- ......—...— ' -
The
DESTROYER
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
■ Ill ..— ■■■ mil ....
(CHAPTER XIX—Continued.)
Paehmann had listened intently, .
^nodding his head from time to
time, or puckering his brows in
dissent.
“Have you yourself no ambi
tion?” he asked. “Is there nothing
in the way of honor position which
you desire for yourself or for your
daughter?”
An ugly sneer curled the inven
tor’s lips.
“Bribery—I expected that!”
he said. “No, there is nothing—
but the consciousness that it was
I who ended war!”
“And your refusal of my first
proposal is absolute?”
“Absolute. I consider it in
citing.”
“You will not modify the terms
of your proposal ? ’ ’
“Not in any essential detail.”
“And if Germany refuses, you
,®o to France?”
“That is my intention.”
“Very well,” and the admiral
•rose, too. “The situation is, then,
-quite clear to us; there is no long
er any shadoy of uncertainty. It
Is for us to assent or to refuse. Our
onswer will be ready for you in a
•very short time.”
Y ard bowed, ms face very pale,
and stepped to the door. He
paused with his hand on the knob.
“Remember one thing,” he
•aid; “it will be better for Ger
many to lead than to follow; your
-emperor will find the head of the
procession much more to his taste
•than the tail of it. And it will be
for him either the one or the other!
Good night!” and he opened the
<ioor and was gone.
Pachmann stood with clenched
fists and flushed face staring at
■the spot where Vard had stood.
“Fool! fool!” he muttered.
"“That he should think he could
<lefy and threaten—and still es
cape! A great fool, is he not, my
prince?”
The prince awoke, as from a
•dream.
“Great, at least!” he said.
CHAPTER XX.
THE PRINCE SEEKS DIVERSION.
In spite of his protestations and
the confident manner he assumed
when with the prince, Pachmann
was, as a matter of fact, exceed
ingly disturbed. It was true that
sfor an individual as humble as Ig
•nace Vard to hope to stand against
’the might of the German empire
Was absurd in the extreme; but
perhaps Vard was not alone. Par
naps back of him there was some
•person or some power at which
•even Germany would pause.
Two incidents had been dis
tinctly disquieting: the wireless
from Lepine and the assault on
Schroeder. The thing which filled
Pachmann with dismay was not so
much these incidents themselves
-as the degree of knowledge they
indicated. Why did Lepine think
Vard was on the boat? How had
"he connected the invnntor with the
-disaster at Toulon ? How had the
person who assaulted Schroeder
known of the conference in the
captain’s cabin? How much had
he heard of that conference? What
tisc would he make of what he
had heard ? In a word, did F-anee
suspect what had happened to La
Liberte, and, if so, how much did
•he know ?
A hundred times Pachman
asked himself these questions, and
a hundred times tried to find some
answer to them other than the ob
vious answer. He tried to persuade
himself that Lepine had not con
nected Vard with the Toulon dis
aster, but was searching for him
for some other reason; he tried to
make himself believe that the as
sault on Schroeder was merely the
result of a seamen 3 quarrel; he
told himself over and over again
that France could not suspect,
that it was impossible she should
suspect. But he could not con
vince himself. Always he came
tiack to the obvious fact that, if
Vard was wanted at all, it could
•only be fore the affair at Toulon,
•and that the man who had taken
sSehroeder’s place at the door of
•the captain’s cabin could only
tiave done so because he wanted
to hear what was passing on the
other side of it.
Always, with sinking heart,
.'Pachman came back to this point;
and at such moments he wondered
•whether, after all, the emperor
•would not do well to lay aside his
personal ambition, to consent to
22
Vards proposal arid assume the
leadership of this great world
movement, in all good faith. Sure
ly that would he glory enough!]
Better, as Vard had said, to lead
than to follow; better to stand
proudly forth at the head of the
movement than to be whipped in
to place in the rear. What humilia
tion!
And suppose Vai’d should man
age to escape, suppose lie should
really get into touch with France!
Pachmann, closing his eyes, could
see a great fortress leaping into
the air; could hear the thunder of
the explosion which destroyed
a dreadnaught! It was a danger
ous game he was playing, and yet,
to accede to Vard’3 proposal
meant the loss of Alsace-Lorraine,
meant the eventual abasement of
the Hohenzollerns, the rise of so
cialism. No, he could not consent;
he had not the power to consent;
he had his instructions, precise
and clear, from the emperor him
self. At any cost, that power must
be his, and his alone!
