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8 The Mischief Maker £y E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM BOOK 11. CHAPTER XII. DISTRESSING NEWS. Mr*. Carraby advanced into the library Os th* great house in Grosvenor Square. Her husband had risen from his desk and was standing with his hands in his pockets upon the heart-rug. Her dress was as neat and correct as ever, hi* hair as accurately parted, his small mous tache as cffectutaliy twirled. Yet there was a frown upon hi* face, an expression of gloomy peevishness about hi* expres sion His wife stood and looked at him. looked at him and thought. "You are back early.” he said. "What is the matter? You don't look radiantly happy. I thought you were looking for ward so much to this bazar.” "I was” *he replied. "I am disappoint ed.” He saw then that her silence was not a matter of indifference, but’ of anger. "W|jat'» wrong?" he asked quickly. Her lips parted for a moment. One saw that her teeth were firmly clenched. There was a wicked light in her strange colored eyes. "It was that woman again,” she mut tered—"the duchess"’ "What about her?” Carraby demanded.' ••She’s bound to be civil to you now. anyway.” "Is she?” Mrs. Carraby replied. "I* she. indeed! Well, her civility this afternoon has been such that I shall have to give up my stall. I can't stay there.” "What do you meant" he demanded. "Nothing except that before everybody she once more cut me dead, cut me wick / edly.” Mrs. Carraby declared. "You don't understand the tragedy of this to a woman. You are not likely to. She did It in such away this time that there isn't a person worth knowing in London who isn't laughing about it at the pres ent moment.” "Deast of a womanhe muttered. Mrs. Carraby came a little further in to Ihe room. She sank into an easy chait and sat there. Her hand* were tigbtlv clenched, her face was hard and e* cold; her tone icy. Yet one felt that underneath a tempest was raging. "You know, Algernon." she went on. "we ha« some hard times when you first began tc make your way a little. When we first took this house, even. things weren't altogether easy. Americans can come from nowhere, do the most outrag eous things in the world, and take London by storm. London, on the other hand, is cruel to English people who have only their tnoffry. She was cruel to us. Alger non. but with aH the snubs and all the difficulties. I ever had. nothing ha* ever happened to me like today.” "You’ll get over It." "Get over it!” she repeated. "Yes. but I thought that that sort of thing was at an end. I thought that when you were a cabinet minister no one would dare treat me as though I were a social nobody.” "You must remember that the duchess has a special reason," he reminded her. "I suppose it's that Portel affair.” "Yes.” Mrs. Carraby agreed, "it is the Portel affair.” They were both silent. There wasn’t much to be said for the moment. "Have you heardY’ he inquired pres ently, "whether Lady Anne is with him tn Paris? ' , "No.” she replied. "Somehow or other, people don't seem to talk scandal about Lady Anne. They say that she is stay ing for a time with an old friend there, Algernonl" “YesY’ "Is It trie that you are doing so badly at the foreign officer' she asked blunt- A little flush mounted almost to his forehead. “I have had the devil's own luck,” he muttered. “I can't take up a newspaper.” she continued bitterly, "without finding it full of abuse of you. They say that during six weeks the entente cordiale has van ished. They say that you have lost the friendship of France, that she trusts us no longer, and that Germany's tone be comes more threatening and more belly ing every day. solely on account of your • weakness." "We can't afford to risk a war,” Car raby explained. "I am a radical minis ter. I have represented a radical con stituency ever since I came into parlia ment. What the devil should I have to say to my people if within a couple of months of taking office we were plung ed into war?” "I do not pretend.” Mrs. Carraby re marked. “to be an active politician, but I have heard it said that the .best way to avoid war is to show that you are not afraid of It. They say that that Is where Sir Julien Portel was so splen did. Do you know that the leading ar ticle of one of your own papers this morning declares that Germany would never have dared to have said so much to us if she had not known that she had only a puppet to deal with in the cabi net? You know what all the other papers are hinting at? Is it true, Algernon, that you gave two hundred thousand pounds to the party ?