im&l 1 -I author or toe miWwIPPI bubble 1 v'lMx&vffl
i-'trrM11rlLMmrrJ 1 copvwi owr 1909 &y soS-taaiuL cortrvsjvv- 1 QgpL
8YN0PS1S.
Senator John Calhoun !s Invited to he
tome secretary of state In Tyler's cab
inet. He declares that If he accepts Texas
and Oregon must be added to the Union.
He sends his secretary, Nicholas Trlst, to
ask the Baroness von Rltr, spy of the
British ambassador, Pakenham. to call at
pis apartments. "While searching for the
baroness' home, a carriage drives up and
Nicholas Is invited to enter. The occupant
Is tho baroness, and she asks Nicholas to
assist In evading pursuers. Nicholas ;iOtes
that the baroness has lost a slipper. She
gives him the remaining slipper as a
pledge that she will tell Calhoun what he
wants to know regarding England's In
tentions toward Mexico. As security
Nicholas gives her a trinket he Intended
for his sweetheart, Elizabeth Churchill.
Calhoun becomes secretary of Btate. He
orders Nicholas to Montreal on state
business, and the latter plans to be mar
ried that night. The baroness says she
Will try to prevent the marriage. A
drunken congressman whom Nicholas
asks to assist in the wedding arrange
ments sends the baroness' slipper to
Elizabeth, by mistake, and the wedding
Is declared off. Nicholas finds the baron
ess In Montreal, she having succeeded,
where he failed, in discovering England's
Intentions regarding Oregon. She tells
him that the slipper he had in his pos
session contained a note from the attache
of Texas to the British ambassador, say
ing that If the United States did not an
nex Texas within 30 days, she would lose
both Texas and Oregon. Nicholas meets
a naturalist. Von PJttenhofen, wro elves
him Information about Oregon. The
baroness and a British warship disappear
from Montreal simultaneously. Calhoun
orders Nicholas to head a party of set
tlers bound for Oregon. Calhoun excites
the Jealousy of Senorn Fturrlo and there
by secures the signature of the Texas at
tache to a treaty of annexation. