Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1915 — ANNE IVES: MASCOT H.M.EGBERT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ANNE IVES: MASCOT H.M.EGBERT

’ r ILLU STRATTONS

ILLUSTRATIONS BY O.IRWIN MYERS

(copyright III* WG CHAPMAN)

CHAPTER Vll—Continued. A cab was drawn up at the door — for they had arranged their plan down to the last detail—and Charles and I entered, together with the officers, while Magniff betook himself elsewhere. A long ride through the Paris streets terminated at the principal fortresses of the capital. There we were separated; Charles was taken in one direction and 1 in another, along a branching stone corridor and Into a small but fairly well-furnished room, clearly no prison cell, where I was left to my medications. An hour later I received a visit from a major In ufiiform, who courteously requested my presence before the examining magistrate. He seemed to regard me as some rare and valuable wild animal, and my youthful appearance evidently astonished him. "Monsieur Ptchon has the reputation of a brute, mademoiselle,'* he said. "But have no fear. You need confess nothing, and he Is merely an adjunct to the military law under which you will be tried. You will have ample time in which to prepare your defense.” “Ftor myself, I need none." I replied. "But where Is the chevalier? Shall I see him?" The major shook his head. "He has already been examined.** he answered, smiling faintly. “I fear it will go hard with him France has had too many betrayals of late. But have no fear for yourself,” he continued. scrutinizing my face. "The utmost penalty for treachery in time of peace is exile upon the Isle du Diable." The Devil’s Island! Remembrances of all that I had read about that fearful place rushed through my mind. For the moment I thought that I would faint. The walls reeled round me and I saw the face of the officer through a wavering mist. Then I collected my wits resolutely and, indicating that I was ready, followed him out of the room and down a long corridor, until we entered a small office containing a high desk and a number of chairs. Behind the desk, on a bench, sat a stern-looking, black-bearded magistrate, wearing the gown and cap of his professional office. Seated in the room were Magniff and the officials who had arrested us. with two or three officers in uniform. The magistrate beckoned insolently to me to approach his desk, and, when I stood before him, fixed his penetrating black eyes full on my face for some half minute. Then, seeing that my own gaze did not falter, he cried tn savage tones: "You will confess everything immediately, to the last lota. Your fellow conspirator has done so already. You will tell me the entire story of your infamous treachery and what power induced your lover to steal the document." ~"7ZZZ lam not hot tempered. For a moment I was dazed at his brutality. But at this Insolent assumption of my guilt, combined, as it was. with the utmost insolence of bearing. I lost all self-control. I took a single step forward and did a thing that I have never done before or since. I boxed his ears —twice! Before he had recovered speech, the officials of the court rushed forward; they would have manacled me. but suddenly and swiftly the officer who had conducted me to the office interposed. "Well done, mademoiselle,’* he cried. "Back, all of you." He turned to the magistrate. "This is a military case,’* he cried, "and let me remind you that you are as accessory t only. The lady shall not be Insulted, or I withdraw the case from your hands." There was a full half minute’s silence. Then, swallowing in his throat and muttwing angrily the magistrate called upon the banker and began to Interrogate him, one side of his face still scarlet with my finger marks. “Mr. Magniff, you will please place me In possession of sufficient facts to permit of my signing the paper of detention.” he stammered. The banker stepped forward briskly. “This woman came to me three weeks ago to demand possession of certain bonds which she alleged were in a certain safe In my vaults,” he said. “I laughed at her*-and showed her to the door, but she persisted-In her claim, and. after having warned her what the consequences of a fraudulent claim would be I permitted her to proceed.” “Prisoner, you may deny any or all of these statements," shouted the magistrate. I remained silent, fixing my eyes on Magnfff My direct gaze seemed to disconcert him; he turned his back to me and continued: “By some means she had obtained knowledge of the combination code. Again I warned her. She persisted in her claim, alleging that she was Anne Ives. a' grand-daughter of the Comte d’Yves, and owner of the bonds, My books show that a certain woman of this name actually does own some worthless bonds in the old Panama

company, but they bavs been lost these thirty years and are certainly not In my safe.

“She alleged that she had lost the key. Resolved to bring her to justice, 1 told her to return today, when a duplicate key would be made and the safe opened. Then, I said, playing upon her greed, I would purchase the bonds from her at an enormous price. Immediately upon her departure I had the safe opened. It was empty.” "Proceed, monsieur,” said the magistrate, smiling.

”1 immediately investigated this woman’s record,” Magniff continued. “I found that she had actually come from Canada recently, as one of my woman witnesses will shortly show. In London she became acquainted with the prisoner d’Yves. They flew together in an aeroplane at an aviation meeting. Subsequently the traitor took her Into Westminster abbey at the time of the coronation, ostensibly as his wife. “The most damaging feature, however, In my opinion, is—” "Pardon, monsieur, you may not draw inferences,” interposed the magistrate suavely. "That Is my province, though doubtless" —he smiled knowingly—"your Inferences and mine will coincide In so clear a case of guilt” "I furthermore submit,” Magniff continued, "that this woman has stayed at Clichy, the home of the male prisoner, during the last two weeks, and is doubtless thoroughly conversant with his plans. On board the ship, and subsequently, while visiting the Louvre, ostensibly for the study of art, she waa seen In the company of a certain Greek named Zeuxis, who, as you are aware. Is being sought by the Government as being directly implicated In this crime. Undoubtedly the two men and the woman hatched the scheme together and are unitedly responsible for IL” "I thank you, monsieur," said the magistrate. "You have rendered France a service of Incalculable value. Please conclude your evidence.” “This morning, or rather soon after noon," concluded Magniff, smiling broadly, "the two prisoners came to my office with the utmost effrontery, for the purpose of recovering the bonds. I knew that at some recent date some forged bonds had been placed In the safe. With them, but so cunningly hidden among the mses of papers that no casual observer would have perceived It, was the stolen document I knew it waa there; 1 suffered this woman to remove it, and she was immediately arrested. She trembled and betrayed every evidence of guilt” **You may go, monsieur.” said the magistrate, bowing to Magniff. Immediately the two officials were called and gave formal evidence concerning the events of the afternoon. ~ “Have you any rejoinder to make?” demanded the magistrate, scowling at me. "I think, monsieur, that I have made you a rejoinder already," I observed mockingly. “I have no more to say to you. But to this gentleman,” I continued, turning to the major, "I beg to announce that I am completely Innocent. I do not know," I continued, with Increasing agitation which, In spite of all my efforts, I was not able wholly to conceal, “I do not. quite know what depths of villainy have been sounded In this infamous conspiracy against the Chevalier d’Yves and myself. But he Is Innocent, and pursued by that rogue and his scheming son to further their hateful designs against Clichy, which they hope to snatch out of my grandfather’s possession—” “The prisoner, in response, alleges conspiracy to obtain a title to land,” murmured the magistrate, jotting down a few words upon his pad. “My principal female witness will arrive tomorrow morning," Interposed Magniff, “when I hope to be able to place you In possession of the remaining facts." "Remanded in bail of the amount of one hundred thousand francs," said the functionary. "Remove the prisoner." He leaned over his bench, and shook his finger at me. “Once more I counsel you," he roared; “make a clean breast of the whole affair and throw yourself upon the mercy of the court” The officer of the fortress Interposed, turning his back upon M. Plchon contemptuously, and touched me on the arm. I placed my hand in his, and he conducted me from the'court room. When we had reached my room he (Stopped and said, admiringly: "Mademoiselle, you are so bravo I quite believe you guilty." **You dfff'not before?" I asked smiling. • <. "Before,” he answered, “the charge seemed Incredible. Why, you should have been across the frontier Instantly, instead of waiting to trick Magniff in such a clumsy fashion as that Did the Germans pay your lover well?” “Believe what you like; I am innocent As innocent as—as the chevalier,” I added.

