Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-07-02
The Mischief Maker
sBy E. PHILLIPS OPPENE4EIM


I Herr Freudenberg had passed into her
hand. She was suddenly very pale.
''Send some of these people away"
she begged. Il am frightened"
Herr Freudenberg smiled. With a
wave of his hand they were alone.
Dear Marguerite" he said quietly,
compose yourself. All those who stand
in my way and the way of my country
must be swept aside. but remember
this They have all received their
warning. L lift my hand against no
one who has not first received a chance
of escape"
He was a man so gallant" she fall
! tered, so CONNIE il faut. Listen to me,
/ please"
She laid the newspaper upon the table
and kept the fiat of her hand still upon
II. Then she leaned toward him.
You will not be angry with me?"
she impiored Indeed did it to please
you, to win, if 1 could, a little more Of
your love. l knew that this man, Sir
Julien, stood in your path, and that you
found 1t difficult to remove him. An
impulse came to me. We had talked
together gayly as a man of gallantry
may talk to woman like myself 1t
might easily pass for flirting, those
things that he has said Although YOU.
dear one" she added, looking across the
table, know how it is with me when
such words are spoken. Well, 1 bought
cartridges for my little pistol that you
gave me, thrust it into the bosom
OF my gown. L wore my prettiest
clothes, and yesterday 1 went to his
rooms"
Herr Freudenbergs cold eyes were
suddenly fixed upon her face. His fin
/ ha;
tablecloth
proceed
! meant to shoot him." she confessed.
thought that if could not escape
afterwards 1T was so easy for people to
DeheVe that he was my lover, that it
was crime of jealousy, a moments
passion. L said TO myself, too, that YOU
would help so that after all my punish
ment would be very small affair. In
no Otner way IT seemed to me could he
have been disposed of so easily"
sweet little fool!" Herr Freudenberg
Ihurmured Did it never enter into
your little brain that you are known as
my companion?"
She shook her head.
Ihat would have counted for moth
ing. People would not have believed
that had any other motive. I should
nave declared that it was a love affair =
What happened?"
de was too quick for me- made
moiselle admitted. He saw me feel tba
spot where the pistol lay concealed. He
he snatched it away"
And efterwards?' Herr Freudenberg
inquired with the ghost of smile upon
She raised her eyes.
lie let me 60" she replied. ''He
threw open the door, and he laughed AZ
me. Forgive me, please, if 1 am SAD.
II indeed L weep. He was a gallant
gentleman"
herr Freudenberg sighed Slowly he
raised his glass to his lips and drank.
1t Is an iamiable epitaph," he declared
Many a man has gone up to heaven
with a worse. Cheer up, my little Mar
guerite. year or two more or less in
mans life is no great matter, and after
ar was not one warning which this
rash man received. You have not vet
read the account of the affair"
Mademoiselle slowly withdrew the nalr,
OF her hand from the paper. The para
graph was headed:
SHOCKING EXPLOSION IN THE RUE
DE MONTPELIER.
She looked up
II cannot read it." she nurmurad
Tell me-"
1T is simple" he replied. This after
noon an unfortunate explosion occurred
In the house in the Rue de Montpelier.
where Sir Julien had his apartments.
The whole OF the front of the premises
was blown away 1t is regrettable. he
added, with a little shrug of the shout
ders' that in all seven people persisted,
including the concierge. Mr.. Hendricks,
an English Journalist, was taken away
alive, but terribly injured, to the hospi-
tai. His companion, who seems to have
been within few feet of him when the
explosion occurred, was unfortunately
blown to pieces The details as to his
fate might perhaps interfere with your
appetite, but let me at least assure YOU.
my dear Marguerite" Herr Freudenberg
continued, that such death is entirely
painless. 1 regret the necessity for such
means, but the man had his chance.
regret, also, the fate of the other poor
people who lost their lives Unfortu-
nately it was necessary to remove Sir
Julien in such way that no suspicion
should be cast upon any one person The
death of the concierge, for instance, was
absolutely essential He was suspicious
about some of my men who had been
making inquiries"
But it is horrible?' she gasped.
Little one" he went on, life is like
mat. ~ ouNCGtu OHC mas TO CulIlNdIG
Indifference. Sir Julien Portel had many
warnings. He knew very we'll that If
he persisted in writing those articles he
was Drawing my defiance. Already he
has done mischief enough. The whole
series would have undone the work of
the last two years. Tonight" Herr
Freudenberg continued with a sigh of
relief, I'VE may open the Journal with
out apprehensions. There are no more
secrets disclosed, no more of these mar
velously written appeals to
Herr Freudenberg stopped short. His
eyebrows had drawn close together. He
was gazing at the sheet which he held
in his hand with more expression in his
face than mademoiselle had ever seen
there before.
MY God!' he muttered.
] She, too, bent forward. She, too, saw
the article with its heading: "a Maker
of Toysl"
| Herr Freudenberg waved her back.
Line by line he read the article. When
he had finished his face was almost
CHASTITY He drained his glass and called
/ for the sommelier.
Serve more wine," he ordered briefly.
| what is it that you have SEEM" she
asked.
II was a fool not to have been pre-
pared" he answered. There is another
article in tonight's paper, but of course
he would have set it off before-before