Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1914 — Page 2

SERIAL STORY

—Tn. —= Isolated Continent A Romance of the Future

By Guido von Horvath and Dean Hoard

OwrAfbt, 191 S, by W. O. Chapman In Uw United Suites nod Grant Britain. T BYNOPSIS. For fifty years the continent of North America had been Isolated from the rest of the world by the use of Z-rays, a wonderful Invention of Hannibal Prudent. The Invention had saved the country from foreign invasion, and the continent had been united under one government with Prudent as president. For half a century peace and prosperity reigned In this part of the world. The story opens with President Prudent critically ill. His death is hastened by the receipt of a message from Count von Werdenstein of Germany that he has at last succeeded in penetrating the rays. Dying, he warns nis daughter Astra that this means a foreign invasion. He tells her to hurry to the Island of Clrynith, but dies before he can tell the location of the place. Astra is nominated for the presidency by the continental party. Napoleon Edison calls on Astra, informs her that he was a pupil of her father’s, and promises to help her. He gives her a rinil made of a newly discovered substance which, he says, will solve the problem of flying. Chevalier dl Leon appears in Europe. He notes that preparations have been completed - for an invasion of America. He calls on iron Werdenstein and offers him the secret of making gold. He demands in return absolute disarmament and peace. The chevalier is suspected of being an American. He is seized at night and carried off in an areoplane. Astra is inaugurated as president. She receives a message from Edison, whose long silence has worried her. that he has been a prisoner for two months on the island of Helgoland and has just escaped. He announces that the confederated fleet of Europe has sailed for America. He promises to call on her the following night. CHAPTER Vll.—Continued. The chevalier suggested a walk In the open air, but the captain shook his head. "I am sorry to disappoint you, my dear chevalier, but your territory ends here.” He said this with ■uch kindness that it was plain to the chevalier that he was sorry for the Imprisonment. For two long months the Captain Hans Euler kept faithful company to the chevalier. There - s no chance to escape from this prison; not even a chance to look out at the ocean. The Chevalier di Leon soon realized tfiat he could not escape and knew that all he could do was to wait. The personal belongings that he had left in the room at the Hotel Metropole were brought to him, and great was his satisfaction when he saw that nothing had been forgotten. Papers from Berlin and England were in the reading-room and he was informed of the doings of the world. On the sth of February the chancellor strode into the reading-room where the chevalier was comfortably reading a novel by the English writer, Sir Rider Haggard, that had been published about 1920. “What a pleasant surprise, your excellency!” bowed the chevalier with a broad smile. “ The chancellor was somewhat taken back; he had expected a different reception. “You appear contented here!" “Considering the “circumstances, I am.” "I have a few words to say to 70U, and I will say them plainly." “The plainer the better, your honor!" "The fact that you are an American is proved beyond a doubt. What are you doing here and how did you come here?” The answer came as a flash, but calm and sarcastic: “I am listening to yon, yonr excellency, and as to my coming, I did not come of my own accord; I was carried." A devilißh little smile twinkled In the gray eyes of the chevalier. The chancellor was offended; the young man dared to play with him, the iron handed master. "Your jokes are out of place; you are a clever man, bnt I will have to ask my question again. Will you answer it?" "I refuse!" Their eyes clashed like the cold steel of two swords. "Chevalier di Leon, you are not taking your situation seriously. What is your liberty worth to you?" "It is very valuable, your excellency; however, It haß no price, as I know that everything comes to him who watte." “Then you are not willing to consider any offer I may make?" "Your honor, as a prisoner, I am not In a position to listen to any offer; the time will come when we will stand face to face again, both free and uninfluenced by circumstances; then I will consider things seriously. Ry this I don’t mean to say that my imprisonment influences me in any way." The Count von Werdenstein paced the room Impatiently. Suddenly he toned to the quietly sitting man. "Chevalier, I certainly admire your oonrage. 1 must admit my defeat." He offered his.hand to the chevalier and turned to leave the room saying: "Until we meet again, chevalier!" ~ When the chancellor returned to Berlin he called for the Countess Ro«lny and asked her to attend a private M MdtMO# aa soon as possible. She hur-

ried to the chancellor’s private office. “My dear countess, I requested your presence urgently, as 1 desire to make you a gi|ft that 1 am stire you will be glad to accept." - The countess looked questlonmgly at her dictator." ‘ ' “You have asked me several times what happened to the Chevalier di Leon, your gallant knight and dancer, and I have found him for you; more than that, I will turn him over to you for safe keeping.” The countess’ beautiful face became, for a fleeting moment, sad, then her serenity returned. “I am counting on your clever work, The chevalier is a man whose mission and are obscure and I must know more about him. You are the only one in the service who will be able to obtain this information fOr me. To show you how much I trust you and your ability, I give you carte blanche—you may do as you please. If you should find it necessary, you may even elope with him. Here is a special order and passport, also an extended account upon all the state banks." '1

