The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-08-05

ofering him his hand with the re.
marx that the convict has honor and q
| heart,
dere our story begins. ''''
Rudolph, we soon learn, has twp
aims In venturing incognito into tf,a
NTH OF Paris. The first In 10 dis.
cover, X he can, the whereabouts or
MRS. Georges son, German. who has
oeen taken from her in his youth by a
vicious husband. The second Is to
trace, NJ possible, his lost daughter
VINO rs supposed to have died In I'm.
fancy. 1t is around these two themes
Thaf the romance moves. In pursuing
c1em M. Rudolph is beset by every i'm
lAs1nable adventure. He Is locked ND
sm a subterranean cellar, where the
waters OF the Seine slowly creep up to
his neck, and from which predica-
ment the faithful Slasher rescues him.
lnnumerable traps are laid for his
rect; but from each successive snare
he miraculously escapes, And through
out this series OF entanglements he
never abandons his premise that no
matter how depraved the individual
there is potential good In all human
ity. which, IL nurtured, will blossom
into virtue. In consequence he be-
comes sort of "inferior Providence"
to those whom he meets. He saves
the biameless debtor from prison, and
places an honest livelihood within HIS
reach. He does a thousand kind
nesses. On the other hand he does not
hesitate TO bring the unworthy TO
justice. Relentlessly he causes the
eyes OF a wretch who has been pitt
less 20 THE weak to be put out, that
ne Nay know what it means to be
helpless and the prey of the strong.
The story is network of crifpes
and their eventual punishment, sand
everywhere triumphant we find the
creed that in the breast of humankind
burns a spark of the Divine.
The portion of the tale dealing with
THE kidnapping of FIeur-ae-Marfe from
her home with Mrs. George by Sscreech
owl, the blinded sche1lmastRr, and
THE imp Hoppy is a mGveI I'm itself.
How these wretches wait for THE in
nocent girl; convey her to Raris by
coach; and thrust hex into THE arms
of the police, who In turn deposit her
in prison is exciting reading. From
prison she is released by a written or
der, only to fall a victim Ito a band
of hired rufiians wha try ttg drown her
in the Seine AS she is fiaating down
the river, one of her old comrades from
Saint Lazare leaps in and ssaves her
life. Next we see her in the great
Paris hospital, and ut is Gat this june
ture that Grand Duke Rudolph of Ger
olstein obtains trace of frer; discovers
that she is his ywn daughter; and
bears her in Triumph no his magnifi-
fugitive of the streets to her Royal !.
Highness Princess AmHlia. Here, for
brief period, we bihoTd our little
Fleur-de-Marie the i6f6I oof the court.
and sought i'm rnarriage rby,a prince of
the realm.
But the stigma of tine past is ever
fresh in the girls mind. She cannot
shake it off. Though she adores her
lover, she refuses to wed him, saying
that she loves him H8o much to give
him hand that has been touched by
the ruffians of the city, Poor, brave
Fleur-de-Maries She aat last seeks
peace in a convent; and when she
dies there, we have no regrets that |
her blameless but troubled life is end |
ed.
In the meantime what ooft Germainf 4
We search for him Through an equal |
ly ingenious train of happenings. With /
all M. RudoIph's wealth and astute- |
ness it is no easy task to find this
missing boy who is lost in the great
city of Paris. But he is found. Like
the young hero has kept
his soul unsullied by evil. Urged to
rob his employer, he Aas not only re-
tased, but has given information
against those who plotted the crime,
hat they might be broaght to justice.
AS a result Of this good deed, how
ever, he has been hounEiad from one
enG 1ef Paris to the Other. AT last he
!
jacques Ferrand, a eeiTupt notary,
Who yeasts him into prison on ,ficti-
ioug charge. He is no fxNnrite, for
" seorning to mingle with She vicious
Features about him he inaurs their
wrath and suspicion, until at length
hey dub him a spy and resokve ito
murder Fhim. From this fate he is
aved by Slasher, who appears lin the
,rison iust in time to fell his assail-
lnts and pilot him to liberty. Even
rally he lis restored to his motherss
INNS and ITO his pretty sweetheart,
sigolette, whom he now marrieS-
'R'he skin with which Sue constructs
is story, Introducing character after
haEacter, and bringing these varied
lensants into "a unified whole, Is
laHNel of artistry. 1t is also inter
sting to note throughout the novel
-. Jua, nf 4