At any cost! Pachman drew a
deep breath. He knew now what
the cost must be. Well, when the
moment came, he should not hesi
tate.
bunday morning round l'acli
mann beside the assistant purser
in the library of the second cabin,
beginning the inquiry there. It
was even more drastic than it had
been in the first, and the victims
emerged from it heated, angry,
and with the fixed determination
never again to travel by a German
boat. Neither the captain nor the
purser could vouch for any of the
undistinguished people here, and
so each one of them was most thor
oughly examined. Even those with
passports did not escape. Pachman
examined all such documents mi
nutely, compared the written de
scription point by point with the
appearance of the passenger, and
asked many questions to satisfy
himself that the person present
ing it was really the one to whom
it belonged. lYet, in spite of all
this, passenger after passenger
came through the ordeal success
fully.
As the list was calk'd alphabetic
ally, it was soon the turn of M.
Chcvrial. He approached the table
with confidence, produced his
passport, and sat down to await
such questions as might ho asked
him. Paehmann glanced at the
Frenchman and his eyes narrowed
with anger, for this impudent per
son appeared to be amused at the
proceedings! Then he picked up
the passport and studied it care
fully. It had been issued by the
French government two months
previously, as a renewal of a for
mer passport, to Andre Chcvrial,
wine,merchant, of 18 Rue des
Chantiers, Paris: whose appear
ance and physical characteristics
were described in detail. Paeh
mann compared the items of the
description [joint by point with
the man who sat smiling so shame
lessly before him, answering the
purser’s questions in an ironical
voice. The very fact that the man
was so typically French and so
plainly amused created in Pa-di
mann’s mind a flair of suspicion
which dilated his nostrils and nar
rowed his eyes. But the passport
was in perfect order, and Chev
rial’s answers came without hesi
tation.
“You arc a wine merchant?’’
“Yes.” %
“How long have you been in
that business?”
“More years than I care to re
member.”
“That is not an answer.”
“Let us say 20 years, then.”
“Always at Paris'?”
“The time before that did not
count. ’ ’
“Then you have not been al
ways at Paris?”
“Heavens, no! First at Bor
deaux ; but for 10 years at Paris.”
“You are well knowu there?”
“Ask my neighbors in the Rue
des Chantiers; or cross the street
to the wine market and ask any
one there if he knows Andre Chev
rial! Well known? But yes!”
‘ ‘ Is this your first visit to Amer
ica?”
“ Oh, no; nor my second. But it
is ray first trip on a boat of Ger
many, and will be my last. On
the French boats, my compatriots
know me. They do not annoy mt
with all these questions.”
It was Paehmann who asked th<
next one.
> “How does it, happen that you
travel this time by a German
boat?”
Chevrial shrugged his shoul
ders.
“Because there was no French
:one. It is necessary that I be in
New York on Wednesday. There
was no other boot that would ar
rive in time. Had there been, I
would have taken it.”
“So you do not like German
boats?”
“1 like nothing German,” said
Chevrial, calmly. “Least of all,
tliis inquisition, which, it seems to
me, demands some explanation.”
“it is for the immigration
bureau,” the purser hastened to
explain. “The American laws are
very strict.”
' “The laws do not concern ine.
I am not an immigrant. I am mere
ly one \\‘bo goes on business and
who returns. My papers are in
order, are they not?”
The purser was forced to con
fess that, they were.
“Then',” said Chevrial, return
ing them to his pocket, “if there
are any further questions to he
I answered, 1 will wait until I get to
j the pier at New York to answer
them. 1 shall at least have the
pleasure of talking to an Amer
can!” and he got up and left the
library.
Pachmann was furious; hut he
had no excuse for holding the fel
low, nor for examining his bag
gage. In search of such excuse, he
dispatched a wireless to the agent
of his government at Brussels, di
recting him to secure at once all
the information available about
Andre < hovnal, JH Kue des Lhan
tiers, Paris; and that evening a
very polite gentleman called at
the house in question. It was a
tall, hideous house, with a cabaret
on tlie first floor. To its proprietor
the visitor addressed himself. But
yes, the proprietor knew M. Chev
rial, a merchant of wine, who had
honored his house for many years
by occupying an apartment on the
third floor. His present where
abouts? Ah, the proprietor could
not say; M. Chevrial made many
journeys in the interests of his
business; he was absent at the
present time. It was the season of
his annual trip to America; per
haps he was now on his way thith
er. He had left no address; hut
if monsieur wished to write a let
ter, it would be sent forward as
soon as an address was received.
The visitor declined to write a
letter, but left his card—or, at
least, a card—to be given to 51.
Chevrial upon his return. Then
he took his leave. And the pro
prietor stuck the card in the frame
of the clouded mirror back of the
bar, chuckling to himself.