“I see; but what is It that you want to‘know?’’ “Everything, my dear countess; but especially the situation across the Atlantic.” “I think I know what my duties are, and will start for Helgoland tomorrow. When shall I report progress?” “When your mission is at an end.” The Countess Rosiny picked up the documents, looked them over and placed them in her handbag. The punctilious chancellor escorted her to his office door and bade her goodby, wishing her good fortune. "When the door closed behind the departing countess the chancellor rubbed his hands with satisfaction. “I am w glad she took the commission so calmly. Now, my dear chevalier, if you can withstand those violet eyes you jure—not an ordinary mortal a saint." The conntesß’ beautiful face was set and determined; she had not spoken, but storm was raging in her heart. Three days later the captain told his prisoner that a new guest was expected; that she was a lady of the court, charged with conspiracy against the government. The chevalier laughed. "I should not be surprised to find an old acquaintance in the fair conspirator.” The captain’s eyes grew round and his honest face expressed surprise. The following morning Countess Rosiny arrived. The apartment adjoining that of the chevalier was given her and the prisoners met in the presence of Captain Euler at the breakfast table. The greeting "that Chevalier dl Leon gave was quite a surprise to the countess; he acted courteously, but gave not the least sign that he had ever met her before. When the breakfast was over he retired to the readingroom, where the countess followed him, without the captain. “You don’t seem to recognize me, chevalier!" He glanced around cautiously, and when he saw they were alone he whispered: "I thought it might be disagreeable for you, countess, but now that we are alone, I greet you with all my heart.” “What brought you here, chevalier?” Chevalier di Leon laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “I think it is a caprice of the Count von Werdenstein; he wants to extend all the hospitality he possibly can. Look at those masterfully constructed windows that give you air and light, without permitting you to see even the sky. Is that not the limit of forethought?" The countess recognized bitter feeling in the chevalier's heart, and casting down her beautiful eyes, she sighfed: “From now on you will have

Chevalier di Leon Arranged the Different Pieces.

a companion in captivity. I do not want to compliment you, but it was quite a pleasant surprise to find you here, chevalier.” “You are more than kind," was all he said. The days passed more quickly. Many a man would have envied the prison in which the chevalier was killing time seemingly in perfect content,ment. ' When the month of February was gone he felt a longing for the free air and his thoughts began to concentrate upon an attempt to make a strike for liberty. He examined all the devices that were arranged to prevent escape from the prison. The CounteßS Rosiny noticed the change thilt had come over the chevalier and one evening she began to talk about the moon and stars, saying that spring was at the door. The chevalier listened to the sweet voice of the woman who sat opposite to him quietly.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

“Tell me, chevalier, are yon ol Bton»? Have yon no human feelings whatever?” - “I certainly have, countess; indeed, I am well endowed In that respect." "Haven’t you felt happier sidce 1 came to share your solitude?” He looked at her. .with those bold, penetrating gray eyes for a long time. "Countess, I admire you, and you are the pleasantest comrade that 1 ever had, but lam troubled. The continuous indoor life is beginning to tell on me. I am U6ed to much exercise in the open air' and I have many things that I am worried about.” A few days later Captain Euler told the prisoners that they would be allowed to append the evenings on the roof of the building.

The countess watched Chevalier dl Leon’s face very closely when the captain told them this and saw the gleam of real pleasure in hi* eyes. That evening they were taken to the roof of the building; to be accurate, to a Bection of the roof which was surrounded by a high wall, so high that It prevented them from seeing the courtyard beneath, or anything but the stars and the pale face of the full moon. \ ~ It was springtime. “Don’t you think this would be an ideal place to send up fire rockets?” He looked toward the stars; his eyee wandered over the dark blue firmament restlessly. * "You are playing with fire all the time,” remarked the countess, as she moved nearer to the chevalier. “Have you ever heard of a case where people were married in a prison?” she continued. “No, I never have." i

“Chevalier, will you tell me one thin§3f4rankly, honestly?” Her voice waflHtender and soft. "Anything you ask, countess." “Are you engaged to be married?" "I am not” The firmness of his voice was enough to assure the countess that he told the truth. “Are you in love?” . . • “In love?” he repeated thoughtfully. “I don’t know; all I know Is that I have an image, a saint enshrined in my heart, of whom I think, for whose welfare lam fighting and suffering. If that is love, then I am in love." The countess sighed, a sob broke from her heaving bosom and she let her shoulder lean heavily against him; she buried her face in his shoulder and the tears trickled down her soft cheeks as she sighed: “I am so very, very unhappy.”

