The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-10-24

du COnSell, L, ArSene Lupln, had
cherished a splendid dream. After
toiling and moiling all my life,
after knowing all the ups and
downs of existence, richer than
Croesus, because all the wealth of
the world was mine, and poorer
than JOB, because l had distrib-
uted all my treasures, surfeited
with everything, tired of unhap-
piness, and more tired still of hap
piness, sick of pleasure, of pas
sion, of excitement, / wanted to
do something that is incredible in
the present day: to reign!
"And a still more incredible
phenomenon: when this thing
was accomplished, when the dead
Arsene Lupin had come to life
again as a sultan out of the Ara
bian Nights, as a reigning, gov
erning, law giving Arsene Lupin,
head of the state and head of the
church, determined, in a few
years, at one stroke, TO tear down
the screen of rebel tribes against
which you were waging a desult-
DRY and tiresOme war in the north
of Morocco, while / was quietly
and silently building up my king
dom at the back of it.
Then, face to face with
France and as powerful as her
self, like a neighbor Treating on
equal terms, | would have cried
to her, It's |, Arsene Lupin! Be-
hold the former swindfer and
gentleman burglar. The Sultan
of Adrar, the Sultan of Iguidi, the
Sultan of Eel Djouf, the Sultan
of the Tuaregs, the Sultan of Au-
bata, the Sultan Of Brakna and
Frerzon, all these am /, the Sultan
rof Sultans, grandson of Mahomet,
son of Allah, |, l., |, Arsene
Lupin!'
"And, before taking the little
grain of poison that sets one free
for a man like Arsene Lupin
has no right to grow old
should have signed the treaty of
peace, the deed to gift in which
| bestowed a kingdom on France,
signed it, below the flourishes of
my grand dignitaries, kaids,
pashas, and marabouts, with my
lawful signature, the signature to
which l am fully entitled, which
L conquered at the point of my
sword and by my all powerful
will: 'Arsene !, Emperor Of
Mauretania ="
Don Luis uttered all these
words in a strong voice, but with
out emphasis, with the very SIM
pie emotion and pride of a man
who has done much and who
knows the value of what he has
done. There were but two ways
of replying to him by a shrug of
the shoulders, as one replies to a
mailman, or by the silence that
expresses reflection and approval.
The Prime Minister and the
Project of Police said nothing, but
their looks betrayed their secret
thoughts. And deep down within
themselves they felt that they
were in the presence of an abso-
lutely exceptional specimen of
mankind, created to perform i'm
moderate actions and fashioned
by his own hand for a superhu,
man destiny.
Don Luis continued:
"It was a fine curtain, was it
not Monsieur lie President du Con-
sell? And the end was worthy
of the work. l should have been
happy to have had it so. Arsene
Lupin dying on a throne, sceptre
in hand, would have been a spec
tacle not devoid of glamour.
Arsene Lupin dying with his title
of Arsene L, Emperor Of Maure-
tania and benefactor of France:
what an apotheosis The gods
have willed it otherwise. Jealous,
no doubt, they are lowering me
to the level of my cousins of the
old world and turning me into
that absurd creature, a king in
exile. Their will be done! Peace
to the late Emperor of Maure-
tania. He has strutted and fret.
ted his hour upon the stage.
"Arsene | is dead: long live
France! Monsieur lie President du
Conseil, | repeat my offer. Flor
ence Levasscur is in danger. l
alone can rescue her from the
monster who is carrying her
away. 1t will take me "a hours.
In return for "a hours liberty /
will give you the Mauretanian
~ "i'". 10 """~ y..
lie President du Conseil ?"
We'll, certainly, 1 except"
said Nalenglay, laughing. What
do you say, my dear Destinations?
The whole thing may not be very
orthodox, but, hang it! Paris is
morfb a mass opl +ha K.nnJom.