Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-29

they trailed. the counterfeits ceased b
appear.
On the great map similar phenomena
were noticed. Not twice or thrice. but
ten times the flag lines converged to a
well indicated center Here the counter
letters had been distributing to many
agents. But they were here no more
IheN mad skipped. to start up elsewhere.
And the Bank of France continued pay
ing gold Tor green goods. They would
nave become panic-stricken and notified
me public to cease accepting 100 franc
DliiS, but for the promise of Luc-Olivier
Merson's new bill. we'll called 'the rain
bow
January 1, 1910. it was ready for dis
trfhution in every one of the 12s branches
and 81 auxiliary bureaus OF the Bank Of
France And January 3, 1910. the check
mating of the greatest copnterfeiters OF
modern times began.
Technically it ought TO take two years
to call in and replace all the 1880. 200
old blue-and-rose lOlfranc bills out
standing October 1, 1909. In fact how
ever. some 100000 Of them had already
been redeemed and put aside. And as
all the banks OF France and Europe are
quite as anxious to retire the dangerous
objects the remaining 23.36O.2Oe will be
SO rapidly snapped up that they will soon
become curioSitieS.
But will not an almost unlimited uuan-
tity Of counterfets be snapped up with
them? They would be but for the sleutls
and police. They are everywhere. Never
were there SO many on a job. They think
that they already have the counterfeNers
frightened, and as the old bills grow
scarcer every day they will fear to shove
duplicates OF them in any quantity.
Where did you get that bill?" is al
ready a terrible question. Banks. natu-
rally, pay out only the new rainbow
bills.
These. they say, are positively counter
feft-proof. Opinions are divided as to
their mere beauty. though their novelty
is beyond question.
Never was there such paper money AZ
the new ''rainbows" Printed in blue,
yellow. rose and green. the superposi-
ton OF these colors gives a. bewildering
quantity of melting half-tints. browns.
maroons. old rose. lemon, orange, sky
blue. baby blue. navy blue. wine color.
do know? .
The apples hanging behind Ceres head
might be peaches. yellow dashed with
rose. each. In at least three tones: and
the lemons which Fortune seems to be
slyly handing the expectant honest black
smith might be new-laid eggs of pale
canary tint. But the flesh tones of the
females and children are all delicious, Diff
fering each from the other. with won
derful delicacy: and Fortune. her limbs
glowing with the blush of life beneath
diaphanous old rose and mistletoe green
draperies, seems an expensive water color
study OF Yvonne de Roy scratching her.
self, en- route for the morning tub.
In a word. the new observation-disclosures
bill looks, on both sides, not like money,
but a charming water color painting
framed up with compass and ruler.
The exact superposition of nine print
ings to produce all these tints. 1t is sup
posed, will brighten counterfeiters at the
start.
Meanwhile. will the counterfeiters be
caught? Obviously. these mysteriously
capable counterfeiters Of France have al
ready made many millions. no one knows
how much. VIII the gang that proved
itself so asIute have courage 70 quit bust
ness next week, when the one-hundred-
franc bills they are initiating begin to
be really scarce?
The great detective organizers hope
not. They still sit over the great map
in the Golden Gallery. And their ennis
saries are everywhere.
STERLING HELLO.