The chevalier bent his head over her and his eyes became dark for a second; then hd folded her in his arms and their lips met in a kiss. The spell was short; the next moment the countess stood up and the chevalier picked her up and placed her on the bench again, as if she were a little child; then he turned and ran down the stairs to his prison. • —~ ”■ 11 CHAPTER VIII. The Fi reworks. Every evening after that, except when it stormed, the prisoners went up on the roof. These evenings were the pleasantest part of the days. During the day the chevalier read the daily papers and magazines with great interest. He found plenty of engrossing news there, especially the preparations of the confederated navy and army. One article, very well written by one of the chief engineers, particularly attracted his attention. That article described the Z ray and its destroyer. The supply station of destruction was Madeira, from which place heavy cables were laid to reach the 30th longitudinal meridian, along which the Z ray ran. "The heaviest current of electricity was conducted by this tremendous cable to three specially built boats. The Sampsonian vibrating rays were generated on these boats. Each rag made 3,000,000 vibrations a second and all were direpted in a harmonious line toward the Z ray belt. In time the wall of isolation would fall down jinder the immense force playing against it, and the invasion of America *would follow. After a long study the chevalier placed the magazine on the table and muttered: “The time for action is nearing.” . . ■ - : One evening at the dinner table the chevalier asked Captain Euler if he could have some material for pyrotechnical displays in order to lessen the monotony of their existence.

The captain furnished everything- he asked for. The countess offered her services and they worked almost all afternoon the next day getting the fireworks ready. Di Leon seemed to be an expert; he soon had a large Japanese wheel, several turning stars and also a number of long sky rockets ready. When evening came they excitedly prepared for the grand fireworks. Tha sky was clear and the moon had not yet risen. Chevalier di Leon arranged the different pieces, and when the captain came np he fired the first air runner. The long rocket went high ur in the air, whirring and whistling, and then, with a puff, broke Into thousand* of red sparks. Another puff brought white and the third brought blue. The next was the Japanese snn; this was fastened to the center of the roof. It circled and sparkled for a long time. The chevalier waa deeply lntereated In his projectiles and, aa the countess assisted him. Captain Euler had to play the part of audience. There was a larger audience outside their InckMure, bnt that waa another world.

When all the set pieces were used the chevalier looked up In the iky, seemingly searching, to r something; at last his hand went Into his pocket and, bringing out an object not unlike a Browning pistol, he said: “And now, ladies and gentlemen, I will show yos something new in the pyrotechnioal art." (TO BS CONTINUE!**

MONKEYS EASY PREY

JUNGLE LEOPARDS HAVE NO TROUBLE GETTING A DINNER. Mere Clicking of Animal’s Teeth Frighten Simians Until in Their Excitement They Fall From the Trees; - a How the leopards of the low country jungle of Ceylon capture monkeys is told by L. S. Woolf in a letter to the London Times. “Native Singhalese, who knew the jungle well,” he writes, “always assured me that no form of food, except perhaps the dog, is so acceptable to the leopard as the large gray Wanderoo monkey. I have several times found the remains of monkeys that had obviously furnished the leopard’s meal in the caves which serve the leopards for a lair —and the Inside of a dead leopard has shown further proof. “The Singhalese had often told me that leopards do not attempt to climb trees in search of their prey. “Whenever monkeys see' a leopard slinking under the trees they become excited and all chatter. As soon as the leopard hears this he lies down under a bush begins to click his teeth. ... “This noise seems to fill the monkey with terror and excitement. They huddle together in the tree top above the leopard’s head, jumping up and down on the branches, shrieking and chattering. Below the leopard waits motionless, clicking its teeth, until suddenly one of the monkeys misses its footing and comes to the ground with a thud—and then the leopard is on it in a bound. “I had always received this inforTnatioir with some doubt until I one day saw, at any rate, the first acts of the tragedy. I was traveling in thick jungle aiJd my bullock carts having gone on in the early afternoon, I was following later in the evening down the same sandy track. I noticed that a large leopard had been following behind the bulls and that he had suddenly turned aside down a small game track. “At the same moment I became aware of a tremendous chattering of monkeys in the distance, I had a Singhalese with me and we crept through the thick jungle toward the nisse. ;

