Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-01-17

with emotion; and he shivered a
little at the thought that here was
the man who had struck a terrible
blow at France.
Il can see what you are think
ing" Ward burst out. "You will
pardon me, if ! speak English? I
am more familiar with it than with
French. / see what you are think
ing. You arc thinking, Here is
the miscreant, the scoundrel, who
destroyed our battleshipF Well, it
is true. | am a scoundrel-or I
should be one if | permitted that
deed to go unrevenged. / was be-
trayed, sir, IS this gentleman has
said. | offered to Germany the
leadership among nations. But the
emperor IS consumed with person
al ambition-his one desire to ex-
alt his house, to establish it more
firmly. Instead of leading, he
wished to conquer. [ refused to be
his tool. Thereupon / was deceived
by a trick, / was imprisoned = l
and my daughter also. We were
threatened with | know not what
with starvation, with torture
but this gentleman rescued us, and
| came here with him in order to
place before France the same pro
posal | made to Germany"
Delcasse had listened closely {;
but he was plainly confused and
astonished.
Before going further" he sug-
gested, 81 should very much like
to hear Nj. Orchards story. There
is much about this extraordinary
affair which | do not understand
and / desire to understand ev-
erything. Will you not begin at
the beginning, my friend?"
1T was very simple" said Gro
chard, and told briefly of the pur-
suit, of the encounters on the Of
tile, and of the final struggle in
New York. "After our escape"
he concluded, we fastened to M.
Wards residence, where, as l an
ticipated his daughter and that ad-
mirable M. Webster whom she
loves, soon joined us. 1t was a
most happy reunion, and in the
end, M. Webster forgave me for
the theft Of the little box. Of our
plans we said nothing, except that
M. Ward was %journeying back with
me to Paris, and we were aboard
the Lusitania when she sailed next
morning. We arrived at Liverpool
last night, and here we are!"
Lepine's face was shining with
a great enthusiasm.
Permit me to congratulate you,
sir" he said. cit was finely done.
] realize that the more deeply be-
cause | myself was completely baf-
fled; and yet it should have oc-
cured to me that the captain Of
the Ottilie might wish to deceive
me. My theory was, however, that
the tickets had been purchased to
throw me off the scent. M. Ward
had, of course, as / supposed,
sought refuge in Germany. Even
yet | do not understand why he
should have gone to America"
The remark was, in a way, adj
dressed to the inventor, but he had
fallen into revery and paid no heed
to it.
"He is often like that said
Crochard, in rapid French. 81
suspect that something is wrong
here" and he touched his fore
head. "The trip to America was,
as l understand it, a matter of SEN
timent with him. He insisted that
this great treaty, which was to
bring about world wide peace and
the brotherhood OF man, should be
signed on American soil"
"He is really i'll earnest about
that treaty." asked Delcasse. "He
is not a mercenary9"
"Mercenary? Far from it, sir.
Why, NJ. Delcase, he was asked to
choose his own reward, and he re-
fused. He is utterly in earnest
he asks nothing for himself. And
l believe his idea practicable. l
hope that you will consider it care
fully, sir. The emperor refused
because of his conditions. One was
the reconstruction of Poland-he is
himself a Pole. The other was the
restoration Of Alsace-Lorraine to
France. Pachmann did at last
agree to give up Poland-and to
make him king of it, if he chose!-
but the other condition was too
much for him. Besides, he thought
the game was in his hands-he saw
his emperor ruler of the world!
Permit me to outline for the plan