Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-01-10

full, but peopled with CHASTITY
memories = for it was here the
revolution set up it %guillotine, and
it was here that some 1000 men
and women, high and low, looked
their last upon this earth, mounted
the scaffold and passed under the
knife. Surely, if any spot on earth
be haunted, it is this!
Something of this, perhaps, was
in the minds of these two men, as
they stood for a moment looking
down into the square. for their
faces we're very thoughtful; then
Delcasse's eyes travelled from one
to another of the heroic figures
representing the great towns of
France-Lyons, Marseilles, Brest,
Rouen, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille
and came to rest upon the last one,
Strasbourg, hung with black and
piled with morning garlands, in
memory Of the lost Alsace. Every
morning, before he turned to the
days work, M. Delcasse, standing
at this window, gazed at that
statue, while he registered anew
the vow that hose garlands should
one day be replaced by wreaths of
victory That vow was his orison.
His lips moved silently as he
made it now, then he turned to his
desk.
BE seated, my dear Lepine,"
he said. 81 have much to discuss
with you, as you may guess. First
about La Liberte. My board of in
quiry will be ready to report by
Saturday. 1t has decided that the
explosion was caused by the spon-
taneous combustion of the b.
powder, as was the case with the
jena
"That theory will do as well as
any other" said Lepine, CURLY.
But you and | know that it is
not the true one."
Delcasse looked at him quickly.
Have you any news?' he
asked.
"None," answered Lepine, with
a frown. "The man we sought
has vanished as completely as
though the earth had swallowed
him. found no. trace of him since
he left the office of the Messrs.
Cook, with two passages for
America in his pocket. | cannot
understand it."
"Have the tickets been re-
turned9"
"They have not been returned,
and the Messrs. Cook, making in
quiry at my suggestion, have a re-
port from the steamship company
that they have not been used"
Delcasse turned this over in his
mind.
."Perhaps the man and his
daughter have met with some ac-
cident."
eve should have heard Of it,"
Lepine objected. 81 have scru-
tinized every report-viewed ev-
cry body which at all resembled
him."
"Then," said Delcasee, che has
been suppressed, as one who knew
too much"
my own opinion is" said the
project" that he has sought
refuge in Germany, until he can
prepare for another demonstra-
ton against France"
The minister moved uneasily in
his chair.
81 have thought of that" he
said, land | am doing everything
can to render such an attempt
impossible-but it is a hard task
one can never be sure. There is
another thing | wished to ask you.
Where is Crochard?'
II do not know, sir. I have not
seen him since that morning at
Toulon when we parted outside
the Hotel du Nord."
"Then he, too, has disap-
peared?"
Eyes, sir, completely"
HAS it never occurred to YOU,
Lepine, to connect these two dis
appearances?"
Yes, | did connect them. You
will remember in the note he left
for me he stated that he hoped
soon to have some good news for
us. But when more than two
weeks elapse and we hear nothing,
am forced to conclude that he,
too, has been baffled."
Yes, it was for me a hope, also
almost my only one," said. Del
casse. 81 did not believe that he
could fail. And if he has failed,
do you know what it means for
France, Lepine? It means destruc-
ton. Oh, | have spent sleepless
nights, I have racked my brain!
Germany's attitude is that of a