Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1914 — SERIAL STORY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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

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.

“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!**

Chevalier di Leon Arranged the Different Pieces.