Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-03-29

NoNoIAO0s
Hildegards sent hin q terrified
glance But for the sti6 hack Of her
chair ahe must have faiien.
n. PsFraui dsnelishsd an olive b.
fshs hs answered the question. He
has allisd- himself with soms Of the
Asblest houses h Fnncs-thai Is to
say. win the most heartless spend.
thnfs In Europe Napoleon w.?
They are laughing behind his back
this very minute. They are making
catBpaw Of his really magnificent
Fight for their own ignoble ends, the
0rleanist party. To wreak petty
vengeance on France. for which none
Of them has any love; to embroil the
government and the army that they
may tell Of it in the boudoirs. This is
the aim they have in view. What is
it TO them that they break a strong
mans heart? What is 1t to them II
he be given over to perpetual impris.
onment? Did a Bourbon ever love
France as a country? Has not France
always represented to them a purse,
into which they might thrust their
dishonest hands to pay for their base
pleasures? Oh. beware Of the con.
spirator, whose sole portion in life is
that Of pleasure. | wish that / could
see this young man and tell him all |
know. II could only warn himg'
Breitmann brushed his sleeve. u
am really disappointed In your climax,
II. Ferraud."
Il said nothing about a climax" re.
turned NJ. Ferraud. THAT has yet to
be enacted"
"AhP
"a descendant Of Napoleon direct!
Poor devilT The admiral was thun.
derstruck. why, the very spirit Of
Napoleon is dead. Nothing could ever
revive It 1t would not live even a
hundred days"
LESS than that many hours" said
NJ. Ferraud. He will be arrested the
moment be touches a French port"
"Father." cried Laura with a burst
Of generosity which not only warmed
her heart. but her cheeks, why not
find this poor. deluded young man and
give him the treasurer"
What. and ruin him morally as
well as politically? No, Laura; with
money he might become q menace"
ION the contrary" put in NJ. Fer.
raud: with money he might be made
to put away his mad dream. But I'm
afraid that my story has made you
all gloomy"
ut has made me sad" Laura admit
ted. Think of the struggle. the self
denial, and never a soul to tell him be
is mad"
The scars faded a little, but Brett
mann's eyes never wavered.
"The man hasn't a ghost Of a
chance" To Fitzgerald 1t was now no
puzzle why Breitmann's resemblance
to some one else had haunted him.
he was rather bewildered, for be had
not expected so large an order upon
NJ. Ferraud's promise. Fifty years
ago. .-.-.-
"Ahl Fifty years ago." interrupted
NJ. Ferraud eagerly. 81 should have
thrown my little to the cause. Men
and times were different then. The
world was less sordid and more ro-
mantle"
"Well. | shall always hold that we
have no right to that treasure"
"Fiddlesticks, Laura! This is no
time for sentiment. The questions
buzzing in my head are, Does this man
know Of the treasures existencei
Might be not already have put his
hand upon itT
Your own papers discredit that sup
position" replied Cathewe. "A stun
ming yarn. and rather hard to believe
in these skeptical times. What is it,
be asked softly. noting the dead white
on Hildegarde's cheeks.
perhaps it is the smoke" she an
swered with a brave attempt at a
smile.
The admiral in his excitement had
lighted a heavy cigar and was con-
Stunning 1t with jerky puffs.
II should like to know the end Of
the story" said Breitmanu musingly.
There is time" replied NJ. Ferraud.
And Of them all only Fitzgerald caught
the sinister undercurrent.
The dinner came to an end. or. rath-
er. the diners rose. the dinner having
this hour or more been cleared from
the table. and each went to his or her
stateroom mastered by various de-
grees Of establishment Fitzgerald
moved in a kind of waking sleep. Ma.
poleon w.! That there was bar sin
lister did not matter. The dazzle "a.
dated from a single point-a dream Of
empire. NJ. Ferraud had not TESTED.
Breitmann was mad. obsessed, a mon.
omaniac. 1t was grotesque; 1t trou-
bled the senses as a harlequin's dance
troubles the eyes. A great-grandson
Of Napoleon and plotting to enter
France! And. good Lord. with what?
Two million francs and half a dozen
spendthrifts. Never had there been a
wilder. more hopeless dreamer than
this. Whatever antagonism or anger
he had harbored against Breitmann