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'ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS
1 II II 111 - II. II 1 ■ ..i-I II I mi. 1
V
CHAITI8K FI FT K KM. (Continued,) |
‘‘Then, Monsieur le I’refet, you
Inay tilled it that I am the culprit;
and von have mllv to arreat me. i
r mormugwn nt-irs. n it*, iiiiiuamy j
v speaking, impossible that this |
shoilbl not lie so. Consequently,
the law will be satisfied in any
circumstances. He or 1: tiie posi
tion, is quite simple.”
M. 11 team aliens was silent. He |
gnawed his mustache thought
fully and walked round and
round the table within the narrow
circle formed by the others. It
was obvious that objections to the’
supposition were springing up in
his mind. In the end, he mut
tered, us though speaking to him
self;'
“No, no1. For, after all, how
are we to explain that the man
should have waited until now to
claim his rights?”
“An accident, perhaps, Mon
sieur le Prefet, an obstacle of
some kind. Or else—one can
never tell—the perverse longing
for a more striking sensation. And
remember, Monsieur le Prefet,
how minutely and subtly the
whole business was worked. Each
event tonic place at the very mo
ment. fixed hv llippolyte Fan
vilie. ('annot we take it that his
accomplice is pursuing his method
to the end and that he will not
reveal himself until the last
minute ?”
M. Desolations exclaimed, with
a sort of anger:
* c w r i ■ ti * *
No, no, and again no! It m not
possible. It' a creature monstrous
enough to commit such a series of
murders exists, he will not be
such a fool as to deliver himself
into our hands.’’
“Monsieur le l’refet, he does
, not know the danger that threat
ens him if he comes here, because
no one has oven contemplated the
theory of his existence. Besides,
what risk does he run!”
“What, riskf Why, if he has
really committed those mur
ders ’’
“He has committed them, Mon
■ieur le l’refet. He has caused
them to he committed, which is a
different thing. And you now
sec where the man's unsuspected
strength lies! He does not act
in person. From the day when
the truth appeared to me, I have
succeeded in gradually discover
ing his means of action, in laying
bafp the machinery which he con
trols, the t ricks which he employs.
He does not act in person. There
you have his method. You will
find that it is the same through
out the series of murders.
“In appearance, Cosmo Morn
higton died of the results of a
Carelessly administered injection.
In reality, it was this man who
Caused the injection to prove
fatal. In appearance, Inspector
Verot was killed by Hippolyte
Fauville In reality, i! must have
been this wan who contrived the
murder by pointing out the neces
sity to Fauville and, so to speak,
guiding his hand. And, in the
same way, in appearance, Fau
Villc killed his son and committed
suicide. Marie Fauville commit
ted suicide: Gaston Sauverand
committed suicide. In reality, it
was this wan who wanted them
dead, who prompted them to eom
mil suicide, and who supplied
thorn with the means of death.
* There you have the method.
BDvi d Mou«y'n~ !<•
have <lie wm’.' And, in a lower
Voice that contained a sort of np
pheiision, lie added. “I confess
that never before, in the course of
a life that, hmrbcen full of strange
nice tings, have l encountered u
mow terrifying person, acting
with wore devilish ability or
greater psychological insight.*'
His vyorda created an ever-in
oreasiag sensation among his
hearers. They really saw that in
visible being, - He took shajie in
their lurngfijatiohs. They waited
for bun to artivo‘. Twice Don Luis
had turned to the door and list
ened. Am|,|}i« action did more
thuit' anything else to conjure up
the imagine of the man who was
coming
M. Desmalious said:
“Whether he acted in person
or canned others to act, the law,
ence it has hold of him, will know
-X
| 3*
“The law will find it no easy
matter, Monsieur hi Prefet! A
man of his powers and resource
must have foreseen everything,
I even his arrest, even the accusa
j tion of which he would be the sub
h’ecf: and there is little to be
brought against him but moral
charges without proofs.”
“Then you think-”
‘‘I think, Monsieur le Prefet,
that the thing will be to accept
his explanations as quite natural
and not. to show' any distrust.
What you want is to know who
he is. Later on, before long, you
will he able to unmask him.”
