Middletown transcript., 1914-07-11

to my eyes with such benignance that
! felt my own grow wet. Charles,
come here" he said. "she has the eyes
Of my son Jules. It Il true. See
why, do not weep. child"
His arms were round me now, and
Just at the moment Of my completest
triumph was crying. And It was up
on his shoulder, too. He sustained me
like a lover. o, my dear grandfather,
I recall now with what a practiced
hand you wiped away my tears. How
many women's tears had you wiped
away when you were young-young.
like the chevaHer?
What / have always wondered at is
that neither Of the two for the least
moment distursted me.
"My dear grandchild," said the old
comte, when l grew calm, "the mem
ory Of my treatment Of your father
embittered my whole life. Often l
sought to find him, but he was too
proud to be reconciled. Now it is too
late. But I shall lavish on you the
tenderness that have lavished on him
so often in Imagination"
Then, at his request, told him the
entire story Of my visit to Europe, not
omitting mention Of Leopold MagniR
and Zeuxis. l ended with brief ac-
count Of my interview with the old
banker.
Describe thif Greek, this Zeu1ss
he said. when l added that ] thought
had seen his face in the crowd at the
coronation. HAS he a scar running
diagonally across his cheek, from
mouth to eyebrow
HE has!" 1 cried. you know the
man?"
81 do" answered my grandfather.
and the chevalier nodded his assent.
''You have described a well-known spy
in the service of the Italian govern
ment. Beyond all doubt, Charles, it
was he who stole the papers from your
coat pocket. He is a sIeight-of-hand
expert, and was once pickpocket, !
believe, though now he flies at higher
game"
A sudden revelation came to me.
Then this must be the coup of
which Leopold Magniff boasted to me"
/ cried. Undoubtedly the scheme had
been already Matched on the boat when
he let It out to me in a drunken mo-
ment."
They both assented.
"You are right, my dear child" said
the comte. But now, the point is,
how can we recover the draft Of the
treaty? It may have been already sold
to the triple alliance; on the other
hand, 1t is in so fragmentary condi-
ton and reveals SO little that the con-
spirators may be holding it back with
a view to obtaining a higher price
from France"
"H they have already obtained pos
session Of my bonds" hazarded,
they may hold them as the price of
immunity"
They cannot dispose of them," said
my grandfather. "At least, they can
but conceal them and prevent you
from obtaining them"
Then l told them of my agreement
with the banker, emitting nothing, not
even the motive that had inspired me.
"And so you wished to help him. in
his designs against Clichy, little
Anne" said the old comte mournfully,
when had concluded. "God help US
all; the old estate must pass to this
arch-conspirator. It Is now nearly
year since he unveiled his motive to
me. /, he says, snubbed him in his
younger days, when he purchased the
estate next mine. Well, perhaps so.
and thus am rightly punished. Times
change greatly, and the old order
passes. But It will be hard on your
mother, Charles"
He told me that he will have your
property within two weeks" / said.
Unless twelve thousand francs Of
interest appear mysteriously out of
clear sky, think he WILL" the comte
answered. "And doubtless you under
stand now why he was SO anxious to
purchase your bonds, and why he has
apparently succeeded"
YES" replied. "He feared that
should place you in possession Of them
and so enable you to pay on the mort
gage on Clichy."
The comte shook his head mourn
fully.
"But that'is the reason that his son
Leopold gave me when we talked on
the boat" exclaimed.
els it possible that either Of that
shrewd pair believed you to be so al
truistic as to be willing to present
them gratis to an old man, to save his
lands, Anne? No, my dear. 1t is be-
cause, so long as those bonds were in
your possession, you could have rem
dered him bankrupt"
~'But he has miIlions!" 1 cried in
credulously.
"And your bonds are worth, potent
tally, billions" answered my GRANDPA
ther. Let me explain the matter to
you, Anne.
when the American government
purchased the old, worthless Panama
bonds from the French company. the
holders, dispersed as they were
throughout the length and breadth Of
France, were glad to let them go for
song. MagniR s Co. acted as
brokers, on the French side, and they
made an enormous fortune But, by
the terms of their contract, they bound
themselves to deliver all the bonds to
America, in return for so many mil
lions Of dollars.
They actually did deliver all ex-
cept the small parcel which you hold.
They searched for these and could not
find them. They advertised-in vain.
Nobody responded to their offer to pur-