The Lamar register., 1902-10-15


There is no doubt believe me-"
This is as serious as it is mysteri-
Gus. The secret police of Paris rare
ly come to Monte Carlo, save to make
an important arrest"
The man who had never quailed
when facing the awful terrors of jun
gle and desert experienced qualm OF
fear at thought of being convicted as
a traitor to his country, for the fate
of Dreyfus told how France would
treat her sons who turned against her
there were other prisons as terrible
as Devil Island.
you fail to notice one important
fact, monsieur" she said softly, yet
eagerly.
Then tell me-
"These four men moved like auto
matte figures. under the direction of
one master mind"
He gave a quick cry as he grasped
what she meant.
"Sacre! the American?"
Eyes. Monsieur Jones'" .
"He is not what he seems, merely a
lucky traveller remember now, he
speaks French fiuently. A startling
suspicion bursts upon me-yes, it
must be true that he is leagued with
the secret police of the government
against us. Mon Dieu! 1t is a peril
GUS moment"
Count Leon never spoke truer
words in all his life than when he
declared with so much spirit that
the moment was fraught with great
danger to himself and the royalist
cause he represented.
The shock was all the more severe
because he had just been congratu-
lating himself. as men will sometimes
do in their egotism, over the kind fate
that had given him the power over
these tremendous issues.
A dozen suspicious took shape in
his mind on the spur of the moment.
Jones assumed a malign form COM
parable only with Satan himself, and
his most simple act appeared to take
on a meaning that was both diaboli-
cal and crushing.
1t flashed athwart the mind of our
African conqueror that this American
must be his particular bette noir, a
figure destined to drag him down
from the proud heights to which he
had ascended, and accomplish his
utter ruin, so that, unable to longer
show his face in France, he must per
force return again to equatorial AT
rica and unite with bold Captains
Voulet and Chanoine in their designs
of founding an empire there.
When circumstances, aided and
abetted by the sharp eyes of the ad-
venturess, had snatched the mask
from Jones. the innocent Yankee
tourist assumed a degree of import
ance in the mind of this arch plot.
ter that no one else had ever filed.
Perhaps the consciousness of gilt
had much to do with it, fer it oft
times makes towards of the bravest.
He unconsciously turned his head
and looked first to the right and then
to the left.
There were many people passing
hither and yon, for the crowd seemed
10th to depart after the exciting epi-
sode of the evening, SO that his eyes
glanced from figure to figure, as
though searching for some dreaded
personality.
Have they returned?" he asked.
"They are all here in the gardens
l made sure of that before | addressed
you"
"And-that MANI"
"Oh, Monsieur Jones is frowning at
us even now, as he frowns at any
man with whom he sees me convers
ing"
The count smiled grimly, being un,
der the impression that perhaps for
ha ftfI, J,p Il Il
the power of her charms and had de
ceived herself with reference to
Jones.
well, this means different scene
from what | expected. | had thought
to carry out my plans without much
disturbance-now | shall be com
PEELED to bring all my force to bear
upon the matter. Yes, blood may even
fiow and these beautiful gardens be
come a scene of battle"
The prospect might not seem allur
ing to most men, but then Count Leon
had become a hybrid as it were, par.
taking somewhat of tue nature of the
hyena to be met with in the deserts
easily aroused by the scent of blood
and at the mere mention of war S
horrors his nostrils dilated and his
eyes glowed with the fire of slaugh-
ter.
1t had been some time, you see,
since his last encounter with the
black hosts, and perhaps his good
right hand really itched to get to
work again. No French explorer who
came back from Africa was ever will
ing to remain quiescent at home
"But-there is something more, NJ.
| lie Count, something mysterious, some.
| thing that may even stagger you in
| your plans" said the princess in her