The Prefect of Police continued
to walk around the table. Major
d’Astrignac kept his eyes fixed on
Perenna, whose coolness amazed
him. Tlie solicitor and the secre
tary of Kmbassy seemed greatly;
excited. In fact nothing could be
more sensational than the thought
that filled all their minds. Was
the abominable murderer about to
appear before them? '
“Silence!” said the Prefect,
stopping his walk.
Some one had crossed the ante
room.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in!”
The office messenger entered,
carrying a card tray. On the tray
was a letter, and in addition there
was one of those printed slips on
which callers wu-ite their names
and the object of their visit.’
M. Dcstnalions hastened to
ward the messenger. He hesi
tated a moment before taking up
the slip. He was very pale. Then
he glanced at P quickly.
“Oh!” lie said, with a start.
He looked toward Don Luis, re
flected, and then, taking the let
ter hp said to the messenger:
In the hearer outside?”
In the anteroom, Monsieur le
P-. I'-,.”
' “-Piow the person in when I
rin* messenger left the romp.
to. Pesmalions stood in front of
his desk, without moving. For the
second time Don Luis met his
eves; and a feeling of perturba
tion came over him. What was
happening?
With a sharp movement the
Prefect of Police opened the enve
lope which he held in his hand,
unfolded the letter and began to
rend it.
The others watched his every
gesture, watched the least change
of expression on his fact*. Were
Perenna s predictions about to he
fulfilled? Was a fifth heir put
ting in his claim?
The moment i t had read the
first lines, M. L.amnlions looked
i.p and, addressing Don Luis,
nulrmored: '
\ \°u "’ere right. Monsieur.
This is a claim.''
“On whose part, Monsieur le
Prol'et!“ Don Luis could not help
asking.
M. Desmalions did not. reply.
He finished reading the letter.
Then he read it again, with the
attention of a man weighing ev
ery word. Lastly, he read aloud:
•‘Monsieur le Prefet:
“A i hanoe correspondence lias re
vealed 10 me the existence of an un
known heir of tho lloussel family. It
was only today that I was able to
procure the documents necessary for
identifying this heir. and. owing to
unforeseen obstacles. It Is only at tlie
last moment that I am able to send
them to you by the person whom
they concern, ilespecting a secret
Which is not mine and wishing, as a
woman, to remain outside a business in
' have been only golden
involved, beg you. Monsieur le Prefet,
to excuse me if I do not feel cajlgii
upon to sign my name to this litter."
So Perenna had seen rightly
a»i*t events were justifying his
forecast. Some one was putting
in an appearance within the per
iod indicated. The claim was
made in good time. Anti the very
way in which things were happen
ing ;t? the exact moment was cur
ion. -aggestive of the mechani
c d exactness that had governed
the whole business.
The last question still re
mained. wliq was this unknown
person, tlie possible heir, and
therefore the five ■ Or six fold
murderer* He was waiting in the
next room. There was nothing
|but a wall between him anti the
others. He was coming in. They
would sec him. They would know
who he was.
The Prefect suddenly rang the
belT.
A few seconds elapsed. Oddly
enough, M. Desmalions did not
remove his eyes from Perenna.
Don Luis remained quite master
of himself, but restless and un
easy at heart. *
The door opened. The mes
senger showed some one in.
It was Florence Levasseur.
CHAPTER XVI.
Weber Takes His Revenge.
Don Luis was for one moment
amazed. Florence Levasseur here!
Florence, whom he had left in the
train under Mazeroux’s super
vision and for whom it was phy
sically imjMJssible to be back in
Paris before eight o’clock in the
evening!
Then, despite his bewilderment,
he at once understood. Florence,
knowing that she was being fol
lowed, had drawn them after her
to the (Jare Saint-Lazare arpl
simply walked through the rail
way carriage, getting out on the
other platform, while the worthy
Mazeroux went on in the train to
keep his eye on the traveler who
was not there. „.
Hut suddenly the full horror of
the situation struck him. Florence
was here to claim the inheritance;
and her claim, as he himself had
said, was a proof of the most ter
rible guilt.
