The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-11-20

your son decides to stay you will prom
lse to respect his wishes
'He will come said the emperor
My son will not refuse.
Matt thought of Mirovna and was
he should inform the old man of her
existence. but refrained.
Il can do nothing without your ma
jesty's PROMISE he said The deci-
sion must he left to the prince. He
must be free to choose-free to stay
If he prefers
Certainly l promise that" returned
The emperor. with Il touch of queru-
.ousness. ''Compulsion would be worse
than wrong. 1t would be ridiculous
Why do you still hesitate? 1t is not
kind TO keep me in suspense"
Il 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 SOP
Yes. 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 l would
not call it talent. but genius
Look at this photograph - almost
the last taken Of him. Have you still
any doubts:'
NO. 1t is John Mort"
John Mort:"
THAT is the name by which l have
known him "
Mort. YOU So? Mort. All. how
like him to choose such 4 name, Tell
me Of him; describe him to ne, want
to know eyerything-everything.'
"EEt who WAS the gentleman who
offered me 100000 in Manaswan:'
a celebrated criminal lawyer OF
New York. whom Frankasch. my chief
of the secret police. retained among
others to assist him. y very clever,
able man. who proved himself invalu-
able"
And the schooner. the Esmeralda-
how was it coutrived to have her timed
to meet me-"
she had been bought from the first
and was manned by a 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 it became a 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
it impossible for you to remain in east
ern America. Admiral Won TripwitZ-
to YOU BrandeiS-spoke too little Eng
fish. and therefore for that as well as
other reasons it seemed wiser to have
rs nominal comm. der \ gent Schw;. ritz
Of the secret service"
And how were those jewelers..
Snood & Hargreaves. induced to treat
me rs they did,
"Oh. that was simple. They We're
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 a sub
stantial bond given they made no diff
- II
consulate. Your letter and then your
telegram We're handed 70 the consul.
who on the tele-raphed orders Of
FrankaSch replied 10 YOU as he WAS di-
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
Your majesty will. Of course. give
directions that SnoOd < HargreaveS
are undeceived? 1t would not be fair
that | should remain in their estima-
tion-a thief"
No. no. no, You do not understand
Mr. Broughton. Frankasch never ac-
cused you of theft. 1t suited his pur-
pose TO make you out innocent-a sailor
who had picked up the ring for tri-
f1e. for he would have been glad had
you brought suit against the jewelers.
in order TO force from you the partic-
ulars of how you came into possession
Of the ring. 1t was even arranged 70
guide you TO lawyer who should he
tray your confidence. Shameful. Yes.
deteStable. but were we not justitied:'
The old man unTolled Il chart and
fattened it out. not without difficulty,
on the bed, Painfully excited. with
his emaciated hands shaking and his
voice Senile and broken. he besought
Matt To show him the spot where his
son was.
here" said Matt, running his fin