“After crawling about 150 yards I saw to twenty monkeys jumping up and down excitedly on the top of a small tree. They seemed to be looking down at something on the other side of a large bush which was in front of me and when they saw us they kept on turning their heads first at us and then to something else, leaping up and down and shrieking perpetually and —as it appeared to me—gesticulating and beckoning to us with the.r long, thing gray arms. “The same thought came to the Singhalese, for he whispered to me: ‘They are beckoning you to shoot.’ I lay still for a moment thinking which side of the bush it was best to crawl around, and then I distinctly heard the click, click, click of the leopard’s teeth behind it. I chose the wrong side, for as I came around all I saw was the leopard disappear in a great curving bound into the thick jungle beydnd.” —-

The Creative Impulse.

The creative impudse does not itself know the next step it will take, or the next form that wjll arise, any more than the creative artist determines beforehand all the thoughts and forms his inventive genius will bring forth, writes John Burroughs in the Atlantic. * He has the impulse or the inspiration to do a certain thing, to let himself go in a certain direction, but the precise form his creation will take is unknown to him as to you and me. Some stubbornness or obduracy in his material, or some accident of time or place, may make it quite different from what he had hoped or vaguely planned. IJe does not know what thought or incident or character he is looking for till he has found it, till he has risen above his mental horizon. So far as he is inspired, so far as he is spontaneous, just so far is the world with which he deals plastic and fluid and indeterminate and ready to take any form his medium of expression—words, colors, tones —affords him. He may surprise himself, excel he has surrendered hlmßelf to a power beyond the control of his will or knowledge.

Where “Stogie” Came From.

“Ever know how the word ‘stogies’ camfl into im«?” asked Robert Simpson, a newspaper man of Pittsburgh, to a little party of his colleagues at the New Willard. No one in the group of writers did, whereupon Mr. Simpson proceeded: “I presume there are more stogies smoked In middle west than any other form of tobacco. In fact, stogies are becoming popular the world over, and there are many who like them better than the best cigar. A long time ago I was in a Pennsylvania lumber district, and the timber was transported to market by means of teams. The teamsters in most instances had a long haul, and ordinarily would take a whole day to reach their destination, which was Conestoga. Instead of taking along a pipe, the teamsters would lay in a supply of Pennsylvania tobacco, and as they drove along, with one hand would roll it Into shape for smoking. These rolls came to be known as Conestogas, and as time went on the word was contracted to 'stogies.* ”, ,

AMERICAN INFLUENCE IN CHILI

THE bride-elect is the preface to some concluding observations on the canal. She was petite, pretty and -plucky. Her trip also had some significance in relation to American industrial enterprises in the west coast countries. She came all the way from New York alone. When she left the steamer at Valparaiso she was not alone, and a hundred kindly eyes followed the pair. A few hours later I saw them in the American consulate. The civil cerecrony had been concluded in accordance with the Chilian law’s, and the religious ceremony had followed. Nominally three months’ residence is required in Valparaiso for foreigners bent upon matrimony, but when some official representative of their government is ready to vouch for their citizenship the Chilian officials are considerate and the formal requirements are waived. So it happened that in this case, with the aid of the consul, a few hours after the arrival of the bride-to-be she was able to leave for the mines with her American husband, writes C. M. Pepper in the New York Tribune.

With nearly every steamer that comes in from Panama a similar procedure is enacted. The American mining investments brought down a good many young Americans. Some“had wives to fetch along. Others left sweethearts behind them, and the sweethearts now sefem to he following in a regular procession. They are the visible evidences of the part that American capital is taking in giving fresh life to Chili’s mineral industries. Everybody now assumes that in the future the number of Americans coming will growlarger--Canal Prophecies.

Tbe matter of the Valparaiso harbor Improvements is another aspect of the American influence in Chili. This country originally did not look with favor on the construction of the canal by the United States. There was a political phase of the matter which need not now be revamped. There was also the economic phase, which was more serious. Chili, or a good many Chilians, really believed that the canal would have an adverse elect on the commerce of the country and would seriously divert trade. Punta Arenas, the metropolis of the Strait of Magellan, was then a free port, and benefited by its position at the uttermost end of the continent. It served the vessels from Europe and the United States which came up to this coast, as well as those on the route to Australia and New Zealand and other parts of the world. The assumption was that all this shipping would cease.

