The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-25
THE FOUR FTORSEMEN OF THE
APOCAL WPSE
Condensation by Alice c. Higgins, Boston Athenaeuno
BY BLASCO IBANEZ

In 1870 Marcelo Desnoyers was a
lonely lad Of nineteen years living in
Marse1lles. A popular manifestation
in favor Of peace, at the first news of
the war with Prussia, influenced him
to leave the country, and he made an
unforgettable trip to South America,
where after many failures, and Ia
bOr1ous existence, he became an en-
ploye Of Madariaga, the centaur.
Don Madariaga's fortune was enor-
nous. He had gained his first money
as fearless trader, and with his
earnings had bought vast tracts of
land, devoting them to the raising of
cattle. Though he had a capricious
and despotic character he neverthe-
less felt certain fondness for his
new French overseer.
Thanks, Frenchy," said the ranch
man, much touched. you are an all
round man and l am going to reward
you. From this day l shall speak to
you as l do to my family"
Desnoyers soon married Luisa, Ma
dariagaS eldest daughter, while
young German, Karl Hartrott, a re-
cent arrival at the ranch, married
Elena, her younger sister. Seated
under the awning on summer nights
the ranchman surveyed his family
around him with a sort of patriarchial
ecstasy.
Just think of 1t, Frenchy," he said;
Il am Spanish. you French, Karl Ger
man, my daughters ArSentinians, the
cook Russian, his assistant Greek, the
stable boy English, the kitchen ser
wants natives. Galicians or Italians,
and among the poems are many castles
and laws And yet all live in
peace. In Europe, we probably would
have been in a grand fight by this
time, but here we are all friends"
Julio, the son of Desnovers, was the
favorite grandchild of Madariaga. "Ah,
the fine cowboy. What a pretty fell
low you are!" he would say. Have
a good time, for grandpa is always
here with his money"
One evening the Patrons horse
came slowly home without it's rider
way, and when they found him he
was dead.
The Hartrotts moved to Berlin at
once, and the Desnoyers went to Paris,
each household in possession of an
enormous fortune. Besides establish
ing his family in Paris, Desnoyers
bought castle. Villeblanche-sur-
Marine, mixture of palace and for
tress, where he could put his rapidly
accommodating purchases of paintings,
furniture, statues-all those things
which he carried away from the auc-
lions which it had now become his
habit to frequent.
The only disappointment in Desnoy-
ers' life came from his children-his
daughter Chichi because of her in
dependence, and Julio because of his
aimless existence. Julio has had to
make a trip to South America in order
to realize on a bcQueSt from his grand
father, so that he might marry the
fascinating and frivolous Marguerite
Lauricr, with whom he had become
Infatuated
Suddenly the cloud of war cast its
shadow over this family. The self
sufficient DR.. julius Won Hartrott
said to his cousin, War will be de-
clared tomorrow or the day after.
Nothing can prevent it now. 1t is
necessary for the welfare of hui
mainly"
On the eve of mobilization Tcher-
noff, had a vision in which he saw
the Apocalyptic Beast rising out of
the sea. Four terrible horsemen pre-
coded the appearance or the monster,
and these scourgcs Of the earth, Con-
quest, War, Famine and Death, were
beginning their mad, desolating course
over the heads of terrified humanity.
Julio, being an Argentinian, was eX-
empt from military service, and had
hoped to continue his life as though
nothing We're happening. His IMAM
orata, however, from woman infat-
uated with dress, was gradually trans
formed by her desire to serve. The
war had made her ponder much on the
values Of life, and her sense Of duty
to her husband whom she had SO
greatly wronged sent her back to his
side when she heard that he had been
severely wounded. To Julio she said,
You must leave me Life is
not what we have thought it. Had it
not been for the war we might per-
haps, have realized our dream, but
now! For the remainder Of
my life, l shall carry the heaviest
burden and vet at the same time it