Acting on an irresistible im
pulse, Don Luis leaped to the
girl’s side, seized her by the arm
and said, with almost malevolent
force:
“What are you doing here?
What have you come for? Why
did you not let me know?"
M. Desmalions stepped between
them. But Don Luis, without let
ting go of the girl’s arm, ex
claimed :
“Oh, Monsieur le Prefet, don’t
you see that this is all a mistake?
The person whom we are expect
ing, about whom I told you, is not
this one. The other is keeping in
the background, as usual. Why
it’s impossible that Florence Le
vasseur -”
“I have no preconceived opin
ion on the subject of this young
lady,’’ said the Prefect of Police,
in an authoritative voice. “But
it is my duty to question her
about the circumstances that
brought her here; and I shall cer
tainly do so.’’
He released tne girl irom uon
Luis's grasp and made her take
a seat. He himself sat down at
his desk; and it was easy to see
how great an impression the girl's
presence made upon him. It af
forded so to speak an illustration
of Don Luis’s argument.
The appearance on the scene of
a new person, laying claim to the
inheritance, was undeniably, to
any logical mind, the appearance
on the scene of a criminal who
herelf brought with her the
proofs of her crimes. Don Luis
felt this clearly and, from that,
moment, did not take his eyes off
the Prefect of Police.
Florence looked at them by
turns as though the whole thing
was the most insoluble mystery to
her. Her beautiful dark eyes re
tained their customary serenity.
She no longer wore her nurse’s
uniform; ami her gray gown,
very simply cut and devoid of
ornaments, showed her graceful
figure. She was grave and un
emotional as usual.
M. Destnalions said:
“Explain yourself, Mademois
elle.”
She answered:
“l have nothing to explain,
Monsieur le Prefet. I have come
to yon on an errand which I am
fulfilling without knowing ex
actly what it is about.”
“ What do you mean? Without
knowing what it is about?”
“I will tell you. Monsieur le
Prefet. Some one in whom I have
every confidence and for whom I
entertain the greatest respect ask
ed me to hand you certain papers.
They appear to concern the ques
tion which is the object of your
meeting today.”
“Tim question of awarding the
Morningtou inheritance?”
‘ ‘ \ os.
“You know that, if this claim
had not been made in the course
of the present sitting, it would
have had no effect?”
‘"I came as soon us the papers
were handed to me.”
“Why were they not handed
to you an hour or two earlier?”
“1 was not there. I had to
i leave tin house where l am stay
ing, ip a hurry.”
Perenna did not. doubt that it
i was’ h>s intervention that upset
| jthe enemy’s plan's by eausipg
[ Florence tq take to flight.
The Prefect ebntinued:
“So you are ignorant of the
reasons why you received the pa
pers?”
“Yes, Monsieur le Prefet.”
'‘ And evidently you are also
•■j ignorant of how far they concern
you?”
“They do not concern me. Mon
sieur le Prefet.”
M. Desmalions smiled and, look
ing into Florence's eyes, said,
plainly:
“According to the letter that
accompanies them, they concern
you intimately, ft seems that
they prove, in the most positive
manner, that you are descended
from the Roussel family and that
you consequently have every
right to the Mornington inherit
ance.”
“I?”
The cry was a spontaneous ex
clamation of astonishment and
protest.
And she at once went on, In
sistently :
“I, a right to the inheritance?
T have none at all, Monsieur le
Prefet, none at all. I never knew
Mr. Mornington. What is this
story? There is some mistake.”
She spoke with great animation
and with an apparent frankness
that would have impressed any
Other man than the Prefect of Po
lice. But how could he forget Don
Luis’s arguments and the accusa
tion made beforehand against the
person who would arrive at the
meeting?
i “Give me the papers,” he said.
She took from her handbag a
blue envelope which was not
fastened down and which he
found to contain a number of
faded documents, damaged at the
folds and torn in different places.
He examined them amid per
fect silence, read them through,
staided them thoroughly, inspect
ed the signatures and the seals
through a magnifying glass, and
said:
“They bear every sign of being
genuine. The seals are official.”
“Then, Monsieur le Prefet
--?” said Florence, in a
trembling voice.
