The Syracuse Journal, Volume 22, Number 11, Syracuse, Kosciusko County, 11 July 1929 — Page 7

ffhelMeofPtardyj *By Fred McLaughlin Copyright by The Bobbs-Merrill Co. N - Service

SYNOPSIS Capt. Francois de Vigny, serving with Maximilian’s army in Mexico, tells the story. A roystering group of officers is discussing La Anita, who. rumor save, has lured French officers to death or desertion. Summoned by Maximilian *o make explanation. De Vigny undertakes to deliver the message to La Anita.' At La Anita's home De Vigny meets Colonel Lopez. Mexican officer and the girl’s cousin, Pablo Madrella, who bears a wonderful resemblance to De Vigny, except that he wears a beard. Angered that Anita should be called before the emperor, Madrella forces a duel on De Vigny, in which the Mexican is wounded. Assisting Madrella to his carriage. De Vigny picks up a paper that falls from his pocket. It proves to be a pass, granting Madrella passage through the. Mexican lines Laid before Maximilian, It is. of course, Madrella’s death warrant, since it proves him a spy. Questioned by Maximilian. La Anita denies luring French officers to danger, and is given her freedom. De Vigny secures leave of absence, planning, whil4 Madrella Is wounded and under guard, to grow a beard and impersonate him, with the idea of securing information of Juarez' movements. Dressed as Madrella, he enters La Anita's home by stealth and -verhears a conversation between Madrella and Lopez which proves the latter a traitor to Maximilian. Lopez has secured Madrella s release and the latter is leaving at once for Juarez’ camp. He reaches Cuernavaca ibout the same time as the real Madrella. An unsuccessful attempt Is made by Madrella to kill- De Vigny. Believing him to be Madrella De Vigny is welcomed by Juarez.

CHAPTER Vll—Continued —7— General Escobedo studied a lean black cigar. “I have always believed.; excellency.” said be, “that Miguel Cdpez is a broken reed. He Was a traitor first to the Republic when because of the glamor of court, he cast his allegiance over to Maximilian; he was a traitor ro the Empire when he came back to us, and now . . . Once a traitor, always a traitor." The face of Benito Juarez was as a thunder-cloud. “There will come a time when I shall deal with Lopez; sufficient unto that time. You have served us well, Pablo—as you have always served—and Mexico will reward you.” He spoke to General Escobedo: “The attack on Cuernavaca will be deferred at least for the few •days necessary to check up our capable Pablo’s pessimisim.” In such manner had my frail fabric of lies taken root, and, flowering •swiftly tn my apparent sincerity, borne fruit. I breathed a silent prayer of thanks to the god of luck. “You will want to see your disciples —eh Pablo?” Juarez questioned. “My—?” “Your pupils. Leroux and the Alsatian lad, Besancon. I have sent for them.” 1 laughed. “Os course, excellency; 1 had forgotten them.” Now my heart stood still. Were they for me, or against me? Knowing me so well, would they recognize -Captain de Vigny behind the bruises ®nd the whiskers; and if they did. ■what would be their attitude? My own safety, and the fate of Cuernavaca. rested on this issue. They appeared almost before 1 had Oracea myself fdr the like twin automafon|, came forward, taking each a hand? s '~*'Senor Madrella,” cried Leroux, “how did you leave the city?” Juitrez laughed. “Ever youth Is looking toward the city." “Each day,” 1 said, studying the lace of rhe young man who had come from St Simon, and whose people were my people, “Mexico becomes less ■of the Empire and more of the Republic. The gilt on the emperor’s •crown grows thin 1” As Madrella had already said this 1 had the right—being also Madrella—to repeat It without any sense of plagiarism. “And—and glorious La Anita?” ventured Besancon. ' ‘Always she grows more lovely," said 1. with tine enthusiasm, “if such be possible. Now that the beautiful Empress Carlotta has gone to Europe 1 look to see the emperor— ’’ Laughter drowned out my sentence, and I was glad, for even as a jest the thing was unbecoming because his majesty loved me. “These two young men,” said Juar -ez. “must have been a grievous loss to the Empire." “It is the type that we require, excellency." 1 said; and, as Leroux smiled happily, my rage was so great 1 could have struck him dead. How could this fair boy of Picardy have fallen so low? Had the love of La Anita done this? 1 could not believe it. In spite of all the evidence before me I could not picture that lovely lady guilty of a conscious wrong. “You will tell us—won’t you?" asked Besancon eagerly; and. gaining permission from the Presidentthe three of us—arm Id arm—went out. making our way to the two-room adobe house that served as the temporary abode of Captains Leroux and i Besancon. There we found food and wine, >wine of a pleasing richness. But I found in the gray depths of the eyes of Rene 1-eroux a new and • ominous light Be searched my face > with a steady questioning look. A sudden chill, of menace filled the room. 1 could not fall to feel it and doubt . and a little-fear possessed me. Had he recognized me; and if so, what • might I expect? When he spoke • there was a calculating enmity in his voice: “Hou like the Count de Vigny you ate seiior 1”

