Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-07

NOR of that round-table conference
comes home TO me. There were you
land L and our big friend from Austria,
and that awful dull man from here, and
the Russian. Shall you ever forget that
speechless Russian. who never opened
his lips except to disagree? Sometimes
1 caught your eye across the table.
And, Sir Julien. you know, l presume,
whose was the triumph of those days?"
Julien smiled doubtfully.
Yours, of course" Herr Freudenberg
continued THE press even ventured
to find fault with me. England. as
usual they declared, had gained all she
desired and had given the very mini
num- However, we will not waste time
in "reminiscences. Today the only pleas
ure I have in thinking of that confer
ence is the fact that you and 1 came
together. Wher you left Berlin-I saw
you off. you remember told those
who stood around that there went the
| future prime minister of England. /
believed IT, and / am seldom mistaken.
Tell me, what piece of transcendental
ill-fortune is this which brings you here
an exile?"
IT committed an act of transcendent-
al folly" Julien replied. IT have no one
to blame but myself. 1 not only wrote
an indiscreet letter, but put my name
TO il. 1 was deceived, too, in the char
acter of the woman to whom it was
sent"
1T is so trifing an error" Herr
Freudenberg said thoughtfully, made
by many a man without evil results
one learns experience as one passes on
in life. 1t is a hard price that you
are paying for yours. Come, that is
finished. Now answer me. What are
you going TO do?'
Julien laughed, a little bitterly.
MY friend" he answered, stretching
out his hand and taking a cigarette
from the open box upon the table, you
ask rather a hard question. My resig-
nation was accepted, was even required
of me. Politics and diplomacy are alike
barred to me- There is no return. What
is there left2 may write book. So
far as my means permit, / may travel.
l may play games, take a walk in the
morning play bridge in the afternoon,
eat heavily and sleep early. What is
there left, Herr Freudenberg-tel me
of your wisdom---for a man about whose
ears has come crashing the scaffolding
of life2" sle
Herr Freudenberg looked across at his
companion, and in that dimly-lit room
his eyes were brigl ami his lips firm.
ITO rebuild, my friend" he declared,
CHOOSE another foundation and re-
build" ps7
You recognize, I presume" Julien
said that / require few more details
If your advice is to be of value?"
THE details are here in this room,
Herr Freudenberg replied firmly. BE my
man.. 1 cannot offer you fame because
fame comes only, nowadays, to the man
who serves his own country. You see, 1
make. no pretense at deceiving you, but
offer you life of action, 1 offer you
such wealth as your Imagination can
have conceived, and I offer you re-
venge,"
Revenge Julian repeated, a little
vaguely.
Upon the political party by whose
scheming that letter was first OF all
ELECTED from you and then made pub
lic," Herr Freudenberg said slowly. do
you ina CINE that 1t was a thoughtless
act of that woman's?" Do you know
that her reward Is to be a peerage for
her husbandTF
"You, too, believe that it was a trap,
them" Julien remarked.
"Of course. Don't you know yourself
that you were a thorn in the flesh to
your own party? They hated you because
/ you were not afraid to preach war when
war might have saved your country from
\ what is to come. They hated you be-
! cause you were a strong man in strong
/ place, and because the people believed
/ in YOU. They hated you because the
\ policy which would have been yours in
the four or five years to come, would
/ have been the policy which would have
brought the country around you, which
alone would have kept your party in pow
er. You were the only figure in poll
tics which the imperialist party in Eng
Hand had to fear. Mrs. Carraby-I believe
that was the lady's nameTis ill-paid
enough with that peerage. Leave out
/ the personal element-or leave it in, if
| you viii, for when l speak of my, coun-
try j know no -friendships-but, my dear
friend, let me tell you that l myself
would have given more than a peerage-
I would have given a principality-to the
person who threw you out of English
politics"
Julien's eyes were bright. Somehow or
other, his old dreams, his old faith in
himself had returned for moment. And
then the bitterness all swept in upon
him. y
II thirA, Herr Freudenberg," he said
that you are talking a little in the
skies. At any rate, IT makes no differ
ence Those things have passed.
Those things have passed" Herr Fru-
1 denberg assented. There is no future
for you in England. That is why Il wish
/ to rescue from the ignominy of which
you yourself have spoken. 1 repeat my
offer. Be a man. You shall taste life
and taste it in such gulps as you
wish"
Julien shook his head slowly
My FRIEND" he said, 1T is the cruel
part of our profession that one mans
life can be given to one country alone"
/ 'Wrongt" Herr Freudenberg declared
briskly. IT am not going to decry pa
triotism. The welfare of my country is
| the religion which guides my life. But
| you-you have no country. There is no
England left for you She has thrown
you out You are a wanderer, a man
without ties or home. That is why 1
claim you as my man. 1 want to show
| you the way TO revenge"
! You puzzle me-" Julien admitted
You talk about revenge. I know you
| far too well to believe that you would
propose to me any scheme which would
! involve the raising even of my little fin
ger against the country which has turned
me out"
! Naturally" Herr Freudenberg
agreed, You do me no less than JUS
tice. my dear Sir Julien. What 1 do
hope that they have firmly fixed in youI
mind is that I, despite your halfpenny
papers, your novelists seeking for d
new sensation. and your weird middle
class, I, Carl Freudenberg. maker Of
toys. am the honest and sincere friend