The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-11
fCoppyright. 1907. by Irving King.) E1 All Rights Reserved.

- Alexander Dume5 hWd for his pur- pose in most of his works the declared intention of elevating history to the rank of fiction". but in The Count of Monte Cristo" he tuin ned aside from his purpose and gave birth to a work of unhrid,.d imagination.
 It was his first departure from the line which he had marked out for him. self and. untrammeled py history. he s-ve free rein to that fervid fancy which his mingled African and Latin blood made so natural to him.
 The popularity which '"rhe Count of Mofato Cristo" attained immediately up- on It's sappearance in 1884 has scarce ly diminished to this day. As Dumas tells 1t. 1t is a long story of many de- tails. filled with gorgeous fancies tuui- bling one over the other. That it is healthy or helpful story-one that speaks of honest men and honest faces ---may well be doubted. We feel that Monte Cyisto needed a tonic and va- cation on farm rather than the hash ish pills he was accustomed to take. The perfumes are heavy in Monte Cristo," but the air is trifie mephitic.
 It W s annoying that E. de yillefort, Deputy Procurer du Roi In Marseiiies and about to wed the daughter of the Marquis de Saint Meran. should be called from his betrothaI feast to att tend to the matter of an annonymous accusation against young Edmond Daftes, mate of the 2haraon. one of M. Morers ships just in; and it was an- moving to Dantes, who was about to wed the beautiful Catalan girl, Mer- cedes that his betrothal feast should be Interrupted by the gaudarmes, who took him to M. de Villefort.
 The two were alone in the office of the oficiai. Have you any enemiesg' asked Villefort.
 ''oh, no. monsieur" replied Dantes.
 "WhatP' exclaimed vsliefort, you are about to become captain at IS; you are going to marry 8 pretty gtrl-- you have enemies"
 Daftes thought of DangIars the su. percargo, who so greatly desired the seaptaincy, and of Fernand. the fisher lad. who wanted Mercedes--and was silent. A
 Where IS the letter you received from the grand marshai whom you put in to Elba and were to take to Pzris2s
 T stopped at Elha by order of my captain, given me just before he died, said Dantss. "As for the lstter, here 1t is."
 viIlefort saw the address and starfed. his father-Nortier de villefort. e stanch Bonapartist. He read the Iet- ter. It treated of Napoleon's intepd- ed return to France.
 "trhat my father eonspires agaipst the throne is a dangerous secret" thought viilefort. He called in an of fcer of gendarmes and gave him whis- pered instructions. That night Dantes was lodged in dr.geon of the Cha teau d.If, while Villefort was posting to Paris to warn the King that Eiba waa a volcano.
 M MoreI applied in vain for the re- lease of Dantes. The years passed . The young man was forgotten pris- oner in his dungeon--supposed to be dead. Tn the next cell was another forgotten political prisoner, the Apba Faria, an Italian priest. heir of the Counts of Spada. They contrived. un- known to their jailers. a secret passage between the two dungeons, and the Abbe, one of the finest scholars of his day, beguiled his captivity by giving pantes an education such as few could obtain.
 Just before the Abbe had been ar rested he had discovered an old doe ument.c telling where, oa the Island oi Monte Cristo, the cardinai Spada had concealed an immense treasure. OnS day, feeling himself dying. he gave thil paper to Dantes as his heir. and fell