“Others have noticed it,” said L "Without the beard and bruises, my dear Madrella, you are Captain Francois, a man high in the estimation of Maximilian. No one knows him better than L We were raised in St Simon—he and I—and I should know him anywhere.” I finished my wine and set the empty glass upon the table. Leroux knew me; In my mind there was no doubt of that. He faced me across the heavy table, and Besancon sat on my right. That a fight impended I was certain. and that I was no match for the two of them was a thing of equal certainty. I knew little of Besancon. and had. therefore, no set opinion concerning him, but 1 had harbored a healthy hope that Rene Leroux. a clever and resourceful rascal, and an old and tried friend of mine, might be engaged in some crafty game to aid the eipperor. Bur my hope died when 1 studied him. for his eyes were cold and his smile was one of evil satisfaction. “(’an you imagine, senor," said he. “what General Juarez will do when he suspects that you are not Madrella? If it is shown that, instead of Madrella. you are really the favorite of Maximilian—” “In that case," said I, “Captain de Vigny. because of the defection of his dearest friend, will stand before a firing squad.” In the deep silence followed this speech of mine Leroux, sitting long In thought, pinched his lip with thumb and forefinger. My appeal seemed to move him not at all. A red rage overwhelmed me. 1 for got my own danger tn the bitter discouragement that the treachery of this, my friend, had brought upon me. France, in alQher glorious history, has had few traitors. 1 knew that, brought before Benito Juarez with the finger of suspicion pointing toward me, 1 was doomed; besides, there was Cuernavaca, and the tragic conse quences of its fall Much aside from my own life, depended upon me. 1 could go down fighting, at leasL Taking a page from' the book of Don Felis Perez. I thrust the table suddenly away from me. Overturn ing. It pinned Leroux underneath; so. for a few seconds. I had but one man to vanquish. Him I found to be a serious problem, for. even as I leaped to my feet, dragging forth Madrella’s pistol, Besancon threw himself upon me. The shock of contact hurled us to the floor. Shrugging free. I regained my feet again, and. with gun extended, faced Leroux, who, having extri cated himself from the table, came at me with the light of high adven Ijffi Is ’ F) wir I Thrust the Table Suddenly Away From Me. # ture In his eyes. He must have known that death was imminent, yet 1 found ao flicker of fear in his dancing gray eyes; and 1 was glad, in that moment of peril, glad that this French lad could go to his death with a smile on his handsome face. Even as tny finger tightened Besancon was on me again. The gun. Knocked from my hand, clattered to the floor, where it lay undisturbed while the three of us—locked in si lent, desperate embrace—fought In the gathering gloom. 1 struck out blindly, my fist met yielding flesh. \n arm, encircling my head, tightened in a suffocating grip. I sank my teeth In the tensed muscle of a forearm, drawing a yell of pain and anger from Leroux. A hard tist added other bruises to those my face already bore. We stumbled over a chair and went down tn a scrambling heap, only to rise again, like a six-armed, six-legged monster tn some grotesque convulsion. “Sacred name of a pig,” cried Besancon, “what a powerful brute he Is!” I laughed aloud. My clutching fingers found his throat, closed and held on. I would show them. Gasping, be tore at my wrists, he kicked; be screamed in a muffled, choking, agonized voice: “ReneRene !” Now Leroux tried without avail to break my bold. The three of us went down again, with the limp form of Besancon underneath. 1 would hold on until he ceased to struggle, then 1 would reach for the throat of the other traitor. Leroux, having striven desperately and vainly to puli me from my vic-