"I can well believe that" said the officer, bowing himself out of the room. Ono problem perplexed me greatly: who waa the "Principal female witness” of the prosecution? ■ - / CHAPTER VIII. A Turn of the Wheel. (In which my adversary discovers that he has trumped his ace.) Ip spite of my assumed indifference, I spent a miserable night within the prison fortress. I could not help realizing that the case against Charles looked black; I had no strong faith tn French justice particularly in a case of alleged espionage, which would send up the nation’s anger to the boiling point When the first streaks of daylight entered my room I arose and dressed with feverish anticipation of the day’s developments. The "principal female witness” of whom the banker Magniff had spoken was due to arrive that morning. Whoever she might be, I hoped that her evidence would prove a boomerang for the prosecution. Certainly the climax of the affair must be at hand; this racking, torturing suspense could not endure much longer. My only Joy—but how great a one, how strong a comfort I cannot put into words —was the recollection that Charles and I had publicly pledged our troth; nothing could take away the memory of that or tear from either the possession of the other’s heart, no matter what the outcome. The development was even speedier than I had imagined. After I had breakfasted upon a light meal brought in by the same kindly officer of the preceding day, visitors were announced. The major, who had introduced them, withdrew, muttering something about privacy, and there entered —Magniff himself, followed by a woman whom, though her face seemed familiar, I did not Immediately recall. Indeed, I hardly looked at her, so astonished was I at seeing the change which the night had wrought upon the banker. For all his self-confidence was gone; his hair was ruffled, his garments untidy, hie face woebegone and haggard; he looked as though he was upon the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Do you know this woman?” he asked me. Indicating his companion, without even the formality ot a greeting. I looked hard at the shabby, middleaged figure in the threadbare gown, and suddenly my memory rushed back to me. "Madame Zeuxis!” I cried. The recognition was mutual. The woman rushed forward, laboring under

an emotion more intense than the banker’s. She seized my hands in hers and covered them with kisses. This outburst astonished me no lees than her companion. "It is Miss Ives!" she cried. "The lady of the ship! I learned your name from .the ship steward, lady, for I meant to go to you and kill you. Ah! forgive me. I was mad with jealousy, for my man had made me think he loved you, and all the while he used you as a decoy to divert my suspicion, while he made love to another.” She eprang back and, with arms upraised, poured forth an incomprehensible outflow of maledictions. "Now I will tell you all,” she cried to Magniff; and there was pathos mingled with tragedy in this revival of ancient fires in the middle-aged Greek; I could imagine how many sorrows, how much jealousy she had suffered since she gave herself into the scoundrel’s keeping. Her utterance was intensely dramatic. “Now, I shall tell all the truth.” she declaimed. "When the letter-writer wrote these for* me, saying that I would prove the guilt of the Chevalier, I did not know that Miss Ives here was his betrothed. For you are betrothed to him, are you not?” she pleaded. "Yes, so all are saying this morning. Well, my man was to induce me to give false evidence against him, and it was all arranged. But that was a week ago. "Now everything is changed, for he himself has been deceived, and he wants his revenge. When I left him five days ago, I was to tell the half truth. But I shall tell everything. The Chevalier is innocent —as innocent as this lady of his imprisoned here." She was becoming incoherent in her statements. I made her sit down and gave her water. Presently she resumed, more calmly: "Constantlnopoulp Zeuxis, my man, he stole the key to the safe from the purse of Miss Ives in London,” she continued. ”Tt was arranged long before. He took the key to Paris, removed the bonds, and substituted the forged ones., He also stole the treaty from the Chevalier and handed it to the chief conspirator. He was to have

