The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-06-30

rooms and went to bed.
The following morning at nine
o'clock he stood before the chancellor.
The count bowed to him more cor
daily than he had the day before.
"The experts report that the ore
you gave me Is chemically pure gold,
purer than any they have ever seen."
He thought for a moment. For some
reason 1 cannot doubt your words; !
am, so to say, forced to believe in
you" He looked inquiringly at the
chevalier, but as he did not answer
the count continued: do you realize
the far-reaching influence of your in
vention?"
II do to the most minute detail
What is your intention?"
ITO give my invention to you--for
consideration"
And that is?"
The young man weighed every word
he said.
Absolute disarmament and peace"
The count showed no surprise. He
felt that he stood before an extraordi-
nary man.
"Sir, who are your
The chevalier stood up and smiled
| pleasantly.
Il expected this question, your ex
cellency. but if you will permit shall
| not answer 1t. All | can say is that
I believe am a true apostle of broth
erly love. My ideal is to overthrow
| tyranny and make not only the leaders
| but the masses happy and contented.
| What am offering you is a mighty in
| strument to forward this movement.
| True, it also means destruction If in
| judiciously used I came to you, sir,
| the chosen leader of the armies Of
| four continents" He looked earnest
| ly at the man standing before him
| do you not think that it is your
duty to accept my offer-to send home
! the millions who are amassed to break
peace: whose final destination is to
break into happy, peaceful continent
| where every man is free and where
| the hearts of the people are not poi
soned with the passions of selfish
greed? 1t is my own wish, also, that
those invisible walls which separate
the American continent from the 9TH
ers shall disappear not be destroyed
by ruthless hands, but opened to re-
ceive brothersi"
The enthusiastic young man stopped
when he saw a sarcastic smile play
round the corners of the counts
mouth.
81 know enough, chevalier!" His
voice was cool and cutting. You are
an American"
The chevalier did not say yes" or
mo" but scorning the cold express
sion on the counts face he almost or.
dered him to hear him out.
Your eXcellency must listen to me
to the end. Who l am or whence
come does not matter I have offered
you secret that will enable you to
make your country, and through your
country the world, happy If used with
discretion. If not, it may bring con-
ditions that will break all your ambi-
tiops. Your tremendous armies, men
of war and Notifications, figuratively
speaking, are all made of gold. You
can easily imagine what chaos will
reign If I give my gold away-make it
no more valuable than iron. Don't
you realize that 1t will break you, in
spite of your might and drive your
armies to work instead of wasting
time in pursuing the scientifically per
fected exercises and studies of devas-
tation? You ought to realize that gold
A is only an image created by man; that
y yellow metal has no real value. Work
is the only thing of value to a nation.
q Il have one thing more to say. You
O have evidently selected for your life's
l. work the invasion and copquering of
q the American continent, claiming that
+ the United States mad refused to yield
r to the wishes of the European powers
fifty years ago. Do you think there are
q no more men like Hannibal Prudent?
Do you think that after breaking the
isolator all you would need do would
be to land your armed puppets and kill
the people who have nursed at the
bosom of Liberty? ] have spoken
your excellency!"
/. The chevalier made courteous bow
e The count seated himself before his
n desk
It "Chevalier di Leon, no man has ever
d spoken to me as you have" His voice
O was dull. Il will think over the far.
d reaching perspective you have spread