tim, stepped clear and swung a heavy chair. 1 tried to dodge that blow and failed; I tried to take the force of it upon my shoulder, and only half succeeded. I saw the flashing lights of speeding stars, and I heard the thunder of a thousand seas; nly nerveless fin gers, groping blindly, found only emptiness. and. falling Immeasurable distances, 1 came finally to utter silence, darkness, and a great and abiding peace. Voices aroused me. voices very faint at first, but clearing gradually as the roaring in my head abated. “No,” said, the other; "we cannot kill him. He Is De Vigny; and when Juarez sees him. and we explain to the general how well known the captain is to us, a firing squad . . 1 opened tny eyes slowly. A huge oil lamp, hanging from a cross-beam, lighted the meager room. I sat, hound and helpless, in a chair, and Leroux and Besancon faced each other across the table under the light My head ached, and the* bonds cut me cruelly; tny body was the abiding place of ali the pains In the world My fate now was a thing of minor importance. I had failed; after an effort which had so nearly approached success, I had failed The defection of these two soldiers of France hurt me—a hurt that seemed to reach my very soul. And the Senorita Arrel lanos! Never again would I look up on her lovely face, nor hear rhe mu sic of her voice! 1 sighed, and Le roux, hearing me, approached. “Does my disposition Include tor ture?” I asked. He apologized, untying my bonds while Besancon stood back, gun held ready. Freed. I lifted my shoulders, stretched my arms and legs, breathed deeply. My face, somehow, bad an unfamiliar feel. 1 raised a hand and cried out in dismay. My beard was gonel “We have done our best,” said Leroux, pride and deprecation In his voice. “For swift and secret barberIng we may not have done so badly.” Now I held to my chin, horror doubtless showing In my eyes. “Be not downcast” sympathized Leroux; "what Is a mere beard? Cheer up; the loss of vour heard can only anticipate that of your life by a few paltry hours. There will scarce be time to mourn; and the’ beard, friend of ours, would have been a serious hindrance to our plans. We take you before Benito Juarez, and we say to him: ‘This man is not Madrella. he is Captain de Vigny; do not we. excellency, know De Vigny, have we not served three years with him under the Empire, could any one be better known to us?” “And you will do this, Leroux—for what reason?” His gray eyes studied me. 1 found tn them a gentle raillery, as well as a smoldering light of hatred. “We will do this because, primarily, we would have his excellency march on Cuernavaca, and because, senor. we have waited—Louie Besancon and I “But Cuernavaca,” I cried, “will—” "Yes.” Besancon interrupted harslF" ly. “Cuernavaca. We heard you tell Benito Juarez about the defending forces of Cuernavaca, about the trap that Maximilian has laid; and when we prove you De Vigny we will have proved your story false.” He gave a short hard laugh, and, shaking the gun under my very nose, continued: “We have waited for this hour. Pablo. weary weeks we have waited: and. when you have said Good morning’ to the firing squad, and ‘Goodby’ to this beautiful earth, and General Juarez has led his tatterdemalion army into the trap that our emperor has set for him, then the true story of our treachery may be told.” “W’ait. ’ I said, “wait—wait!” My •rain was seething. “Did you Imagine, amigo mio,” said Leroux. a deep and vibrant tenderness in his voice, "that we. who have served France, would ever offer service to her enemies? Did you think that we, whom the emperor has honored with his love, could ever turn our faces from him?” “Ah —Rene,” 1 gasped, “verily bast thou delivered me into the bands of my enemies: yet. because of what thou hast told me. I am glad—glad!” “He speaks to us in French—in French—Louie; and he says ‘Rene.’” Leroux caught hold of my shoulder, looking deep into my eyes, a hungry eagerness in his fine face. I tried to smile, but the bruises doubtless made of it a sorry caricature. Finally he spoke in a gasping whisper: “Mon Dleu—it is Francois!” ••No—no!” said Besancon. “None other, my infants.” Now they were upon me, with arms around my shoulders and voices soft and rifch with tenderness and sympathy. “Had we not been so sure you were Madrella we would have recognized you out of hand. And 1 nearly killed you with the chair! But why do you thus impersonate Madrella. and put your precious life tn jeopardy ?” “First.” said L “to block the attack on Cuernavaca—which is pitifully undermanned —and last, to see two noble sons of France.” “While we,” exclaimed Rene Leroux, “were planning what we deemed a clever trick upon Madrella. How the god of chance must laugh at us!” “Where then, is your twin—the estimable Pablo?” questioned Besancon. "1 left him and the fat Manuel studying the cracks tn the floor ot my room at the Hotel Montezuma, for the bead of each had stopped the flight of a heavy stool.” “Name of a name,” cried Leroux •will wonders never cease!” “If, perchance, he comes back to life—of which there is a serious doubt