“Then, Mademoiselle, let me
tell you that your ignorance
strikes me as most incredible.”
And, turning to the solicitbr,
he said:
“Listen briefly to what these
documents contain and prove.
Gaston Sauverand, Cosmo Morn
ington’s heir in the fourth line,
had, as you know, an elder broth
er, called Raoul, who lived in the
Argentine Republic. This broth
er, before his death, sent to Eur
ope, in the charge of an oltl nurse,
a child of five who was none
other than his daughter, a nat
ural but legally recognized
daughter whom he had had by
Mile. Levasseur, a French teacher
at Buenos Ayres.
“Here is the birth certificate.
Here is the signed declaration
written entirely in the father’s
hand. Here is the affidavit sign
ed by the old nurse. Here are the
depositions of three friends, mer
chants or solicitors at Buenos
Ayres, And here are the death
certificates of the father and
mother.
“All these documents have
been legalized and bear the seals
of the French consulate . For the
present, 1 have no reason to doubt
them; and 1 am bound to look up
on Florence Levasseur as Raoul
Sauverand’s daughter and Gaston
Sauverand’s niece.”
“Gaston Sauverand’s niece?
, • . His niece?” stam
mered Florence.
The mention of a father whom
she had, so to speak, never known,
left her unmoved. But she be
gan to weep at the recollection of
Gaston Sauverand, whom she
loved so fondly ami to whom she
found ^terself linked by such a
close relationship.
Were her tears sincere? Or
were they the tears of an actress
able to play her part down to the
slightest details? Were those facts
really revealed to her for the first
time? Or was she acting the emo
tions which the revelation of
those facts would produce in her
under natural conditions?
Don Luis observed M. Desmal
ions even more narrowly than he
did the girl, and tried to read the
secret thoughts of the man with
whom the decision lay. Ami sud
denly he become certain that
Florence’s arrest was a matter re
solved upon as definitely as the
arrest of the most monstrous crim
inal. Then he went up to her and
said:
"Florence.”
She looked a him with her ear
dimmed eyes and made no reply.
Slowly, he said:
“To defend yourself, Florence
—for, though 1 am sure you do
not know it, you are under that
obligation—you must understand
the terrible position in which
events have placed you.
tContluueO Next Week.)
Major-General, Davidson, who was
elected to parliament recently, left gen
' eral headquarters in France by air
plane, motored from his landing place
to Westminster.’took the oath and sat
in tlie house of commons a while. Then
he -.vent back as he had come. He was
anxious to take his seat before recess.
1 could get only k few hours off, and
l there was no other way to go.
HUN HIGH COMMAND
SHOWS UNEASINESS
Superiority of Allied Air Force*
Causes It to Make Ridicu
lous Claims.
British Air Force Headquarters in
France (by mall)—There have been
many signs recently of extreme un
easiness by the German high command
regarding the increasing asccendancy
of the allied airmen on the western
front. This has been especially evident
since the American airmen have be
gun to appear in force and have proved
themselves of the same mettle as the
French and British fliers.
It has become a common place
among British airmen that their op
ponents will not face combat in the
air unless in strength of three or four
to one. and German prisoners have told
of German airmen being punished by
their flight commanders for returning
to their airdromes still laden with
bombs and ammunition which they had
been ordered to drop over the British
lines, it is becoming increasingly hard
to find a German airman over the al
lied side of the lines in thj daytime,
as is proved by the Germans' own ad
mission that when they do manage to
bring down an allied machine it is al
most always over ihetr own territory.
Perhaps the most striking evidence
of German official anxiety regarding
the allied superiority in the air is to
be found in the official German wire
less news. This, while always imagina
tive and rarely accurate, has of late
been singularly wild and full of fic
tion regarding the situation in the air.
In an effort to counteract the depress
ing effect of the real facts of the situa
tion the German wireless editors make
the wildest statements, bordering al
most on humor.