received a thousand pounds for ids share In the work.” "Who was his accomplice?” I asked calmly; and I saw a shade of gray pass over the banker’s face. "Leopold Magniff—your son,” said Madame Zeuxis contemptuously, spinning round and facing the father. Magniff, pere, threw up his arms as though to ward off a sudden blow. He sank down into a chair, his face ashen gray, breathing heavily. "It is Impossible!” he muttered, more to himself than us. "Leopold was a good boy—a little wild, but always a good boy, He had all the money he needed. No, he could not have been the traitor ” I took up the pert of the cross-ex-aminer. . “Why was the treaty put back In the safe If it was of so much value?” I asked the woman. "Because Leopold’s hatred for the Chevalier was stronger than his desire for revenge,” she answered quickly. "He wanted the bonds, because he hnew that he could force his father to buy them back from him at any price, by threatening to dispose of them elsewhere. Monsieur Magniff here had to have the bonds; he agreed to sell them to the American government years before; he had sold them, trusting that they would never be found. The holder could have made him pay millions for the possession of them. And there was money in the treaty, too. Germany or Italy would have paid well for it —not so much as M. Magniff would have given for the bonds but still a large sum. Of this my man Constantlnopoulo was to have received a thousand pounds." "Go on,” I said. “Afterwards, when Leopold Magniff discovered that the Chevalier was his bitterest enemy, his desire for revenge proved stronger than his greed. He Induced my man to replace the stolen treaty In the safe, knowing that It would be discovered there, and that Miss Ives and the Chevalier would be involved In a common ruin. So the treaty was not sold, and my man gets nothing. "When he found that he had been cheated he would have murdered his confederate. But Monsieur Leopold set the government upon his track, and he was forced to fly, his vengeance unaccomplished. It was then that my man sent to Monsieur Magniff here to betray his confederate. "But I shall tell more than that— I shall tell you where Conatantinopoulo Is hiding, for I have since learned that he has again betrayed me. He has made love to another woman, the woman on the boat, to conceal whom he pretended that he loved Miss Ives. Fool that I was! I should have known that he was not worthy to blacken her shoes. He Is hiding with her In the Islands —at Scouto, off Corsica —and all those whom he has betrayed shall soon be on his track.” She ceased, exhausted by the vehemence of her anger. And I looked toward the banker. He had collapsed Into his chair and was staring wildly around him. I caught the words he uttered. “No, no,” he was whispering. “Leopold Is a good boy. He could not be a thief and a traitor." - I went over and shook him by the arm. “Monsieur Magniff,” I said, "you see now that you have been mistaken. It is your duty to save an Innocent man." “But there is nothing that can be done,” he cried, awakening from his lethargy. "Yes,” I replied. "We must get Zeuxis and bring him here’ to testify. He • will tell all, out of his hatred for"—l was going to add “your son,” but ended with "his fellow conspirator.” "But my son will suffer Imprisonment —he will go to the Devil’s Island!” Magniff cried. "He is a good boy—it cannot be true.” "It is true," I answered sternly. "Jle must be brought back." "And the bonds, too,”, cried the woman suddenly. “He took them with him. He mustget the bonds also —your bonds. They are worth millions. He took them to spite your son, Leopold.” “My bonds,” muttered Magniff, re-, membering even then that I had sold them to him. “My bonds. I must have them.” “Will you permit your son to be denounced for the sake of the bonds?” I asked. “No, no,” he cried. “No, he must have promise of immunity. Then he will tell all. But he must not go to the Devil’s Island. Leopold is so delicate; the climate would kill him there.” The sight of this querulous old man, reduced to such -depths of abjection touched a slight chord of pity in my heart But at all cost Charles must be set free. That was my flrat and overwhelming duty. “Listen, Monsieur Magniff,” I said, more gently. “It will be impossible to obtain immunity for both conspirators. For Zeuxis, yes, for he was but a tool. For your son, no. But at least he can have warning, so that he may, If he can, put some distance between himself. and the avengers of the law. That is all that can be done. Now — you must offer your bonds for me to the value of my bail and I will get Zeuxis and bring him back to testify at the trial.” Magniff got suddenly out of his chair; upon his face was an expression of feeble triumph. “It cannot be done,” he cried. "The trial takes place *>n the tenth -day from today.” He pulled a newspaper out of his breast pocket "See!” he said, tapping it with his fingers triumphantly, “read this demand, to which the government has been forced to accede, In ten days the Chevalier d’Yves must have been tried and condemned and be on his way to the Dev-