*’ "Whether It is true or not.” Carraby retorted. "It makes no difference. I want ed this post, wanted it for your sake as much as my own. a"hd I wish to Heaven that it was at the bottom of the sea! I’d resign tomorrow if I could do so with dignity. I can't now, of course. Every one would say I was chucked. To make things worse.” he went on savagely, "there comes these infernal letters of Portel’*!” Mrs. Carraby raised her eyebrows. "Why, I’ve heard It said that those letters are the one hope this country has! I have heard it said that but for those letters France and England would be as far apart today as they ever were. I heard it said only this afternoon that those letters were our only hope of , peace. They were compared with the letters of Junius, whoever he was. Lord Cardington told me himself that they were the most splendid political prose he had ever read in his life.” “That may be true enough.” Carraby growled, “but they make it all the hard er for me- No doubt Portel was a good minister. No doubt he was doing very well in his poet. Now he writes these letters every one remembers it, every one is asking for him back again. It's hell. Mabel! I wish to God we'd let the man alone!” Mrs. Carraby looked at her husband steadfastly. She was a little taller than he. She looked at him, from his well brushed hair to the trim patent boot* which adorned his axoall feet. She look ed at him and in those strange-colored eyes of her* were unmentionable things. She turned away and walked to the win dow In imagination she was back again In Julien's rooms. She lived again through those few minutes. If he had answered differently! Outside in the square the newboys were shouting. She had stood before the window for some time when a fa miliar name fell upon her ears. She turned around and touched a bell. "What is it that you want?' her hus band asked. "A paper,” she replied. A very correct butler brought her the Pall Mall Gaxette a moment or two lat er She scanned it eagerly. Then it slipped from her shuddering fingers. She turned upon her husband. “He is dead!” she cried. "Can’t you read it? Death of an Englishman in an explosion in Pari* Mr. Kendricks, a journalist, seriously injured; Sir Julien Portel. the ex-cabinet minister.—dead!” She stood as though turned to stone. Then something in her husband's face seemed to bring her back to the present. She turned upon him. Her face was suddenly lit with some strange, quiv ering fire. It was one of the moments of her life. “You miserable worm!” she shrieked. ‘•You dare to stand there and smile be cause a man is dead! You!” He tried to draw himself up, tried to rebuke her. He might as well have tried to stem a torrent. "I have done my best to share your rotten, scheming life,” she cried, "to help you in your dirty ways, and to crawl up into the place we coveted! Once I saw the truth. Once a real man was kind to me and I saw the differ ence. I’ve felt it in try heart ever since. For your sake and my own, for the sake of our rotten, miserable ambi tions, I ruined him and sent him to his death. He is dead, do you hear? You I did it! We are murderers! And to think that I did it for you! That you—such a creature as you— might take his place!” She threw up her hands high above her head. There had been people who had doubted her good looks. No one at that instant would have denied her beauty. Carraby’s eyes were fixed upon her, and he was afraid. Even when she had cast herself face downward up on the couch, and lay with her head buried in her hands, he dared not go near. He stood there gazing at her across the room. Perhaps he, too, though his understanding was less, tasted a lit tle of the poison! In the splendid library of his palace in Berlin, the maker of toys leaned back in his chair after a long and hard day’s work. There lingered upon his lips still the remnants of a grim smile, which the dictation of a despatch to London had just evoked. His secreta ry gathered up his papers. His mas ter was disposed to be genial. "My young friend," he remarked, “those letters from Paris—they were stopped just in time, eh?” “Just in time, indeed. Highness," the young man replied. "I have friends who me from there. They as sure /ne that their effect was tremen dous. The cessation of them was in deed an act of Providence.’ Prince Falkerberg's lips relaxed, There were hard lines at' the corners of his mouth. Yet if this were indeed a smile, it was no pleasant thing to look upon! , "An act of Providence without a doubt!” he exclaimed—" Providence which watches always over the desti nies of our dear Fatherland!” “I shall bring you now, Hlghnesfe, the foreign papers!" the young man sug gested. "If you please,” his master replied. "I read them now, thank Heaven, with an easier feeling.’ / The young man retreated and reap peared in a few minutes with a pile of newspapers. Prince Falkenberg rose and stretched himself, lit a long black cigar, and threw himself into a com fortable chair before the high window. "Your Highness will take some cof fee, perhapsY’ the young man asked. "Presently." The great minister unfolded his newspapers. A reference in the Eng lish Times perplexed him. He turned to the journal which only a few days ago he had opened with almost a shud der. He undid the wrapper, shook ft open, and looked at it. Then suddenly he sat like a man turned to stone. The cigar burnt out between his teeth, his eyes were riveted upon that page, the black letters seemed to have become iurid. The sentences stabbed, he was face to face with the Impossible. The paper which he read was dated on the preceding day. Before him was a fourth article, dated from Paris, dat ed less than forty-eight hours ago, signed "Julien Portel." The title of the article was "The World’s Great Mischief-Maker!” He read on. read from the first sentence to the last the naked truth about himself, saw his motives exposed, his secret visits to Paris derided, his foibles photographed. He saw himself the laughing stock of urope. Then he leaned over and rang the bell. "Neudhelm,” he said, "let it be given out that I leave tonight for Falkenberg as usual. Let the automobile be pre pared for a long journey. I leave in half an hour.” The young man stared. He had fan cied that those flying visits of his master’s for a time were to be dis continued. "Your Highness goes south T’ he asked. ”1 drive all night,” Prince Falken berg replied. "See that the Count Ru dolf is prepared :o accompany me. Quick! Give the orders.” CHAPTER XIII. ESTERMEN’B DEATH WARRANT. In the untidy salon of his bachelor apartments in the Boulevard Maupas sant Estermen awaited the coming of his master in veritable fear and trem bling. In all his experience he had never been compelled to face a crisis such as this. There had been small failures, punished, perhaps, by a sar castic word or biting sentence. There had been no failure to compare with this one. Herr Freudenberg deliberate ly, and of his own free choice .was accustomed to take huge risks. When they came he accepted them, but when they were not inevitable he as sedul ously avoided them. The wrecking of Julien's apartments in the Rue de Montpelier was by far the most haz ardous enterprise which had been at tempted since the days of the toy maker’s first secret visits to Paris. Half a dozen human beings had been done to death in a manner wrich in vited and even challenged the atten tions of the French police. A terrible risk had been run and run in vain. The blow had been struck at the very mo ment when its object was unattain able. Estermen shivered as he tried to imagine for himself the coming in terview. Gone, he feared, was his life of pleasant luxury among the flesh pots ard easy ways of Paris; his bach elor apartments, occupied in name by him, but of which the real tenant was his dreaded master. And behind all this apprehension lurked another grisly and terrible fear. For the 20th time during the last few minutes he peered through the closely drawn Venetian blind, and his blood ran cold. On the pavement opposite, before the small table of a case, a man was sitting— the same man! For two days he had been there—a gaunt and silent person with a wonderful trick of gazing away into space from the columns of his newspaper. But Estermen knew all about that! He knew, even, the man's name! He knew that he was one of the most persistent and successful of French detectives. His name was Jean Charles and he had never known a failure. Estermen looked at him through the blind and his pale face was ugly with fear. The moment arrived. The long, gray traveling car, covered with dust, swung around the corner and stopped below. Herr Freudenberg was travel stained and almost unrecognizable in his motor clothes as he stepped out end passed into the block of apart ments. Contrary to his usual custom, he did not at once present himself be- THE ATLANTA SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1912. fore the man wh<x awaited him in fear and trembling. Estermen heard him enter his own suite of rooms on the other side of the stairway and give a few brief orders. Then there was a peremptory knock at the door. Herr Freudenberg was announced and enter ed. To the man who had been waiting for his sentence there was something terri ble in the grim impassivity of Prince Falkenberg’s features. His face was set and white and sphinx-like. Only his eyes shone with a tierce, unusual fire. "What have you to say, Estermen?’’ he demanded. "Sir Julien descended the stairs with the copy in his hand to speak to a call er. For 17 hours he had been in his rooms, for the following 17 hours he would probably have been there, too. For the intervening 30 seconds he hap pened to be upon the pavement. It was a miracle!” This was the end of all the specious story which Estermen had gone over so often to himself. Yet he had done his cause no harm, for the few sentences he spoke were the truth. "You have discovered his present whereabouts?” his master demanded. Estermen hesitated. He feared that this was another blow which he was about to deal. "He is at the house of Madame Chris tered. His news, however, did not discompose Prince Falkenberg. On the contrary, he seemed, if anything, to find the intelli gence agreeable. "Have you made any inquiries as to his condition?” Estermen shrugged his shoulders. "The household of Madame Christo phor,” he replied, "is, as you know, outside my sphere of influence. It is, besides, incorruptible. I myself am per sonally obnoxious to Madame. I could do nothing but wait for your coming.” Prince Falkenberg stood with his hands behind him, thinking. He had relapsed into his former grim and impenetrable silence. And while he waited th* sweat stood out in beads upon Estermen’s fore head. Greatly he feared that the worst was to come. “Have you anything else to say to me?” his master asked. “Nothing," Estermen replied, with faltering lips. Prince Falkenberg’s eyes were , fierce orbs of light and his servant quailed be fore him. "Have you any reason to believe that the origin of the crime is suspected?” It was the question which above all others he had dreaded. Estermen was a coward and a fluent liar. The latter gift, however, availed him nothing. He felt as though the nerves of his tongue were being controlled by some other agency. Against his will he told the truth. "Jean Charles is watching these apart ments!” . "Ah!” Prince Falkenberg’s single exclama tion was the death sentence of his agent. Estermen knew it and his knees knock ed one against the other. "For six years,” Prince Falkenberg said, after a moment’s pause, “you have lived an easy and a comfortable life, Es termen, a life, I dare say, spent among the gutter vices which would naturally appeal to a person of your temperament; a life, apart from the small services which I have required of you, directed altogether by your own Inclinations. Be thankful for those six years. As you well know, but for me they would have been spent either in prison or in the problematical future world—a matter en tirely at the discretion of the judge who tried you. It pleashed me to rescue you for my own purpose. You were possess ed of a certain amount of low cunning and a complete absence of all ordinary human qualities, a combination which made you a useful servant of my will. My one condition has always been before you. The present case demands your ful filment of it.” , Estermen began to tremble. “The man may be there by accident,” he faltered. “There is no certainty as yet that I am suspected. I’m—l’m horri bly afraid to die!” he added, with an ugly little laugh. "So are most men of your kidney,” Prince Falkenberg replied composedly "Nevertheless, die you must, and to night. Write your confession. Make it clear that one of the victims was your personal enemy. I'll dictate it if you like.” ' • > "I can do it myself,” Estermen mut tered. "Let me—let me write the con fession first and then make an attempt to escape," he pleaded. “If I am taken, the confession shall be found upon me. It will make no difference. Let me have a chance! I know the secret places of the city. I have friends who might help me to escape." Prince Falkenberg watched his agent for a moment in contemptuous curiosity. Estermen was walking restlessly up and down the few feet of carpet, his fingers and the muscles of his face twitching. His words had come with difficulty, as though he had suddenly developed an Impediment in his speech. His sallow complexion had become yellow. His care fully waxed mustache was drooping, a speck of saliva was issuing from his lips. "The request which you make to me,” Prince Falkenberg replied, "I absolutely refuse. I know you and your cowardly temperament too well to allow you to come alive into the hands of the French police.” “You value your own life highly enough!” Estermen snarled. "It is not so,” Prince Falkenberg as serted. "If I had ever valued my own life highly there would have been no Herr Freudenberg; and if the whole his tory of Herr\ Freudenberg is discovered, I follow you, my friend, post haste. If I seem to be taking any pains to hold my own, remember that mine is a life which is valuable to the Fatherland. You have been and you are only a feeder at