A report of all which Pachmann
duly received by radio next day.
The prince, meanwhile, was
finding the voyage wearisome. He
was not a difficult person to
amuse; and he was very expert in
the art of killing time; he had done
i little else since lie emerged from
; the nursery; but. hei'e on ship
i board he possessed none of the im
plements with which he usually
j carried on that slaughter. He
could sit in the smoking room with
a tall stein before him, he could
stroll about the deck and stare at
the sea, which he did not care for;
but there was no one to talk to.
His subjects of conversation were
limited, and all of them were as
sociated more or less with his
princely character; here, where,
for the first time in his life, he
found himself divested of that
princely character, he was com
pletely at a loss. The trouble was
that he had no sense of humor. Bo
he found it impossible to gossip
with plebeian unknowns, or en
gage in card games with irrever
ent middle class artisans and
drummers. He could not even
carry on a flirtation with any of
the pretty girls! He had attempted
it with one of them; but, after a
very few minutes, she had left him
with her chin in the air. and an ex
clamation which sounded singu
larly like “Beast!” What is gal
lantry in a prince, is impertinence
or worse in a less privileged per
son 1
Remember, our prince was mere
ly a good natured, thick headed,
young man, who had always been
compelled to take himself serious
ly, whose life had been ordered for
him from day to day to its minut
est detail: who had never been
called upon to use his wits in,.earn
est. There had always been some
one to do his thinking for him;
there had always been the routine
of drill and study to fill a certain
portion of every day; and there
had always been the fearful de
light of escaping from his father’s
eye and roaming the streets of Ber
lin in quest of adventure. But here
i on shipboard, the day was 24
i empty hours long, and even Pach
s mann had deserted him, to spend
his time asking the passengers in
s terminable questions, whose pur
pose the prince could not in the
i
least understand.
Ho, on this Sunday morning,
having attended the services
in the dining saloon for want of
something else to do, and kept
awake with great difficulty, hav
ing smoked innumerable eigarets,
having snubbed an 'American
whose manner was distinctly fresh,
having tramped up and down the
decks, and looked into the library
to find Paelmiann still asking
questions, the prince made a sud
den daring resolution, walked
quickly forward, ascended to the
first class promenade, and looked
about for Ignaee Vard. With the
inventor, at least, he need wear no
disguise, and he simply must talk
to somebody. Besides, the inven
tor's talk gave him a good feeling
at the( heart 1 he feeling that he
might really some day do some
thing worth while! Pachmann
would disapprove, of course; but
who was Pachmann? A younger
son of the inferior nobility! lie
must remind Pachmann of that,
some day, for lie seemed to have
forgotten it since the emperor had
taken him up!
He found the object of his search
leaning against the rail, far for
ward, staring ahead at the path
the ship was taking. Vard greeted
him with evident pleasure.
"You have come to arrange for
the final conference?” he asked.
The prince shook his head.
‘‘I know no more of that than
you,” he said.
I ‘But I was assured that your
decision would be made at once.
My plans depend upon your an
swer. This is Sunday. On Tucs
! day we reach Now York.”
j ‘I know nothing,” repeated the
j prince. ‘‘I have not spoken with
the admiral today—indeed, I have
I scarcely spoken to him for three
days. On Friday and Saturday
and again today, he has spent ev
ery moment in an examination of
the passengers.”
Why does lrt> do tliat? asked
i Vaid quickly,
j "I do not know.”
Yard glanced at the prince, and
1 his face softened a little.
] ‘‘So you have been left to amuse
|yourself,” he said, “and, not suc
ceeding very well, have come to
!mc? Is that it?”
“Yes,” said the prince; “I must
l talk to some one, and T find that 1
: cannot talk with people who do
not know who I am. The men of
i fend me, the women I offend.”
! This time there was genuine
j friendliness in Yard’s face.
| “Poor fellow!” he laughed.
! “ Well, I have never acted as court
jester, but I am willing to try.
Come with me.
He led the way back along the
deck and opened a door.
“This is my room,” he said.
“Come in. You should feel more
at home hero than 1 do, for it ,s an
imperial suite.”'
The prince assented gravely, en
tered, and the inventor, his eyes
dancing, closed the door.
“Sit down,” he said. “You may
j smoke, ’ and he proceeded to roii
i himself a cigaret. “This is your
first visit to America? Yes? The
first thing you will notice is that
not many Americans smoke cigar
ets. Until (juite recently, the cigar
et was believed to in some mys
terious way debauching; no one
but degenerates were supposed tp
use them. Even yet that is the pre
vailing opinion outside a few of
the large cities.”
