South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-11
THE GREAT CYPHER.


1t was a night Of illusions The
whole world was unreal. The city
could not be seen There was a
sort OF fairy vista extending over
the gardens across the bit OF park
into the haze. pierced by the narrow
white shaft of the National Monu-
ment extending into the sky.
There was a heavy odor OF jessa-
mine and honeysuckle lying about
me southern portico OF tho Executive
Mansion. But there were no lights
The whole OF the portico was in
heavy shadow. A big. strong mascu-
line voice. cultivated and firm. was
speaking.
Il am glad that business Of your
embassy brought you TO America,
Monsieur Jonquelle,' 1t said, be
cause I wanted 10 ask you about
that last expedition OF Chauvanne5
knew Chauvannes in South Afri-
ca. He was a flrst-class man. What
was the mystery about his death ?
The current report at the time could
not have been the truth. 1t was
too fantastic"
One might have made out the
figure OF the Frenchman by looking
closely in the lime light He sat IN
long chair. his legs extended, a
cigaret. unlighted, moving In his
fingers. His voice was low and clear
when ne spoke. like one engaged
with a reflection.
1T was all the truth. Excellency,"
he said, 'as we now know"
The big voice interrupted. That
fantastic story"
The Frenchman's voice lid not
change
The truth about IT," he said, rs
even more fantastic than the cur
rent story OF the time. Nobody Je-
lieved 1t. Nobody could have be-
iieved it. When his journal finally
came In. everybody thought Chau-
vannes had gone mad before the
end. The things he wrote down
simply could not have happened"
He paused. Then: But Il was
every word the truth. There
are the omeralds in the Louvre"
The big man beyond Monsieur
Jonquelle. obscured by the thick
shadow, made an exclamation OF
establishment.
The emeralds," he said "are CT
course proof OF the fact that Chau-
vannes found como evidences of the
thing he was after. But his journal
could not have been the truth The
man who wrote the closing pages OF
that journal must have been mac
The Frenchman replied with no
change in his voice.
'Excellency." he said. "the man
who wrote the closing pages Of that
journal was not only not mad, but
he was so clever that | have never
ceased 20 admire him. lie was in
desperate position, from which &c
knew perfectly well. there was no
escape. and he undertook 10 do a
thing that not only required the
soundest intelligence. but it also re-
quired a degree of cleverness that
has not been equaled by anybody.
feel that / ought to stand and
uncover whatever think about
Chauvannes."
There was q sound in the dark
ness as of one drawing ones body
swiftly together in a chair. There
vas sort OF booming in the big
voice.
You amaze me-" it said. "Of
course. know what Chauvannes
was after. lie used 10 tax about
IL when we were shooting on the
Vaal. He had the c.ew. he thought.
10 lost civilization Of an immense
age. in the great wilderness Of Cen
tral Africa, little north OF the
Congo"
He continued TO speak in his
strong, Arm voice.
Il was not surprised that Chau-
vannes found some evidence Of the
thing he was looking for He vas a
good, all-round explorer. none bet
ter. II there was any man IN the
world who could have gone from the
Congo across the old trail OF the
ivory raiders, northeast 10 the A.
bert Nyanza, a was Chauvannes I
can believe that Chauvannes went
in there. and that he found the evil
dences OF the things he was looking
for. but the journal that the eur
vivor OF the expedition brought in
could not be true. ChauvaRnes was
insane when he wrote tiff the eS-
cerpts I saw OF It were not coloTed."
Monsieus Jonquelle replied in the
same even voice.
Our government, Excel!ency," he
said. was precisely OF your opinion.
y hen the journal finally came in.
They thought Chauvannes was mad
at the end. But he was not mad.
He Was sane and clever-how sane
and how clever you will realize when
you get the whole thing clearly IN
your mind. II was a long tine be-
fore N-e undersf God IL. although how
we could have been so stupid seems
10 me now a greater wonder than
the fantastic incidents with which
chauvannes hTied the closing pages
O his Journal
II think the first clue VIC got was
the method Chauvannes had taken
10 be sure that the journal woulc