Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-10-17

they stood where the little vavelets
washed up on the pebbly strand; In
the daytime it was beautiful spot,
and even in the starlight, with numer-
Gus boats drawn upon the beach. II
presented an attractive appearance.
This was where Jones had mar.
shaled his forces and lay in wait like
4 huge spider. ready 70 pounce upon
his foe
Count Icons frst intimation Of dan
ger was when voice called out sud
denly in French:
Make ready"
The. awful clicking, as Of many ham
mers belonging to firearms being
drawn back. sounded from the dark
ness around. from behind adjacent
boats and bathing houses.
1t was so terribly significant that
the whole of the little company came
to a sudden halt, and their blood
seemed to run cold.
Take aim.' came second method
ical order.
Good heavens! were they to be
moved down like cattle in the sham
bles, without the chance brave MEN
demand of at least seeing their foes!
Count Leon, desperate fighter that
he was, could not stand this.
Perhaps the spark Of chiyalry with
in his nature arose in rebellion at the
idea of one so innocent and fair as
Constance being made victim to
tragedy; and yet this same man was
in the act of carrying her OF to be-
come his unwilling bride. The mo-
tives OF Frenchmen are and always
will be pretty much of mystery to
Anglo-Saxon intellects.
At any rate, he had the good sense
to avert what threatened to be
tragedy by exclaiming:
Hold, do not fire! We have a
lady here!"
do you surrender, them" de.
manded the voice.
ION what terms?"
THAT you give up those you hold
The count now knew with whom he
had to deal.
There was a mighty struggle in
his mind, but he realized the game
was lost, and nothing could be gained
by a desperate battle, since the hour
for the Orleans prince had not yet
come.
81 agree to the terms. monsieur,
providing not one of us is detained,
he answered. steadily.
"Then it is settled. Release your
prisoners and dispense before We
change our minds"
"Ah! Monsieur Jones, I hope we
may meet again" he said, moodily.
thinking what pleasure it would be
should he run across the wonderful
| Yankee somewhere in the Soudan.
"And do not forget Stromboloff
| monsieur, for he has sworn to be the
death of you one of these fine days,
called out the raging Cossack, who
but for Villebois' restraint would
have run madly in the direction Of
the hated voice and taken his
| chances. -...
Eau revoir. gentlemen; call on me
| when you please, and you will find
out how We do certain things over
in dear old America. You will And
me in gay Paree. Come, now, your
room is better than your company,
so kindly make your exit"
Jones advice was worth following;
| several Of them entered boat AMI
put out over the starry waters for
| Sir Lionel's yacht. while the rest
! scattered about the grounds under the
! belief that their identity was I'M
| known.
| So that glorious scheme of the
| Orleanists fell through, and carried
with it's ruins the wreck of Count
! Icons private enterprise.
| It was a case of too much Jones.
| OF course, Constance had flown to
her lover, anxious to condole with
! him concerning his wounds, and to
/ assure him Of her sympathy.
| Then Jones and his army" ap-
| peared, mastering only five souls in
all; but even five men may. when
| they so desire. make an imposing dis
| play of sound by repeatedly drawing
back the clicking hammers of their
| weapons. ~-..--.- .-
OF course. Merrick was greatly
amazed when later on he learned
what double role Jones had been
playing; but as happiness had been
| granted to him, such outside events
only created momentary ripple in
| a. @r hi
| A strange thing had happened
| however, the magic cryptogram, the
wonderful paper bearing the intricate
formula whereby the chances of the
| gaming table could be invariably
! thrown against the bank. was lost!
Jones, fearing lest he might be
robbed of the priceless document,
had sewn it under the lining of Mer.
| rick's coat for safe keeping, and as
luck would have it, the paper was in
the half that had been torn from the
back Of that individual during his
desperate struggle with the royalisss
| who obeyed the will of Count Leon.
| Jones searched for the remnant Of
! that coat far and wide, but it was
| never found.
And thus Monte Carlos doom was
Indefinitely postponed; the day OF
wrath failed to appear, since no liv-
ing man possessed complete copy
| of Darragh's intricate and wonderful
system that had wrought so balefu!
a terror in the minds OF the usually
| ircD.porvnd Gcror1niarS IF the hank
| Long would the doings Of those two