The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-11
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81 NEAt Service inc,
The Great CIPHER

II was o night OF Illusion.
The whole world was unreal. The
city could not be seen. There was
sort Of fairyl Vista extending over
the garden hcfosS The blt OF park
into the haze, pierced BY the mar.
row white shaft OF the NationaI
Monument e5teading into tho Sky.
There was d heavy odcr Of 1essa.
mine and foneysuekle lying about
the southern portieo Of the Exectl.
tive Mansions But there were no
lights. The whole Sof the portico
was in heavy shadow A, big strong
masculine voice, cultivated and
firm WIS speaking.
u am glad that business OF your
embassy brought you ID America,
Monsieur Jonquelle,n II said, she.
cause I wanted to ask you about
that last expedition OF Ghapyannes',
j knew Chauyannes in South Afr,
ca. He was a first. class man. What
was the mystery about his death!
The current report at the time
could not have been the ecuth. 1t
was too fantastic. &,
One might have made out tim
figure 81 the Frenchnian by look.
ing closely inithe dim light He sat
in q long chair, his legs extended,
= cigarets ttn1ighted, moving in.tils
- fingers His voice was low and
clear when he spoke, like one on.
gagged with o reflection
III was all the truth, Excel.
iency ne said, "as We now know.
T1e big voice interrupted. "rhat
fantastic storyin
ThN Frenchman's voice did not
change
"rhe truth about 81, he said, "is
eyen more fantastic than She cur
rent story Of the tiine. Nobody be.
lieved II. Nobody could have be-
iieved II When his journal finally
came IN, everybody thought chdu-
yannes had gone made before. tho
cud. The things he wrote down sim.
ply could not have happened!"
He paused. Then: "But II was
ivory word the truth-There are
the enieralds In the Louvre. 7"
rhe big man beyond Monsieur
Ionquelle obscured by the thick
shadows made On exclamation ,os
astonishihent.
@'The eneralds," he said, "are %
course proof Of the fact that chdu.
vapnes found some eYiiepces VI
the thing he was after. But his
journal could not have been tina
truth The man who wrote tho
closing pages o. that Journal must
have been mad."
The Frenchman replied with no
change In his voice.
e1iencS q he said, 1.-THE man
who wrote the closing pdges %
that journal was not only not mad,
hut he was so clever that / have
never ceased to admire him. He
Was IN desperate position, from.
which. he knew perfectly wxtl.
there was mo escape, and he under.
took 20 do "a thing that rot only re.
prired the soundest intelligence,
but II also required a degree Of
cleyerness that has not been equal.
"a ~ anyb body. i feel that, I ought,
ID stand and uncover wherever
hing about SChauvannes.
There was a sound In the. dark.
ness as Of one drawing ones body
swiftly together In chair. There
was sort OF booming in the big
voice! ! ~
You amaze mel" It said. "of
course knew what Chauvannes
was after. He used to talk about
\ when we were shooting on tina
Naal. He had the Glow, he thought,
to alosti civilization OF an immense
age, In the great wilderness of
Central Africa, a little. north OF tho
Congo.
ne continued to speak in. his
strong firm voice:
" was not surprised that Chau-
sannes founu some evidence Of
the thing he was looking for! He
was q first:class Archaeological. He
knew all about everything OF the
sort that }hadhheen uncovered. And
he Sas o good, all.arpund explorer.
none better II there wss any man
IN the world who could have gope
from Congo across the old trail Of
the IVORY raiders, northwest to the
Albert fyanza. 1t was Chauyannes.
/ can believe that Chauva1nes went
IN there Sand that he found the
evidences Of tho things he was
looking for; but the journal thar
the survivor Of the expedition
bronght in could not be true. Chau.
saRnes was insane when he wiStei