fl’s Island, or there will bo a revolution In Paris. All the towns know of It; all Franco -and Europe know. France has bartered too many traitors. Paris is calling tor Immediate puTflahrnent And the government has yielded. It was announced in the Chamber of Deputies yesterday that a special military court shall convene on Monday week.” I glanced over the article hastily. It was a terrible philippic, one of those furious cries tor vengeance such as stirred the hearts of Parisians. That Charles was of the old aristocracy of Franco had added fuel to the popular flame" He must be tried at once, the writer demanded; otherwise tho government would talk There must be no delay in measuring out condign punishment to the traitor. ••You see,” cried Magniff, "you cannot get the man Zeuxis here from the Island of Corsica in less than three

weeks. There is but one steamer a week from Marseilles. And In ten days!—Mon Dieu! Nothing except a swift aeroplane could crocs those waters and bring him back in time.” I caught at his words with mad ear gerness. "It shall be done,” I cried. "I shall go to Corsica in the Chevalier’s airship. And in ten days I shall return with Zeuxis.” "You are insane, girl,” cried the banker, angrily. "The science of flight is in its infancy. .Even if you reached Marseilles you would be swamped In the gales of the Mediterranean. "No,” he continued craftily, “we can devise some scheme by which the Chevalier shall get off lightly. I will give evidence as to his monetary needs. I will say he needed the money from the sale of the treaty to save Clichy for-his father. That will touch the judges’ hearts, that filial piety. And you ehall be freed. I will withdraw my charge,” he went on, watching my face eagerly. "And I will pay you the fifty thousand francs I promised you, even if you do not obtain the bonds. You will be rich, you will—” I could not feel any sentiment but pity at the aspect of this miserable old man, desperately striving to free himself from the meshes of his own net. "Monsieur Magniff,” I said quietly, “you will go on my ball at 6nce, and I shall depart for the Liparia Otherwise your eon shall be arrested within an hour. Which shall it be?” He fell to pleading then; he offered me double the reward, fabulous gifts. His love for his son seemed stronger than his cupidity. At last he was compelled to face the issue. "You swear to give the government no warning about Leopold before your departure?” he asked, cringing before me. “You will allow him the six days in which to flee?” "He can go to the ends of the earth for all I care,” I responded. “I do not want vengeance upon him, miserable scoundrel that he is. Leave him to the future. Some day his evil deeds will recoil on him. Come, you agree?” Magniff drew In a deep sigh and submitted. “I accept,” he answered. “But mademoiselle, you will remember that the bonds are mine?” “Assuredly,” I answered. , He stumbled weakly from my presence and out of the room. The woman seized my hands again and kissed them passionately. "At Scouto, off the coast of Corsica," she whispered. “He will go with you eagerly, if he is promised immunity.” "And what is your reward?” I asked curiously. The woman looked at me strangely. “Is it not enough that I shall see my man again and win him from that woman who stole his heart from me?” she asked, with pathetic dignity. "You do not understand, lady? Ah, but when you are married —then you will know.” She followed Magniff out of the room. Within an "hour my ball had been formally accepted and I was at liberty. Magniff obtained a hasty interview with the Minister of War, at which Immunity for Zeuxis was promised, in case he should offer satisfactory evidence against the principal conspirator, whose name the banker did not divulge. Magniff was a power in France, and his word was ample The sun was not yet high when I walked out of my prison doors. I had seen nobody; the magic of Mag* nifTe word had sufficed to set me free. After all, though so much had been done, the government had no special interest in me. They were sure that they had in Charles the real traitor; I was but an accessory, and -they shrewdly surmised, I think, that I was to turn state’s evidence and bring the rest of the confederates to justice. '' -

