Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-12-20
The
DESTROYER
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
CHAPTER XVI (continued).

Kasia, with white face, passed
into the inner room. Her father
had been placed on a bed, and lay
on his back, his eyes rolled up,
breathing heavily. His hands
were tightly clenched, but already
the spasm was passing and the
muscles relaxing. Almost at once,
Pachmann appeared at the door,
handed her a basin Of water and
then withdrew.
Under her ministrations, the
breathing of the unconscious man
grew softer and softer, the hands
Enclosed, the eyelids dropped and
finally his head fell over on one
side and he slept. Kasia, watch
ing him for a few moments, as
sured herself that all was well,
then turned out the light, returned
to the outer room and closed the
door.
Pachmann was sitting at the
window, staring idly out at the
deepening shadows. He arose at
once at the sound of her entrance.
Miss Vard,' he said, "there
is something | wish to say to you.
Will you not sit DOWN. and he
placed a chair for her. "What /
have to say is most serious, and
whatever your feelings of i'll usage
may be, ! hope you will try to look
at the matter also a little from my
side. The situation is this: Your
father, as you doubtless know, is
the inventor Of a mechanism which
will make the nation possessing it
mistress of the world. That ma
ton must be Germany. Apart from
my ambition for my country and
my love of her, | believe that she
is the nation best fitted to possess
1t. AT any cost, it must be hers
no cost can be too great; 100 lives,
1000 lives, millions of treasure
all these would be sacrificed glad
~, without hesitation. You under
standg"
Yes" said Kasia. 81 think I
understand
1T is your fathers dream, as I
suppose you also know Pach-
mann continued, ito bring about
q world wide peace by causing all
nations to strike hands together
In a sort of universal brotherhood.
He demands that, to enter this
brotherhood, Germany relinquish
her share of Poland and restore Ell
sass, and Lorrain to France. He
requires, too, the virtual abdica-
ton OF our ruling house. TO such
conditions Germany cannot con-
sent. Rather than that, we should
prefer a hundred times the present
status. For Germany has nothing
to fear froaa the future.
Now, Miss Ward, let me say at
once that I regard your fathers
dream a a dream and nothing
more. 1t cannot be realized. There
is only ore way IN which world
peace can be secured = let your
father consent to place this power
In our hands, and there will be no
more war4-or, at most, only one
very short and decisive war. If
your father is in earnest, if he is
not mad, he will consent to this
proposal. I need hardly add that,
# hessdoes consent, he has only
to name his own reward-Ger-
many will pay it gladly. Wealth,
position, the suzerainty of a ma
tion--all this Germany is pre-
pared to grant"
YOu have placed this before
himi' Kasia asked.
Yes it was placed before him
Ct much greater length at our sec
ond conference.
And he refused'fo
He refused but we cannot
take that REFUSAL
Why do yon tell me all this ~
tell you this, Miss Yard an
BWered Pachmann earnestly, abe-
causeI wish you to understand
that IN what may seem to you
treaehery and persecution, | am
but fighting for my country. For
her, 1 hesitate at nothing. Then,
too, wish you to know what our
Sr.nait;0n u If5vn,,@uiN think IF Il