Reflection changed this pessimistic opinion somewhat, especially when it was realized that after the canal was opened many of the steamship companies would send their ships through the canal and back by way of the strait, or vice versa. Yet there is expected to be some loss of the Australian traffic, and while Punta Arenas will not diminish in commercial importance, it can hardly expect to grow. This possibly is the reason why the Chilian government a year or two ago took away its privilege as a free port and established a custom house in the strait. This southern toe of Chill is very" far from being In a position to affect the whole country when it loses a little of Re circulation.

Valparaiso Harbor. The commerce of Chili centers at Valparaiso. After it became certain that the canal would be built, the Chilian men of trade and Borne of the men of affairs began to study the question, and decided that Valparlso was not outside the Yadlus of the canal. If it had been, there would have been additional reasons for providing it with better shipping facilities, in order to hold its commerce against the canal competition. But the Baner view was taken —the shipping facilities should be strengthened, both to get the fullest benefit of the canal and in order to offset Buch incidental loss In the world's commerce as might occyr through the tendency of shipping alwayß to seek good harbors. After the earthquake of 1906 Valparaiso began to rebuild itself in a manner befitting; its commanding position. The reconstruction Is still gotng on, so that In* some parts a modern city has been created. This was an-

CAPITOL AT SANTIAGO

other reason why the port facilities should be modernized. Valparaiso as a city is more than one hundred years old, but as a harbor it did not show anything like a century of improvements. The natural conditions are all bad. The number of lives that have been lost, the ships that have gone down and the valuable cargoes that have been sacrificed in the terrific storms that are sometimes encountered, would make a formidable total, but the figures do not need to be added up now.

As to the preparedness of the United States to take advantage of the canal facilities on the west coast, after traversing- it all the way down, my judgment is that there is no lack of adequate preparation. Possibly some results of overbooming still exist, and there are manufacturers and exporters in the United States who think that the 12.00Q.0QQ people who inhabit the west coast countries are going to double or treble their trade in & year, just because the canal is opened. But these golden visions are vanishing as the situation is studied in the light of actual conditions. The whole proposition "is an economic one, and studied from the economic point of view .there is the basis for a normal and healthy growth of trade, but not a phenomenal one.

AS BOY SAW GREAT WRITER

Brilliant English Author Likened by Observant American to Our Own Horace Greeley. In his new book, ‘Tn Thackeray’s London,” F. Hopkinson Smith says: “The first and only time I saw him (Thackeray) was in Baltimore when I was seventeen years old. “He and Mr. John P. Kennedy, a friend of my father, strolled one Sat-' ‘ urday afternoon into the Mercantile library, where we boys were reading. “ ‘Look!’ came from a tangle of legs and arma- bunched up in an adjoining easy chair, ‘that’s the Mr. Thackeray who ia lecturing here.’ "My glance followed a directing Hnger and rested'on a tall, rather ungraceful figure topped by a massive head framed about by a fringe of whitish hair, short fuzzy whiskers, crumplv cellar and black stock. Out of a pink face peered two sharp inquiring eyes, these framed again by the dark rims of a pair of heavy spectacles, which, from my point of sight, became two distinct dots in the round of the same pink face. The portrait of Horace Greeley widely published during his presidential campaign—the one all throat whiskers and spectacles —has always recalled to my mind this flesh glimpse of the great author whom I afterward learned to revere.”

The “Primrose League” was formed in* 1884, in memory of the late Lord Beaconsfleld. whose favorite flower the primrose is thought to have been. Beaconsfleld died on April 19, 1881. and the anniversary of that day is termed “primrose day," when the flower is generally worn by hjs admirers and also placed upon his statue in Parliament square. The joke of it is, the primrose was not the great statesman’s favorite flower. It was, however, the favorite flower of Queen Victoria, and when asked about the floral tribute to be sent to Beaconsfleld’s funeraf she advised sending "the primrose, my favorite flower." In some way the matter got mixed up, and the delusion sprang up that materialised in the "Primrose League.”

“I have always wondered,” philosophized Mrs. Twaddles, “how* a horse feels. Now don’t interrupt with some silly remark; I am In earnest. A horse hasn’t any idea what is going to happen to him when he is hitched up. He doesn’t know how far he is going, or what he is going for. To be driven hither and thither, blindly, seemingly without purpose, with no idea what it’s all about or when it will be over—how mufct the poor creature feel —what must he think about it all?’’ “I suppose,” answered Mr. Twaddles, wearily; “that he must feel Just as I do when you take me on a shopping tMp with you.” But Mrs. Twaddles merely sniffed.

Primrose League.

Mrs. Twaddles Wonders.