The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-08

In handsome apartment in one of
the best known streets of Paris there
dwelt, until his death, few months
ago, a man of dignified presence, no
longer young, but still in the active
enjoyment of all his powers, who went
TO and fro without stunning the OBJ
servation of his neighbors, mixed
moderately in society and, in short,
led the tranquil life of a welI-to-do
citizen not engaged. in business. For
years this man kept locked in his own
breast the secret of one of the most
extraordinary episodes in the history
of France, or of Europe.
The man in question was NJ. Cast
mir-Perier, who for six months held
the position of President of the French
Republic, and then one day suddenly
quilted his exalted station and retired
into private life, without having vouch-
safed word of explanation to his
fellow-citizens.
A hundred explanations of this mys-
ferrous event have been put forward in
the press of France and of other coun>
when a clique of INSCRIPTIONS officers
were trying to terrorize the Govern
ment with the bogy of German in
Vasion, suggestion was eagerly re-
ceived that NJ. Casimir-Perier had
been the victim of similar threats. and
had resigned rather than yield to
them.
But neither this suggestion nor any
of the others periodically thrown out
drew one word by way of confirmation
or denial from the parsonage principal
ly concerned. All Paris might be talk.
ing about the perennial mystery, but
M. Casimir-Perier went to and fro as
usual He entered a restaurant to take
his dejeuner, every voice was hushed
and every eye turned on him, but the
object of all this interest would sit
down quietly, unfold his paper and |
glance with an UNDERTAKING air down |
the columns filed with his story, while |
he waited for his plate of soup.
Such was the man, and such the |
mystery which bid fair to afford the
same puzzle. to future historians as j
that of the Man in the Iron Mask.
This impenetrable demeanor was all /
the more wonderful inasmuch as the /
man who thus baffled his contempo- /
raries for so many years was aware /
the whole time that his secret was at |
the mercy of another.
After the day when he left the Pal
ace of the Elysee, NJ. Casimir-PerierI
and 1 never exchanged a single word.
We met occasionally in society or at
some public function and we looked at
each other but we did not bow. The
ex-President of the French Republic
never intimated to me by so much as
a sign that he desired me to initiate
his own reticence.
1t is possible-indeed it is probable!
that he anticipated all along that one /
day, should I outlive him, would lift
the curtain from this mysterious cpl
sode
Before his election to the Presidency
of the Republic 1 had not known NJ.
Casimir-Perier personally, and he was
still little more than a name to me
at the time of the transaction am
going to describe.
I myself had not been very long
in Paris, and was only just
beginning to make myself felt as a
force in International politics. so that
1T need excite no surprise that I should
have been equally unknown to Nj.
Casimir-P erier..
Apparently, however, my reputation
had already extended beyond the linn
It's of western Europe, for my secre-
tary, Carrot, who had then newly en- l.