“Most curious,” commented tht
I prince, and blew a smoke ring
j toward the ceiling.
j‘ “Outside of New York, which
is fair!/ cosmopolitan, there is the
same prejudice against wine or
beer, or any fermented or dis
tilled spirit. No public man, no
teachev in a public school or uni
versity, no physician, no profes
sional man — no man, in a word,
who depends upon public opinion,
; public approval, for a livelihood—
! would dare sit at a table on the
sidewalk and drink a glass of beer
or a liquor. He might do it once,
and escape with the reputation of
an eccentric; but to dq, it twice
! would be to brand himself as not
’ trustworthy.”
] “Astonishing!” said the prince.
|“Do you speak seriously?”
“Very seriously. Some of the
j states have even enacted laws
j that no alcoholic beverage of any
| kind may be sold within their bor
jders.”
“But,” stammered the prince,
staring, “do you call that liberty ?
No country of Europe would dare
enact such a law!”
(Continued Next Week.)
i* TAKE IT EASIER. 4
14 - 4
1 4- Rltsabeth Prentiss. 4
i 4- If you could once make up your 4
1 4- mind In the fear of God never to 4
! -4 undertake more work of any sort 4
I 4- than you ca.n oayry on calmly, 4
1 4- quietly, without hurry or flurry. 4
4- and the Instant you feel yourself ¥
•4 growing nervous and like one out 4
tof breath, would ?>top and take 4
breath, you would find this simple 4
4- common sense rule doing for you 4
twhat no prayers or tears could *
ever accomplish. 4
[444444444444444444444*+-44
♦ 4
♦ ANTE MORTEM TRIBUTE +
'♦ TO SENATOR HUSTING ♦
♦ ♦
4-4*-44 44 4 4- 4-44444-44 4*- 44-4- 44 44
("Senator P. O. Husting, of Wiscon
sin, was kliled In a hunting accident
Sunday morning, October 21. The
same morning, previous to the trag
edy. the Milwaukee Journal paid the
following editorial tribute to Sena
tor IJusting’s worth as a patriotic
congressman and citizen):
It is a proverb in national history that
every time our country has reeded men to
guide us through great crises, they have
been found. Our present crisis has been
no exception. And despite the slurs cast
on Wisconsin—many of them justifiable,
due in no small degree to the disloyal
utterances cf our senior senator—our state
has responded worthily to America's call.
This response has been a result in no
smali measure of the far seeing leader
ship of Senator Paul Oscar Husting. a
man as radically different in thought and
patriotic foresight from Senator LaFol
lette as pacifism from patriotism. And
the journal cannot help wondering how
many people appreciate the unquestioned
ftnd unrepayable service Senator Husting
has rendered.
Looked at in the light of present day
conditions, it seems the only natural
course for a United States senator to have
taken. It was the only natural course.
And if Senator LaFollette had his orig
inal decision to make again, it may be
questioned whether he would not pursue
the same course. But looked at from the
point of view of a year and a half ago.
or even less time than that, the case is
different.
There was a time when congress was
wholly at. sea concerning its proper course
(n our diplomatic relations with Germany
—in April, 19IQ, three days after President
Wilson sent his note on the Sussex case
to Berlin, stating that a repetition of such
acts would necessitate severance of diplo
matic relations. Congress was flooded
with thousands of telegrams from all
parts of the country—a thing unprece
dented in the history of the nation. Let
ters followed from all over the United
States, protesting against possible war
with Germany. Congress was frightened.
The foreign relations committee was panic
stricken. None would dare risk himself
on the fateful issue of Germany’s insolent
demand that we forfeit our rights at sea,
that we back down in our stand for hu
manity, almost that we cease to become a
nation.
Into this crisis Senator Husting, from a
supposedly pro-German state, stepped
with all the courage of a rig'r“ cause. He
exposed the concerted character of the
letters and telegrams. He raised the ques
tion where the money came from to pay
j for these messages. He stemmed the tide
about to sweep congress from its feet. It
| took insight into national and political
| conditions: it took lack of care for politi
j cal preferment: it took unquestioned pa
| triotism to maintain the position Senator
; Husting held in April, 1916. And the serv
ice he did then, and is still doing, will
I stand out in the future with a brilliance 1
that in these turbulent times we are not j
1 yet able to appreciate.
Only Growing Old.
From the Milwaukee Journal.
