The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-11-08
CONTINUED from Page ~
existence. but refralned.

must be free to choose--free to stay
| If he prefers"
Certainly | promise that" returned
the emperor. with Il touch of queru-
lousness. "COmpulsion would he worse
! than wrong Ii would be ridiculous.
Why do you still hesitate! 1t is not
kind to keep me In suspense"
81 am not hesitating, your majesty,
l am only asking myself whether you
may not be mistaken in thinking my
friend to be your SON
Mistaken! How Is it possible to be
mistaken? That ring he gave you-it
was one he always wore. Moreover.
Mr.. Satterlee is positive you recog-
nized the miniature he showed you
Isn't that so?"
Eyes. The resemblance was remark
able"
MY son is now forty-seven years Of
age. Does that not accord?'
1T does, though he appears some.
what older"
rs he not violinist Of exceptional
talent? 1t was that reference In the
newspaper accounts printed of you
which first attracted our attention"
again you are right. though ! would
not call 1t talent, but genius"
Look at this photograph : almost
the last taken of him Have you still
any doubts?'
mo. 1t is John Mort"
"John Mort?'
THAT il the name by which | have
known him"
Mort. YOU say? Mort. All, how
like him to choose such name! Tell
me of him: describe him to me- want
to know everything everything"
But who was the gentleman who
offered me 100000 In Manaswan?"
"A celebrated criminal lawyer of
New York, whom t'rankasch, my chief
Of the secret police. retained among
others to assist him. A very clever,
able. man, who proved himself invau-
able"
And the schooner. the Esmeralda-
how was it cOntrived to have her timed
to meet me-
"She had been bought from the first
and was manned by Il special detail of
picked naval officers Frankasch sus-
pected you would return to San Fran
cisco. for that Is the gateway to the
Pacific. and il became part OF his
plan to get you there as soon as he
discovered he could not bride you The
vessel lay there for over four months
while no efforts We're spared to make
1t impossible for you to remain In east.
ern America. Admiral Won Tripwitz-
to you Brandeis-spohe too little Eng
fish, and therefore for that as well us
other reasons II seemed wiser to have
as nominal commander Agent Schwartz
of the secret service"
And how were those jewelers..
Sn0od & Hargreaves, induced to treat
ME as they did,"
"Oh. that was simple. They were
shown long official cablegrams from
Europe. vouched for by our consul.
warning them that the ring had been
stolen. When these matters were set
tied to their satisfaction and n sub.
stantial bond given they made no diff,
Guilty In surrendering the ring to the
consulate. Your letter and then your
telegram We're handed to the consul,
who on the telegraphed orders of
Frankasch replied to you rs he was d.
rected. OF course he knew nothing.
He merely obeyed orders. But you
must not think our surveillance was
limited to San Francisco. The whole
western coast from Vancouver to San
Diego and Mazatlan was under a con-
slant watch"
"Yonr majesty will. of course. give
directions that Snood & Hargreayes
are undeceived? II would not be fair
that ! should remain In their estima.
tion-a thief"
NO. no. no! You do not understand, |
Mr.. Broughton, Frankasch never nc |
cused you Of theft Ii suited his pur.
pose to make YOU ont innocent-a sailor
who had picked up the ring for a tri- |
he. for he would have been glad had |
you brought suit against the jewellers |
In order to force from you the partic.
ulars Of how you came into possession !,
Of the ring. II was even arranged 10 |
guide you to lawyer who should be- |
tray your confidence. Shameful Yea
detestable. but were we not justIHed?"
The old man unrollcd a chart and |
nattened 1t out. not without difficulty.
on the bed. Painfully excited. with
bis emaciated hands shaking and his
voice senile and broken. be besoucht
Matt to show him the spot where his
son was,
There" said Matt, running his f,n.
ger over the sheet to speck marked
"Reef e. d." There. your ma ,esty," /
The old emperor bowed his head
over the chart and seemed to be strug.
Cling with terrible emotion. Call AID.
miral Won Todloben." be gasped, fall.
ing back on his pillows 81 must in.
sruct him to alter the ships courss At
eaea"