Thus a recent copy of the German
wireless report says: "Superior meth
ods of flying and greater skill have se
cured for the German air force suc
cesses on a scale such as were never
known before.” The same statement
refers in glowing terms of the “reck
less attacking spirit” of the pilots of
the German chasing planes—a phrase
which provoked much merriment
among British, French and American
airmen, who of late have found that
even one of the reconnaissance ma
chines can rely on putting to flight
any German machine which is not ac
companied by three or four of its own
kind.
“If Germany is really pleased with
her air record for the past few
months,” remarked a British squadron
leader to the correspondent, “there is
no reason for us to complain. We ask
nothing better than that Germany
should go on having the same kind of
success in future months.”
He topfe as an example the report for
May. which lay open on his desk. “This
report," he explained, “deals with the
British air fighting alone and has no
reference to the fine air work of the
French, Italians and Americans. Dur
ing the month the British brought
down 398 German machines in aerial
combat and 20 by fire from the ground,
while 100 mare were driven down out
of control and probably destroyed.
During the same period 128 British
machines failed to return to their air
dromes."
♦+♦4- 4-+++++♦♦♦♦-♦♦ 4-f ♦♦♦♦■♦-*
♦ VERDUN CITADEL {
♦ 4-+-4--» + -»»-»-e-»+-»*
Elizabeth Frazer in Saturday Evening
Post.
Thanks to my classical education, I
had no proper conception of what con
stitutes a modern fortress. I had
vaguely imagined it as a city ringed
around with a very substantial stone
wall, crenelated and Unrated, with
dozens of peepholes for the doughty
gunners to take pot shots at the enemy
established outside. In the very heart
of the city would be the citadel, which
figured In my mind as .. big. round, Im
pregnable stone tower bristling with
teethlike rows of cannon, its founda
tions naturally extending scores of feet
underneath.
Accordingly when we set out to
traverse the long series of dimly lit
reverberating subterranean passages,
descended flights of slimy stone stairs
to lower and danker levels, stopped in
gun and ammunition rooms, electric
plant rooms, kitchens, messrooms. in
firmaries. chapels, tntiseex cinema and
rest rooms, dormitories, cavernous
abodes 20, 30 and 40 feet below
ground. 1 began to wonder whet) we
were going upstairs.
"Blit there is no upstairs,” respond
ed M. Martin, laughing in answer to
my query—“not in this citadel. Here
it all is. just as you see. underground.
You observed those big Iron mush
room affairs six inches or so above
ground when we were up on the hill?”
“But I thought they were the obser
vation posts of hidden guns—like that
of the Big Bertha."
“So they are—they are our own Big
Berthas. Nevertheless, those observa
tion posts are all the upstairs there is
to this citadel. What do you suppose
would happen to the superstructure of
a fort if it were hit by a shell which
made a crater as large as the one we
saw on the hill—50 feet across and
20 feet deep? Not much upstairs left,
eh?”
So much for a classical education!
"And all tl.e French troops eat and
sleep and pray ami drill down here?
There arc none billeted In Verdun?"
"There's nobody in Verdun."
Looking For Him.
Here is a story that is going the rounds;
A negro trooper, put on duty for the first
time outside the American commander's
headquarters in Paris, had reason to
know the authority of a corporal, a ser
geant or a lieutenant, for tie had been
hustled about by them, hut he was a bit
hazy about other officers.
A lleutc-na;.: :c,.i'Vi.,»cte;o aim t ne :i*u:!ii
saluted. The lieutenant went Inside He
came out in a minute or so and said to
the sentry; "Watch out for General Per
shing. I want to see him."
' Yessuh," said the trooper as he
saluted.
In 10 minutes the lieutenant was hack
"General Pershlug inside?" he asked the
negro.
"No. sir; he ain't arrived," the trooper
replied
The lieutenant was angry and spoke
rather forcefully to himself.
Again he want away, only to return
again in 10 minutes.
"He ain't come yet," said the negro,
sorrowfully.
The lieutenant said a tot of things about
men who kept him waiting and then de
parted.
A few minutes later a man. in khaki ap
proached. The negro didn't pay particular
attention to him until the man asked him
sharply why he didn’t salute. The trooper
saluted and expressed regret for his lapse.
The white man was stern.