The last persons to admit the approach '
of age are we upon whom age is creep
ing. Like lovers, we are the last to learn
and admit our disorder. Our friends gath
er on the latest birthday and tell us we
are not a day older than we were 15 years
ago, and we almost cheat ourselves into
! believing them. But we are growing old. j
We have just a little less hair to comb |
over the bald spot than we had 15 years 1
ago. We aie a little more tired when j
dinner time comes. We have a little more 1
time to doze over the newspaper at night,
and a little less desire to stay with the
crowd until the small hours of the morn
ing. We are growing old; that’s* all.
A little less anxious are we to have our
own way than we were 15 years ago, a
little loss ready to blame others for their
misdeeds, a little more charitable in our
views of others’ ©pinions, a little less
eager for the gossip that wipes away
reputations. A little less deeire wc have
! to convert the world to our opinions, a
little less care for stocks and bonds and
gold, a little less haste in making deci
sions. a little less dare in risking new ad
ventures. A little more love we have for
our old friend*, a little greater apprecia
tion of their worth, a little more interest
in our boyhood and girlhood days, a little
i more zest in telling of the pranks and ad
I ventures that gladdened our youth. We
are only growing old.
We should like to feel we were as young
! as we were 15 years ago. But youth con
suming time has sapped the strength of
1 which we boasted then, added a few more
1 lines to our brows, sprinkled our hair with
: snow, an*l made us somewhat wiser mon
! and women as we have glided inch by '
i inch near the haven to which all of us sail j
and from which none returns. We are |
• growing old.
-—
I * The Spirit of Patrick Henry.
“It is natural to man to indulge In the
' illusions of hope. Is this the part of wise
i men, engaged in a great and arduous
struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to
: be of the number of thus* who, having
i eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not,
1 the things which so nearly concern our
temporal salvation? For my part, what
ever anguish of spirit it may cost. T am
willing to know the whole truth—to know
the worst, and to provide for it! Shall
we gather strength by irresolution?
“It is in vain to extenuate the matter.
Gentlemen may cry, peace . peace!—but
there is no peace. The war is actually be- ,
gun! Our breathren are already in the '
field! Why stand we here idle? What Is i
it that gentlemen wish*? What would they J
have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, j
as to be purchased at the price of chains t
and slavery? Forbid it. Almighty God! 1
know not what course others may take; !
but for me, give me liberty or give me I
death!”
URGES AMERICANS
OF GERMAN BLOOD
TO FIGHT KAISER
i I !■! HI I VRaS^MOlflRH Mill1 I
! J A^X
Henry Weismaun.
I “Germany to us, as soon as the con
flict came, could be but a memory,”
i recently declaied Henry Weiamann,
president oi the German-American
I Alliance of the State of New York.
I “The moment Germany chose,
through its government, to tread the
i path that it knew must bring the
j United States into tho conflict, that
i nation rnapned the cord of sympathy
that held millions of Americans to
its causa.'
1
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MIND READING BY WIRELESS
Fakir Detected to Be Using Secret
Buzzer Conected With the Side
Pocket of His Assistant.
While traveling in Ohio last year I
attended a performance in a small
town, where a mind reader was giving
a wonderful exhibition of his powers,
mused a salesman. The mind render,
apparently an Oriental, for he wore a
turban and spoke broken English, was
able to name every object the audience
chose to select for a test; he also
named dates on coins, words, and read
passages in books and newspapers; It
was a marvelous exhibition.
The mind reader’s assistant had a
familiar look; he reminded me of a
telegraph operator I had worked with
in the West. When lie came to where
I was sitting, I noticed he kept one
hand in his side pocket. The as
sistant asked me to give the mind
reading a test.
Pulling out my union card. I asked
him to name the organization to which
I was a member. It was three min
utes by my watch before the mind
reader answered, “Brotherhood of
Rail road si gnal men.”
The assistant turned away from me
as he held my card in such a way as
to bring the side where iiis hand was
in the coat away from mo.
Thirty years as a telegrapher has
made my hearing wonderfully acute
and I detected faint Morse signals.
Then I realized in an instant why the
mind reader's assistant kept his hand
in his coat pocket. He had a wireless
buzzer in there and was signaling the
mind reader. The buzzer was muf
fled with cloth to kill the sound.
I also saw why the mind reader
wore a turban and stood rigid in one
position on a rug. The turban was to
hide the receivers damped on his ears
and the rug to hide the antenae that
ran under the rug, up behind his hack
to the receivers.
Always Find Company.
The man who plays fair can always
find somebody to play with.
New York charities report severe
falling -iff in donations.
Save
In the Use
of Wheat
By eating
Grape-Nuts
All the food value
of the grain is used
in making this de
licious food; and its
blend of malted bar
ley not only adds to
its nourishing quali
ties but produces a
flavor of unusual rich
ness.
All Food—
No Waste!
