made in still higher circles. These are only the tools: the chief managers live in palaces. '1uCR the EI6SlQenI or the court or 1n- quiry became sick. Public opinion relat- ed dreadful things about his sickness. An- other judge undertook to preside With in short time he. too. became sick and died. These are the hands of the Borgfa and Ferrara. The accused, the witnesses, the judges. all disappeared and died. Ben Jamin VaJdar was still there--he, the me . diafor the medium in the whole fraud nient proceeding. Shall public opinion. which is clamoring for the victim, con tent itself with cuttle-fish left In the net when the great sharks living or dead, nave escaped! Let him go, too. But then, let him trv to escape.
 The public papers concerning this crim- inat process were placed in the archives. Vajdar had not moved from the place during the entire tempest. He we'll knew that whoever felt guilty did best to re- main quiet.
 Suspicion is like a house dog pursuing and tearing down him who flies. The prince and the marchioness also spent the season in the city this year; they neither travelled nor went to a watering place. It seemed as if they had learned To like Vienna very much.
 One fine day Yajdarf received a sum- mons to appear in the police court. The council who received him was an old ac- quaintance. In his countenance no trace of the solemnity which indicates danger was visible. He was as kind as usual.
 You must leave the capital within twenty-four hours. and return to your country. where YOU must remain.'
 For this, Benjamin was not prepared fl is true he had expected to be arrested and tried. and he had taken the neces- sary precautions; but against banishment there Is no defense. He desired to know particulars. But the council had no fur ther explanations to give.
 From this moment police commis- sary will be at your service who will take you to your destination"
 He understood. Care had been taken to prevent him from escaping.
 VaJdar did not do what a tyro upon the path of crime would have done under similar circumstances: he neglected to appeal to his influential protector, well Knowing that there he would have fared still worse.
 did not leave 1t during the whole day It adJoined the palace of the Marchioness Caldariva. From his innermost room he could gain access to a secret corridor of the neighboring palace. and through this to the dressing-room of the beautiful Cyrene. Here was the secret entrance through the door of the Venetian clock.
 On this day 1t often pleased the old clcck to strike the ominous tenth hour But there was no response of the famil- far opera melody.
 The, beautiful Cyrene will not receive me today" said Vajdar to himself, and he thought he understood the reason.
 He spent the greater part of the day by the window, watching the door of the neighboring palace.
 Toward o'clock in the evening a car rtage rolled out from the palace. The silk curtain was drawn. but this did not pre- vent Vajdar from stlrmising that the marchioness was in the carriage; for, whenever this was the case the footnan dId not sit in the front with the coach man, but on the box behind.
 Vajdar took 1is hat and went down into the house. No porter no foosman. stands in front of distance of ten steps. Vajdar went to the opera house. No por- ter, no footman, stands In front of the theatre box who could be instructed to deny admittance to unwelcome visitors Besides, the marchioness was wo 1t to ne alone here. She could never suffer a fe. male companion about her, and this feel ing was reciprocal. But from a certain date visitors have not frequented the pal ace.
 Vajdar told the eommissary of police that he would buy two tickets, so that both of them could go into the pit. In the crowd in front of the ticket office he sue ceeded in disappearing from the sight of his comoanion and escaping into the aisle from which he quickly orencd the well known door of the private box of the marchioness.
 Just then ballet was being given, and the orchestra worked hard It seemed