The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-05-01
Synopsis.

THE MINISTER OF POLICE" by
Henry Mountjoy. Is q romano of Paris
during the Louis XIV reign, a period
when Europe was in a condition OF To-
ment and unrest; when Voltaire was
breaking to pieces the shackles of re-
Ngioll; when Rousseau at the Cafe de
h~egenance was preaching the right TO
think: and when a thousand men. some In
the gutter. some, near the throne, were
preparing the great explosion of the revo-
luton.
Madame Linden, an Austrian lady,
after completing a simple mission to the
French count. fingers on In Paris. enjoy
Ing the gay life there. De Sartines. the
minister of police, thinks she has some
other motive than pleasure in delaying
her departure and surrounds her with
spies to discover. If possible, whether she
is dabbling in state plots.
De Lussac is a noble of exceptional
character of that period. Handsome,
with all the elegance Of a man of the
court, there. is. still about him something
that stamps him as a man apart, some
thing of the visionary. the enthusiast and
the poet. rare in that age of animal lust,
chilling wit and Embroidered brutality. He
Is, Iii fact, stepped in the philosophy Of
Rousseau and is trying to put this phil
osophy into practice through his connec-
ton with a secret society that Is plotting
the downfall of the state. Before he has
gone far enough to incriminate himself he
falls in love with the beautiful Austrian,
who ~persuades him his method of righting
the wrongs of humanity Is impracticable,
and ends by promising to go to Vienna
with her to live.
As he leaves her house a fellow con-
spirator, his chief, joins him. says several
OF their members are arrested, and en-
trusts the secret articles of the association
to him. He then explains to De Lussac
that their only hope is to intimidate the
minister of police. This can be accom-
plished only by obtaining an discriminating
contract signed by the minister of police
and in the possession and safe keeping of
De Richelieu, De Lussac's cousin. With
this contract in their possession they can
dictate terms to the minister of police, OBJ
tain the release of the members already
imprisoned and be safe themselves.
De Lussac goes home. buries the papers
he has just received, writes Madame Lin
den that he is attempting one last mission
for the society, and also writes an asso-
ciate telling him where the papers may
be found In case Of his death. Then he
enters Richelieu's home and almost sue
ceeds in getting the document, but is sur
prised and caves 1t in a drawer which he
has unlocked. Before he can make an
other attempt he is arrested and taken to
the Bastile but not before he has told
Madame Linden how nearly he succeeded
in getting the document. She, realizing
how desperate i.ef. lovers position is. Wis
its Richelieu's home and succeeds where
her lover has failed.
Meantime the police have secured strong
evidence against her, since De Lussac adj
dressed the letter he intended for his fell
low conspirator to ner by mistake. This
letter the police Intercepted and at once
identified her with the society. However.
with a in her possession. which.
II made public. will disgrace the minister
of police. she prevents her own arrest by
illuminating the minister of police. De
Lussac escapes from the bastile and goes
them.