The trial had been set for Monday week, at ten o’clock in the forenoon Thia was Friday. Each hour now was of Incalculable value. The scheme appeared preposterous. But I had flown in Canada, until I was fairly sure of myself, and with Charles I had soared triumphantly in his aeroplane in England, seeking the regions ot the sun, high above our competitors, we two together. I knew how staunch and true the winged vessel was; I knew which levers controlled each of her movements; and at Clichy we had made several excursions. I had a confidence now that was almost superstition in the success of my desperate undertaking. Would that I could have told him! But he was too closely guarded; even Magniff, with all his power, had been denied admission to him. I caught a train back to Clichy, arriving toward the middle of the afternoon. It was a ead home-coming. A curious crowd watched me descend at the little railroad station, and a newspaper correspondent (I learned afterward that my movements had been watched by a whole corps of newspaper men and government spies since I left the fortress) snapped his camera in my face. But one learns to be tolerant of these things when one’s whole mind Is set on a single desire. The crowd followed me to the gates of the chateau. Only there did they leave me.

And then, for th'e second time, I received an object lesson in the bearing of a French nobleman and noblewoman. The old butler who admitted me stared at me as if I had been a newly risen ghost, and his knees trembled as he ushered me into the room in which my grandfather and Charles* mother sat She was sewing busily; the old man, at his writing desk, was drafting some form of document, a pitiful, dignified petition, I believe, to the government on behalf of Charles, setting forth the stainless honor of their race throughout five centuries. But when I entered they rose and came forward to greet me as calmly as though Charles was absent upon a personal errand in Paris and were soon to return. And their first words were of congratulation upon my engagement! The papers had been full of it, it appeared. The notary before whom we had appeared, swelling with self-importance, had run with his evidence to the government "You will make Charles a good wife, my dear,” said his mother, kissing me. “Would that we could have a fair inheritance for him. Clichy must go—but at least the family will be perpetuated.”

“It is fate brought you to us," said the old Comte. He had grown even feebler during the brief interval of my absence, it seemed to me; the shock had told perceptibly upon him. "It Is fate brought you to us,” he repeated, "to be the consolation of my old age and the hope of the d’Yves.” Then we began talking of Charles, and, as briefly as possible, since there was not time for emotion, I laid bare the story of our arrest, placing special emphasis upon the fact that the conspiracy was breaking down. And then I laid before them the plan that I had formed, of flying to Scouto, and, to my astonishment, they both fell in with it immediately. But. though I could never doubt their love for me, their eagerness for my safety, the family, as ever in France, ranked paramount In their eyes. It seems strange now, as I look back on it, this persistent clinging of theirs to the old forms and duties of past ages in face

of modern change. But it did not seem strange then. "You have flown in England,” said the old Comte enthusiastically, "and here the winds are no less favorable. Your act will be no more, in its peculiar way, than other women of our line have done. It is not for Charles alone that you will offer xp your life to the gods of the air, Anne, but for the race, for the long line of the d’Yves. And I know that you will succeed. God has not sent you to us in so miraculous a way, and guarded you through such great dangers, that you should fail now. You Will return at the appointed time," he continued, his eyes flashing as he paced up and down the room, “and you will save Charles from the hands of his enemies. The battle has been long —but it has been shorter than the war» of the Fronde. We have suffered much —Richelieu persecuted us more harshly, and yet Clichy has never fallen. I almost believe,” he ended, “that you will live to inherit Clichy and to restore its fortunes, and hand it down to our descendants.” But when I urged that I Should start that night neither would hear of IL T CTO BE CONTINTTED.) ‘

"Now I Will Tell You All,” She Cried to Magniff.

Tho Woman Seized My Hands Again and Kissed Them Passionately.

Their First Words Were of Con gratulatlon Upon My Engagement!