the troughs. One more or less such as you in the world makes just the difference of a speck of dust—that is all.” Estermen shrank cowering into his seat. "I’d rather live—in torture—in prison or in chains—anywhere!” he gapped. “I can’t think of death!” Prince Falkerberg was becoming im patient. "My dear Estermen,” he exclaimed, “what prison do you suppose remains open for the murderer of seven men! You shrink from death. Yet let me as sure you that the guillotine, with the certain prospect of it before you day after doay through a long trial, is no pleasant outlet from the world for a sybarite. Be a philosopher. Go and die as you have lived. Write-your confession, summon your dearest friend by telephone, give a little supper—j ou’ll have plenty of time—but see that the affair is over before midnight!’ This is my advice to you, Estermen; these are also my orders, my final orders. If I find you alive when I return, or the confession unwrit ten, I will show you how death may be made more horrible than anything you have yet conceived.” Prince Falkerberg turned on his heel and left the apartment. Estermen re mained for several moments shrinking back in the chair upon which he had collapsed. Then he rose and with trem bling footstep stole to the window, peering out frem behind the blind. Tne man at the case oposite was still there! (Continued la Next Issue.) HOSTS OF CANDIDATES WANT WHITFIELD VOTE Forty ; six Would-be Office Holders Have Qualified for Contest (Special Dispatch to The Journal.) DALTON, Ga., June 2.—lntense Interest •ocally centers in the primary for county officers to be held here in August, for the number of aspirants is a record breaker. July 1 was the time for closing the entry list, and by Monday night, 46 candidates had qualified by paying the required entrance fees. Only two of the candidates are unop posed. W. A. Broadrick will be re-elect ed tax receiver, and Peck Worthy will be named surveyor. No one wanted to look after the deari folk, for not a candidate announced for coroner. The rule will be broken in this instance; If any one shows a desire for the office, his name will be put on the ticket. Fourteen are out for treasurer, and the board of commissioners will be selected from 12 candidates. The names of the qualified candidates are as follows: For senator from Forty-third district: M. C. Tarver and J. A. Longley. For representative: S. E. Berry and E. B. Holland. For ordinary: J. M. Davis, Joseph Bo gle, W. H. Islbill, H. J. Wood, R. A. Williams. For sheriff: C. A. Connally. S. A. Vaughn, F. J. Vining, J. H. Gilbert. T. F. Howard. For clerk superior court: J. D. Field, W. M. Sapp. For tax collector: J. T. Nichols, J. H. Smith. For tax receiver: W. A. Broadrick. For treasurer: Jim Leonard, J. M. Cash L. R. Morgan, J. A. Blanton, Sam Thom as, Will McNally, N. G. Henderson, T. M. Kirby, J. T. Coker, Joe Smith, Lon • Bohanan, Charley Hall, J. A. Shope, J. < L. Ledford. 1 For surveyor: Peck Worthy. < For county commissioners: J. H. Carr, Hundreds T? T? T? of Dollars £IXII/11/ To Agents of The Semi-Weekly Journal in Our Great Profit-Sharing Contest. The Offer Is Open to All. You Take No Chances The harder you work the more money you will make and the more the prize winners will < receive. Our offer is as follows: For every yearly subscription that you secure to The Semi- • Weekly Journal we will allow you 25c commission and in addition we will deposit in a special I fund 10c for each and every yearly subscription sent in by all agents. This 10c of each sub- | scription received from our agents w r ill be held and given as prizes as follows: J 50 Per Cent of Fund to Agent Sending Largest Number of Yearly Subs 25 Per Cent of Fund to Agent Sending 2d Largest Number of Y early Subs 15 Per Cent of Fund to Agent Sending 3d Largest Number of Yearly Subs 10 Per Cent of Fund to Agent Sending 4th Largest Number of Yearly Subs 5.,4 1 ■ I • | If our agents will take an interest in this contest they can make it the largest contest ever i conducted in the South. You have all .to gain and nothing to loe by entering, for you get your commission on the subscription and in addition we place 10 cents for each yearly subscription in this fund as additional pay for your services. Remember, every subscription brings the fund up just that much more, so the more subscriptions you secure the greater the fund will be and the more money you will have to divide among the four winners when the contest closes, _ 1 August 31, 1912. Write the contest editor right away and ask for further information; special contest order blanks may be had upon application. Each yearly subscription at 75 cents a year, or any of our combinations at SI.OO, will count in this contest. 