Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-09-19

princess. Personally. 1 am rather
scrupulous."
She laughed. and all at once turned
into a different being.
Don't take my talk seriously. ]
am nervous"
.:This is a hint to your friend that
he may leave?"
THAT thought Of yours Is sufficient
ly diplomatic. Stay, Count Duprel is
coming, and he will want to talk to
YOU"
At almost the same moment Santos
entered. The little man wal trans.
formed. His sturdy, round figure had
become thin. His whole being ex-
pressed the high tension under which
ne was working. His face looked as
II he had brooded over his sorrows.
and had become almost sullen. HIS
eyes lit up, however, when they rested
on Rositta. She still had the power to
do with him what she would.
After greeting the Count Won Wer-
denstein he told him that sixteen aero
dromones were finished, tried and
stored away. and FIVE more were In
the workshops. It vas only . Ques-
ton OF two or more months until they
would be ready for action.
There is n thing" said the count.
From a military standpoint, it would
be advisable for us to watch Napoleon
Edison's movements closer. We have
the aerodromones and why wouldn't
1t be a good plan to send out one or
two to spy on him?"
What can he dor" was Rositta's
scornful answer. II he cannot get any
cirynith? Very likely he has been
searching for a new deposit, but can
not find any"
II only hope your supposition is
true, but I fear him. What do you
think, Count Duprel?"
The count only shrugged his shout
ders and let ROSETTA answer.
I'VE are not afraid Of him, and we
will go against him" And she looked
at Santos encouragingly.
I'VE will go against him." he re-
peated.
"All we need, now, is the 'casus
belli.'" remarked the chancellor.
That Is simple enough. Request
the peace committee to allow a stand
ing army for European nations" said
Rositta.
I'VE will see," said the chancellor,
and started to leave, He felt doubt
full of. his course. He had vague, un-
formed fears that haunted him. But
nothing happened. His American spies
reported that Napoleon could not be
located.
Two weeks later he received news
that there was some uneasiness felt in
Washington in regard to the inexpli-
cable absence of Napoleon Edison.
These reports were repeated day after
day.
What did this mean? The Count
Won Werdenstein was unable to think
of a reason for the absence, but he
was not the only one who was puzzled.
There were many who would have CIV
en- much to know what had become of
Napoleon Edison.
His absence at first had been unno.
ticed, as Astra felt that he would re-
turn at any hour, and turned aside
the questions. But when the third
week began. and still they had no
word from him, she could not bear 1t
any longer. The gray-haired mother,
who suffered even more than Astra,
soothed her and said she would come
to the Crystal Palace at once, to be
with her.
That evening Mrs. Edison arrived.
and embracing the wife Of her son
she whispered: BE strong and brave.
my dear girl. You know just as well
as / do that he will come as soon as
he can. ! fear he has had an acct
dent to his aerodromone, but my heart
tells me he Is in no danger. Above
all, we must have trust in Godi"
At Astra's request the various pa,
pers treated the matter lightly.
Rositta was one who was really
'baffied by the heightened absence OF
Napoleon. She and Santos talked
about it seriously. but the little count
was as puzzled as she. This disap-
pearance had not fitted into her plans.
She wanted to gain a victory yer Ma
poleon, not over America
Her ambitions were great, but one
of the greatest was to humble Napo-
leon. She had figured out a deyilish
plan to destroy his base OF supplies.
Ciryne. Even her husband shuddered
when she told about 1t. He thought
of the many days he had spent among
the men there, and the pleasant COM
panions that he had left behind.
A tremendous bomb was to be con
structed; a bomb OF such size that it's
explosion would cause a genuine earth,
quake. Great quantities OF the high.
est grade explosives were to be placed
in a large metal shell, which would be
dropped on the Island of Ciryne and
blow It into space.
Ciryne was Napoleonss laboratory;
there were his aerodromones kept,