Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-03-01
tcopyrtsht N b nasrsea aousn.s
By EMERSON HouG1

= 1nsfseA Housh.l
f, mysterious ralr, having returned IRON
America and having cast aside hel
lieutenant, has come under protection
Of no less a person than his grace
Philippe Of Orleans. the regent Now
i as you know, the bank is the best
| friend Of the regent, and this mys.
| FERROUS dame, as we are advised by
| servants Of his grace's household, hath
told his grace such stories of the wealth
| OF the Messasebe that he has secretly
| and quickly made over the control Of
the trade Of those provinces to this
new bank. There is story also that his
grace himself will not lack profit in
this movement"
The hand Of Cont smote hard upon
the table. by heaven! it were strange
thing" said he, "if this foreign trav-
eler should prove the same mysterious
beauty Philippe is reported to have
kept in hiding. My faith, is it indeed
true that we are come upon time
Of miracles?"
Listen!" broke in Varenne, his ar
dor overcoming his obsequiousness.
These are some of the tales brought
back-and reported privately, / can as
sure you, gentlemen, now for the first
time ald to yourselves. The people
of this country are said to be clad in
beauteous raiment, made Of skins, of
grasses. and of the banks of trees.
Their ornaments are made of pure, yell
low gold, and of precious gems which
they pick up from the banks of the
streams, as common as pebbles here in
France. The climate is such that all
things grow In the most unrivaled
fruitfulness. There is neither too
much sun nor too much rain. The
lakes and rivers are vast and beautiful.
and the forests are filled with myriads
of strange and sweet-voiced birds. TITS
said that the dream of Ponce de Leon
hath been realized, and that not only
one, but a score of fountains of youth
have been discovered in this great val
ley. The people are said never to grow
old. Their personal beauty is of sur
passing nature, and their disposition
easy and complaisant to the last de-
gree
my faith, say on!" broke in De la
Chaise. "Tis surely a story Of para
disc which you recount"
But. listen, gentlemen! The story
goes yet farther. As to mines of gold
and silver, twas matter of report that
such mines are common in all the val
ley OF the Messasebe. Indeed the
whole surface Of the earth, in some
parts, Is covered with Jumps of gold,
SO that the natives care nothing for it.
The bottoms of the streams, the
beaches of the lakes, carry as many
particles OF gold as they have pebbles
and little stones. AS for silver, none
take note Of 1t. IT'S used as building
stone"
I'm the name Of Jehovah, Is there
support for these wonders you have
spoken? broke in Fraslin the Jew,
his eyes shining with suppressed ex-
citement.
"Assuredly. Yet i am telling not
half Of the news which came to my
knowledge this very morning-the
story is said to have emanated from
the Palais Royal itself, and therefore,
no doubt, is to be traced to this same
unknown queen Of the Messasebe. She
reports, so It is said, that beyond the
country where L'Huillier secured his
cargo Of blue earth, there is land
where grows most peculiar plant
The meadows and fields are covered
with it, and 1t is said the dews Of night,
which gather within the petals Of these
flowers, become, in the course of a
single day, nothing less than solid
diamond stone! From this in time the
leaves drop down, leaving the diamond
exposed there, shining and radiant"
All. bah!" broke in Fraslin the Jew.
"Why believe such babblings? We all
know that the diamond is product
not Of the vegetable but Of the mineral
world!"
$50 have we known many things"
stoutly replied varenne, "only to find
ourselves frequently mistaken. Now
for my part. q diamond is q diamond,
be 1t born in flower or broken from q
rock. And % for the excellence of
these stones, It's rumored that the
lady hath abundant proof. IT'S no
wonder that the natives Of the valley
OF the Messasebe robe themselves in
silks. and that they deck themselves
carelessly with precious stones, as
would peasant Of ours with chain
Of daisy blossoms. Now. If there be
such wealth az this, is 1t not easy to
see the profit Of Q bank which controls
the trade with such a province? True,
there have been some discoveries in
this valley, but nothing thorough. IT'S
but recent the thing hath been done
thorough"
The Prince dc Cont sat back in his
chair and drew long breath. II these
things be true" said he, ''then this
Monsieur Las is not SO bad leader
to follow"
But listen!" exclaimed varenne
once more. II have not even yet told
the most important thing, and this is
rumor which perhaps your grace has
caught. IT'S whispered that the bank
Of the brothers Las is within fort
night to be changed"
What is that?" queried Fraslin,
quickly. "'Tis not to be abandonment %
"By no means. Abandoned would be
quite the improper word. IT'S to be
improved, expanded, increased, magni-
fed! My lords, there is the opportu-
nifty of lifetime for every one Of us
here!"
"Say on, man, say on!" commanded
the prince. the covetousness of his
soul shining in his eyes as he leaned