The Washington times., 1919-05-04
Secrets Of the Extraordinary (
CHAPTER Xu-(COntinued from Last Sun


Copyright, 1919, ~ Star Company.
vas told here last Sunday, the refusal Of the
eautiful Mile. Lantelme to accept Jacques Le-
audy's offer to crown her Empress Of Sahara was
severe blow to him. he was sorely disappointed,
not only because he really loved the idolized
French actress, but also because her refusal Of
his suit necessitated still further search for. q
woman sufficiently talented and charming to
grace his throne.
Before he had regained his equanimity and
felt in shape to resume his plans for carving
rich, prosperous empire out Of the barren Afri-
can sands, his mother came to him with fearful
appeal for aid in extricating her from situation
which was proving heavier load than she felt
her conscience could bear any longer.
CuriOusly enough, it was the notorious Nine
Humbert who was the cause Of Nine. Lebaudy's s
newest worries. By strange turn of fate this
greatest swindler Of modern times had involved
in the frauds that netted her more than $S0,OOO,-
900 the woman noted more than any other in
France for'her self-sacrihcing devotion to re-
igion and works Of charity.
It all came about through the fact that the
two women had been schoolgirls together at
convent in Toulouse. When Nine Humbert
embarked on her spectacular career Of dishonesty
Nine. Lebaudy, like thousands of others, was
deceived into thinking her old friend perfectly
honest in her pretensiOns to great wealth.
Her friendship for the wife of the great
"Sugar King" of France was undoubtedly one
Of Nine. Humbert' s most valuable assets through
out her twenty years Of unscrupulOus high
finance.
Did some banker hesitate little about add
ing to the millions she already owed hint All
Nine. Humbert needdo was to mention how close
friends she and the sanity Nine. Lebaudy were
and the loan would be promptly forthcoming.
Jacques Lebaudys mother was known far
and wide for her piety and her high moral char
acter. For such a woman to be on terms OF
intimacy with a swindler was simply incredible.
But what pricked Nine. LebAudy's conscience
worst Of all was that she had vouched for one of
the Humbert family's "get-rich-qnick" enter
prises in which hundreds of priests and nuns
had invested their money. Now that this colOs-
sal scheme Of deception had been laid bare,
these servants Of the church found not only
their own savings gone, but in many cases the
funds Of their parishes and converts seriously
impaired.
This matter was one on which Jacques LIE.
baudy was well fitted to advise his conscience
stricken mother, for he, too, had known the
Humberts well.
During the days when they foated on the high
tide of prosperity, living like milliOnaires on the
money they found it so easy to borrow, he had
often been guest at their Paris mansion or one
of their numerous country estates.
And he was one of those present when the
HumbertS' golden bubble finally burst. He saw
With his oyUn ewes the dramatic ODeuinO of their
safe-the great steel box which was supposed to
safeguard $20OOOOOO worth of gilt-edge securi-
ties, but which proved to contain only handful
of worthless rubbish.
For over twenty years the Humberts main