The Washington times., 1919-04-20
Fques Lebaudy,
veal Almost Incredible
ntirely Eclipse the
! of the Great Novelist

prevailed From that day they spared no effort 70 get
Max into the army while at the time they employed
every means to make him think they doing their
best to obtain his exemption.
Like yultures De Cesti and his fellows watched the
multiplying signs Of their victims weakening health.
They secretly gOated when bauch left him with eyes
more blOOdshot and nerves more mstrung than usual
The army, they felt sure, would deliver the death blow
to this tottering wreck of man.
Onthe day following the date on which Max had been
ordered to report for duty he amazed by the ap
pearance Of squad Of soldiers ct his home The sergeant
~ command served notice on him that unless he in
his regiment within fOrysght hours he would be thrown
into prison as deserter.
In dismay Max hurried to De Cesti What was the
trOublef What had become Of all the money he had ad
vGnced to bribe the military authoritiesf Why was he
still being forced into serveef
It required all De Cests consummate skill to devise
an explanation that would satisfy the excited young
millionaire.
Something unforeseen had happened. A high Official
had proved unpurchasable. And he had reported the
whole matter the Minister Of War Some Of the facts
had leaked out to the newspapers
The induction of Max into the army had therefore be-
come imperative in order to the Government from
the charge Of corrupt favOritSm to the wealthy.
But the game was not yet lost-not by any means.
The thing for Max to do, as De Ces explained was to
report for duty Then, by the sknl Of money
it would Be simple matter to his release some
pretext or other.
Doubtless he would not have to serve longer than
sdays And really, wouldn it be quite Isrki Some.
thing quite amusing to talk about ct Maxm's later on
De Cesti finally won Max to his way Of thinking. The
young millionaire wrote cheek and then set out pre-
pare for his departure The next day. just cold,
gray dawn breaking Paris he said gOOd-by to
Maxim for the last time and took train for the garri.
son to which he was assigned
ThgnnOw began for Max Lebaudy weeks Of worSe
Orture than he dreamed anybody would have
dure The plain army food was nauseatng after the dell
cacies 20 which he had always been accustomed His
skim formerly used to the touch of only the finest silks
and linens found contact with the coarse rOughness Of
his uniform the most excruciating misery.
The rigid discipline, the endless drills and the long
hikes imposed an almost unbearable strain his drink
soaked mind and body All that kept him alive was the
hope that De Ces and his friends would bring about
his release.
his regiment was stationed in Marseilles To make
his miserable existence more endurab he leased house
the suburbs and fitted it out with furniture and
vsnts from Paris There he installed Mile. Marsy and
host Of his other gay companions With them also
be Ces and his fellow birds of prey eager now
han for Death to win the in which they had
made Max starter.
Whenever he could obtain brief respite from his mill
sry duties he would repair to this luxurious home and
end his precious hours of freedom frenZed effort to
upcate all his Partisan debaucheres Liveried servants
attended to his every want staff of chefs loaded his
able with the choicest foods, Mile Marsy and the rest
id all they could to make him forget he a soldier
Then his furough over. he would hurry back to the
aefu barracks temporarily stimulated by wine and
ement but really the breaking point than before
De Cest overlooked nothing that could hasten the end
oou after reaching MarseieS Max contracted severe
Did physician, who in the plot against his lfe
esrbed prolonged cecold baths This cruel treatment
Undoubtedly hastened the affection of the lungs which
naIly killed him.
II was not long before Max grew impatient over the
ek of results from the large of money he con-
sntlv handing over to obtain his discharge from the
mv Luckily for De Cesti there just at this time
order transferring Max to cavalry regiment at Ver-
on De Ces insisted that this transfer due solely
his efforts that Max would find life in the cavalry far
ongenal and that his release from this branch of
be service would be more easily obtained.
When next Max's patience was exhausted De Cest
ronosed securing his release by deceVng the army
into thinking him in the last stages of tuberculosis
i accomplish this some of the expectoratOns of woman
bo really had the disease to be substituted for his
n It would cost $4,000 TO work out the details of the
Ian.
Dok pains 70 see that nothing ever came Of it.