"Don't you know me?", he asked “I’m
General Pershing "
"Is you General Pershing?" replied the
trooper, looking at him closely Then a
broad smile came over his face and he
added; "General, you sure will get belt
when that lieutenant gentleman katehoa
up witli you."
Suffered For Years
Back and Kidneys Were in
Bad Shape, But Doan’s
Removed all the Trouble.
“My kidneys were go weak that the
least cold I caught would affect them
and start my back aching until X
could hardly endure the misery,” save
Mrs. J). C. Ross, 97.3 Fulton St., Brook
lyn, N. T. "In the morning when I
first got up, my back
was so lame, 1 could'
hardly bend over and
any move sent darts of
pain through my kid
neys. It was hard for
me to walk up stairs or
stoop, and to mova
while lying down 3cnt
darta of pain through
“The kidney score- MRS. ROSS
tions were Bcanty and distressing and •
the water remained in my system, mak
ing my feet and hands swell. There
were dark circles under my eyes ami
I became so dizzy I could hardly see.
I had rheumatic pains in my knees and
it was all I could do to get around.
For years I was in that shape and I
wore plasters and need all kinds of
mediciug to no avail until I tried
Doan'WKidney Pills. They rid me ,
of the trouble and strengthened mv
back and kidneys. When I have taken
Doan's since, they have always bene
fited me.”
Sworn to before me.
? L. N. VAUGHAN, Notary Public.
Get Doan’, at Any Store, 60c m Bos
DOAN’S
FOSTER-MILBURN CO* BUFFALO. N. Y.
HOME SEEKERS
We have WILD and IMPROVED LANDS from
S12 per acre up and in lota from 40 to 16.U00 acres.
If von want a farm on a BEAUTIFUL LAKE,
rich clay loam soil, surface level and prico right, w
have it. JORDAN St SWIFT, Hay ward, Wla.
BELIEVE IN “LUCK CHARMS”
Fighting Men Have Faith in All Sort*
of Things—Living Mascots
Especially Popular.
Jinny and various and queer are the
“lurk charms” of fighting men. Tiny
rabbits and black cat? made of “lucky”
rnctai are found quite frequently.
Among the French it is held partic
ularly lucky to lmve a gold coin in
one’s possession when going into
battle.
The British carry a lucky flower, the
while heather. A piece of this heather
properly tucked away Inside the hat
band is supposed to save the wearer
from a fatal wound.
When it comes to living mascots, the
fighters have a collection big enough
to stock a zoo. Dogs—of almost every
breed under the sun—cats, mon
keys, birds, raccoons, while rats, goats,
deer, lion cubs, bears, armadillos and
what not; about anything that wan
ders into camp or Is sent in by friends.
“HARD SKIN" AND j
FOOT CALLUSES J
_ 7
Magic! Peel them off without |
pain or soreness j
*T5onT suffer' A tiny bottle of l'reez
one costs but a few cents at any drug
store. Apply a few drops on the
toughened calluses or “hard skin” on
bottom of feet, then lift those painful
spots right off with fingers. Corns also!
~n~\ S
w
When you peel off corns or calluses
with Freezone the skin beneath is left
pink and healthy and never sore, ten
der or even Irritated. Try Freezone
•ure!—Adr.
Ancient History.
.Tack was unusually keen and quick
wltted. All of the young women of the
store in which lie worked teased him,
but seldom with profit.
“Oh, .Tack," said one of them one
day. ,"il i* a good tVug you’re only
firt o. —hl'e. i'm (went;- '' ' . or I'd
set my cap for you.’’
“Yes, you’re twenty-three! You were
twenty-three the year milk Was five
cents a quart.’’
Soft, Clear Skins.
Night and morning bathe the faea
with Cuticnra Soap und hot water. If
there are pimples first smear them
with Outieura Ointment. For free sam
ples address. “Cutlcurn, Dept. X. Bos
ton." Sold l»y druggists and by mull.
Soap 25. Ointment 25 and 50.—Adv.
Don't'imagine your are a vocalist
simply •'‘because the neighbors fall
shoot at you when you attempt'
•ting.
True art does not Imitate nature. It
represents her.
^ -— |
When Your Eyes Need Car*
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