25 cents commission allowed on either. In case of a tie for any prize, the amount of the prize tied for will be divided equally among those tieing. , Address All Communications or Orders to CONTEST EDITOR Semi-Weekly Journal ATLANTA, GA. . r . , . - . ■ . <■ "• • • , ■ ■ ... • . .... ' . ■. ■ V , .. • . ..... - .. . ... NORTH ADAMS, MASS., FIRE SWEEPS BUSINESS BLOCKS; PEOPLE FLEE FOR LIVES (B? Associated Press.) at $300,000, with the flames still rag- NORTH ADAMS, Mass., July 2.—A Are Ing. which was discovered shortly before day- Wilson s hotel the Empire theater and . . , . ~ three business blocks were on Are at break today threatened an hour later to h our - destroy a large part of the business sec- More than a hundred guests at Wil tion of the city. son’s hotel escaped from the building The loss at 4:20 o’clock was estimated In their night clothes. POSTAL WIRE RATES LOWER FROM ATLANTA The Postal Telegraph company has notified Its local manager, A. M. Beatty, that, effective July 1, telegraph rates from Atlanta, Ga., to a number of points will be reduced from 40 cents for ten words to 30 cents. The rate for all word* In excess of ten has been reduced from 3 cents to 2 cents per word. The rates in the future from Atlanta to the following points are: Asheville, N. C„ 30-2; Easley, ?. C., 30-2; Morristown, Tenn., 30-2; Murfrees boro, Tenn., 30-2, and quite a few other points in the south. Russell Appointed (Special Dispatch to The Journal.) DALTON, Ga., July 3.—Rev. J. E. Rus sell, pastor of Hamilton Street Meth odist church and chaplain of the Frank Jackson camp. United Sons of Confeder ate Veterans, has been notified by Ad jutant General N. B. Forrest of his ap pointment as assistant chaplain general on his staff. Rev. Mr. Russell has ac cepted the commission. J. C. Johnston, W. R. Evlt, J. N« Crow. J. B. Hayes, D. C. Henton, G. W. Staf ford, R. J. L Richardson. G M. Mitch ell, S. J. Boyles, J. B. Wallace, W. H. Westbrook. FT. OGLETHORPE TROOPS ARRIVE AT ANNISTON ANNISTON, Ala., July 3.—Five hun i dred and ninety-four regular army cav alrymen arrived in Anniston Tuesday , from Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.. the trip being made across the country in regular army fashion. There are 30 officers and 564 men in the party. Troops B, C and D made the march. Troop A arriving a few days ago. Twenty-three escort, wagons and three ambulances were brought along. These . regular army men will remain in Annis ton from this date until the close of the maneuvers, in the latter part of Au gust. THOMASTON MERCHANTS REMOVE STREET SIGNS THOMASTON, Ga., July 3.—Every merchant and business man In Thomas ton agreed on July 1 to remove all street signs hanging over he sidewalks and streets of this town. Thomaston has had about 100 of these signs, which were unsightly. Some time last year one blew down and broke a plate glass window in A. A. Britt’s store, and the one of the Bank of Thomaston blew down in a gale and narrowly missed a school child. CANDIDATES TO SPEAK AT QUITMAN THURSDAY Congressional and Legislative Aspirants Will Take Part (Special Dispatch to The Journal.) QUITMAN. Ga.. July 3. —The Fourthi of July will be celebrated here by % barbecue and political speech-fest ow : :he court house square, and a isnrs crown is expected from the country a* well as the town. Mr. John M. Slaton, gubernatorial candidate, was expected* but a previous engagement will prevent his attendance. Mr. J. Randall Walker, candidate for congress from the Eleventh district i« another speaker on the program for the occasion, and E. H. Beck, represent ative in the legislature from this coun ty, who is running for the office of stat* school commissioner, is also expected. Besides these, there will be a host of local candidates present, one of whom. Grover Cleveland Edmbndson, is evl i dently expecting trouble and has appeal ed to the police for protection. He is a candidate for the legislature 1 and has advertised that he will speak on the issues o fthe campaign, regardless • of “threats” that he would be attacked by his enemies. He is an ardent ad-* . mirer of Thomas E. Watson and has'ad vertised that his speech will be “red J headed.” , His appeal to the police for protection! » is regarded as another tribute to ths picturesque methods employed by Mrz- ' Watson, as rowdyism on such occasional • is unknown here and the public would! I have to be prodded to make it fight i about political issues. i —. J, L. Smith Dies > CARNESVILLE, Ga., July 3.—John L* Smith died Tuesday morning at hfs > home, six miles south of ; He had served as county treasurer of I Franklin county for four years. He had been in bad health for som» time.
