The Taney County republican., 1920-03-11

Billy say 10 monsieur IN u low voice.
81 See | don't need to point out to. you
the position you're placing yourself in
by refusing an explanation as TO how
YOU came to have those diamonds in
your possession. There's only one
thing left for me to think
lie paused and thought, Heavens
Is he going to accuse mOnsicur?" And
he did.
'YOU STOLE THEM"
/ was rooted to the floor. The reply
came like II ashOt-"Munsieur !" and De
Ravenol leaped TO his feet. The two
men had given and taken mortal blow
for monsieur, in his single word, had
returned as good as he got and they
now measured each other.
Billy broke the silence and recalled
me with: "Say-where's that ash
trayp
The scarlet that had lenped TO mon
sicur's cheeks faded as l entered the
room. He stood. lie lowered. Yet he
spoke with humility.
ut is not as De Ravenol / explain
how it is / am seeking ze diamonds zat
belong TO re Emperor William--it is rs
re cmperOr's messenger to 2e court Of
Mexico. And yet--it is as plain De
Ravenol--zc fazer of Claire whom you
snow--zat ! implore you to keep my
confidence zat | give you now at zc
peril Of my life"
He paused, and we both felt con
strained to assure him we would keep
his confidence, and lie proceeded.
~ have undertook Zis secret mission
for which ze emperor have select me
from all his frCnds--as he have select
me, may call myself his friend-and
| have dedicate myself to il wis all my
zeal
"Since Napoleon I, Europe has seen
no like der Kaiser Wilhelm--he is war.
rior and cOnQueror in his heart, even
as 2ey were--we have now re concert
of powers Zat prevent to one man 10
own re whole of Europe any more,
"And ze emperor looks ahead for 2e
future of his people and he say: How
do zey he fed in hundred years? Ze
fields Of all 70 faZcrlund--Ze science Of
all ze fa2erlands will not do 1t. But
wis money, my people may buy zeir
food rs 2ey wlll--hcef and wheat from
re whole world Wis induStry-manu-
faCtureS--COmm have ~
money. But zat our commerce does u
some valuable good, we must make
some alliances for zis purpose. Eng
land have set her seal on India, her
boot on Africa and her hand on Can
ada but she have not touch re Latin
natiOns--She owns not MeXiC0-she
controls not yet re sOme-day Panama
canal. Xere we have great strategic
point for future development Eat Eng
land have not got hold Of In Mexico,
zen, ze Emperor william sees some
bright future for &c fazerland.
"NOw re madame president of Mex
leo Is young; she have great beauty
and she rule her venerable husband
wis Eat beauty--as have women at alI
times. SO once she have hear re le'
gend of re seven bloOd-red diamonds
Above all Ozzer sings in re world she
desire zoze diamonds and she have
communicate her wish 10 der kaiser
and lie have seen In her wish some
way to his own for re fa2erland.
"To zis end he have arrange treaty
wis Mexico which make Mexico sis
fer state Of ze great German alliance
he have in mind. To zis end, also, he
have commissioned me-"
The rest Of what monsieur said just
| then was lost on me, for there had
swOOped on me lightning stroke OF
understanding-the whole nefarious
scheme of Germany and the emperor
lay bare to my Inner eye. MexlcO--the
Panama canal--these We're the stra.
| tegic points of world conquest such
as history had never witnessed. Ger.
many in possession of Mexico, with
half u million troops maSsed on OW
border-why, she could flppantly tread
on the lions tail any day and 80 to
war and say TO us: Help England
and lose Texas, Arizona, New Mexico
and California" With half q million
troops In Mexico, Germany could
| spank us into almost anything
And Mexico, with her almost un.
touched resources; with her hot-bloOd
ed troops under German discipline foI
twenty years--for ten--fOr five
But / could stop IT. For the lever
that was to set the scheme in motion
was thumb.tacked to the bottom of my
sldeboard drawer--thG seven blood-red
diamonds
Monsieur's voice had reached n stop
My resolve was taken.
"Neverl" was the one impasslored
word uttered,
Billy echoed it---"Neyer" His
thoughts had flown with mine and had
seen the impending calamity which we
two, out of the world, could now pre-.
vent. Then, drawing himself to his
| full height, he gave forth our ultima.
! tum TO the nation at large: you just
90 back and tell your Emperor vii.
Lam that he can never have Mexico or
the Panama canal"