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—and elects t» follow me •>« find, barring his progress I’usquai n worthy man who has rertwl me well I think, however, that/tiecause ot the possibilities he has doubtless- seen al ready In the duplication of Mm Ire I las. he will return with all speed to the city. But I must know why two good officers of the Empire have cast -their lot with the forces of revolution.’’ Leroux grinned. “It was an opportunity, Francois, whereby a soldier of France might work from with in the enemies’ lines; and. hiding his time, turn a victory to, defeat That time, as yet, has not arrived, though our hopes are high.” “Some day.” said Besancon, “a great battle between the Empire and the Republic will hang in the balance; then will come our opport unity —and the-Republic will lose!” “Win or lose, my friends, your lives are forfeit.” . “A small payment, tn very truth. Francois, if we but save the Empire, which totters even now; hut you must tell us all that has befallen. We are hungry for tidings of the city.” So L spoke ot my meeting with La Anita, and. though I strove desperately for control, my vpice trembled. Besancon laughed. “Another sacrifice upon the altar of love!” “Aye.” said I frankly; “the Senor ita Arrellunos is the one great love of my life!” 1 described the duel, and the sorry figure that Madrella bad made, I touched lightly ui>on the senori’as appearance before his majesty, .in the growth of [>e Vigny’s beard, and I gave with great detail an account of my secret visit to the house on AvenIda Flores. 1 spoke ot the encounter with the Indian mozo. Agostino, and of La Anita’s farewell to the pseudo .Madrella. “Even a proxy kiss is better than no kiss at all,” said Leroux. 1 told them of the failure ot Neville, and 1 pictured him, silent and still, beside the road. I explained Pasqual. and I described the defeat of Manuel and Madrella in Cuernavaca. And, lastly, I carried them through my experience with Don Felis Perez, the gargoyle of Treinta. “It Is sad,” said Besancon, “about Neville; a fine soldier and a good friend. Yet you, Francois, have followed a lucky star, though 1 fear you have added nothing to .your prestige with the lady, for your efforts have been all for the emperor.” "My worship for La Anita,” said 1, “is, I know, quite hopeless; yet it makes of me none the less a soldier of the Empire. One must have a goal. It Is something to love her, something to have known her. The fact of her existence is a constant incitement to endeavor.” Leroux filled a glass and raised it high, Besancon doing likewise. “May your star ever shine, and the god of luck keep bis smiling face toward you; and. Francois, may the senorita—” Rene Leroux never finished that sentence; had he done so 1 think this tale of mine would never have been written. He must have seen in my face the sudden dismay and horror that possessed me. for he stopped, and for ten interminable seconds the silence of a tomb descended upon us. His voice had drowned the slight sound of an opening door, ami Benito Juarez, silhouetted against the brilliant moonlit night, stood in the doorway. 1 stared, frozen into futi/e^^movelessness. Leroux turned Mis head, and, seeing the general, set rhe brimming, glass of wine—with a dreamy deliberation ot gesture—upon the table. Hrs hand was so steady that _ nof'~a—drop was spilled, and 1 marveled at tbe__gomrol of the man. for this was the end. Beardless. I was De Vigny—and Rene had called me Francois! Juarez came slowly Into the room and stopped beside the table. He looked questionably at each of us, while we stood helpless, waiting for the world to fall. “Is this a —a barberia, senores; and if so. who. may I ask, is the barber?” 1 found my voice, "it is a sort ot —game, excellency,” said I, searching my very soul for a saving thought. "Yes," added Besancon, “a —a kind of game.” His right hand had sought the pocket of his blouse, wherein rested the pistol; and I felt that General Benito Juarez, at that mo ment, was closer to his death than I have ever been, which is very near Indeed. The general’s smile was not a pleasant thing to see. “Is this game senor, something that your gener al—?” 1 thought, for an instant, that Rene Leroux had gone mad with the strain of the thing, for he broke out into »uncontrollable laughter. He leaned over the table in an ecstacy of mirth; and. as we waited. Juarez’s face grew ominous. “Your pardon, excellency.” gasped Leroux, “I will explain—in a moment.” He stopped and drew a long breath. He pointed toward me. “This beardless man is Captain de Vigny!” Mad—l was certain. . Mad J I waited. “Indeed." Juarez urged; “what is the next move In your—’game ?” “Pablo Madrella,” continued Rene “and Francois de Vigny look very much alike. We, who have seen them, know; and upon this fact we built! a plan that shall enable your excellency to be advised in advance of the moves of Maximilian.” “Your explanation does not explain Captain Leroux; proceed.” The general’s eyes had never left my face “Some time in the distant past, ex cellency, the families of Captain de Vigny and Pablo Madrella must have come tn contact for the resemblance between them is so startling that—beardless and attired in the service of the emperor—our Pablo might walk the streets of Mexico City and those who are acquainted with Francois de Vigny would accost him as their friend. So, we shave him. and. in the city, he will be in touch with the forces ot the Empire. Is it not an excellent plan?” The general smiled. I was proud of Leroux How nicely had he brought us through this impasse ! CTO BE CONTINUED.)

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REVENGE IS SWEET 1 > .' WOK I Wolly Caterpillar (to chilly Bug)— you’re the fellow who laughed at me

■V '• ■ • ... - - the other day because I wore a fur coat! He Wa* Only Sparring Judge—A few minutes ago you swore that you were only sparring with the plaintiff and that was what injured him. Now we have proved that you ''struck him over the head with a blunt instrument Why did you He? Prisoner—l was telling the exact truth, your honor; it was a piece of , spar I hit him with. _

Proceeding With Caution Angelina—l’m afraid I’m not a very good cook, but I’ll try ever so hard after we’re married. Edwin—Better try now, before we’re married. Try 4t on your folks and let, me know how It comes out Ha* Found Way Mrs. Nayber—Your lodger isn’t .very talkative, is he? Mrs. Nextdoor —I should say not I have to open all his letters to find out anything about him. —Pathfinder.