The Southern herald., 1915-07-02

falr way TO seduce him from M
legiance to the republic y
Pardon me, he SAID grava,v
j should do wrong if / permitts3 ~, ua1
to remain under any delusion s. eo., wv
MacMahon, duke OF Magenta 'O.
Marshal of France, has Dotbir. aug
restrain MIN from yielding to anv =. :
ditions you may choose IN ,mns SOu'
but the president OF the French S'9e'
public cannot betray his oath.
The lady OF the lilies made !.
ture of rage. eeS'
why did you not tell me- ~.
your garden? she cried passionot.,.l
You asked me to let you visit me- ",
come here, l receive you alone sSs sOs
after you have compromised me- ~ Z
yond recall, you tell me that Won b.v.
been mocking mel
'Ah, mademoiselle, do NOT sro..
so harshly! 1t is / who am comnsa
missed, on the contrary, By nv nr.s rS
ence in this house.
Not at all, Monsieur II orr ma.
ing is not political you are not COM
promised at all-and am comma
missed unless it is political.
1T was impossible to escape from
this cruel dilemma. The marshal
tore his mustache.
Listen!' he exclaimed I'm voo,
my term of Office will have expired
and shall be free to accept your com.
mands.'
"The girl waved her hand impatient
ly.
"'And when you are no longer
president, what assistance can vou
render to us? Do you think it 4
merely the duke Of Magenta whom
have risked so much to
"she had got thus far when thew
were interrupted. A hasty knock came
on, the door, it was thrown open and
the host Of the Fleur de Lys' rushed
in.
"'Pardon, your-mademoiselle! Par.
don, M. le President, but the chief Of
police has just arrived with a body
of men to search the house, and they
are coming upstairs!'
The girl uttered horrifed cry
The president sprang to his feet. It
was necessary to decide at once how
he should act.
"A thousand pardons, mademol.
selle, he whispered in her ear, but
you see how it is. You are masked
the French police are gallant men,
you will allow me to save my honor?
She arose to her feet with the dig.
nifty Of a queen, and, withdrawing her
mask, looked MacMahon full in the
face.
Monsieur, l am the daughter Of
your sovereign.
1.-THE Princess - gasped the
Mortified marshal.
The PRINCESS bowed, and quietly
replaced her mask, just as the chief
Of police made his way into the room.
"The chief had received his instruc-
tions two days before. A watch had
been set upon the president, and 1t
had been ascertained that he was hold
ing secret communications with a
mysterious woman who had been
traced to the Royalist hotel. The sole
question which the ministry had to
determine, before they proceeded to
decisive measures, was whether this
affair was in fact a political conspiracy
or mere intrigue. If it should be the
former it would become necessary to
publicly accuse the president to the
nation. If the latter, it was a very
different thing, and it would be un'
necessary to take any step, except
perhaps to hint to the head OF the
state that 1t was undesirable to create
a scandal at the Elysee. 1t was in
order to satisfy the doubt in their
minds that the chief of police had
forced his way into the presence OF
the suspected president.
1T was of course his part to feign
the utmost surprise at the meeting.
Pardon, M. le President, but !
hadn't the least notion Of finding you
here! He glanced from the lowering
brow of the fierce old marshal to the
shrinking form Of the masked prin'
cess. It's my duty to inform you, NJ
lie President, that we believe this LADY
to be conspiring against the republic,
"The president looked at him. IL
was a frightful moment. If ne e1-
pressed the least surprise, the honor
of the princess would be reflected on
Without permitting himself SO mucn
as a glance in her direction, he forcea
himself to say, in steady tones:
"T know It. The meeting between
this lady and myself has concerne'
a question Of politics.
"The chief bowed. and replied
"'In that case, M. le President ts
my duty to report to the minister Oh
justice that you are in communication
with Royalist plotters.'
"'Do your duty, monsieur, returned
MacMahon.
"And he followed the bewildereu
chief out Of the room. not staying y
receive the thanks of the stricken
girl, whose rashadventure had brousn'
him to dishonor in his old age.
"The next day the resignation u u
President MaeMahon was in the hanos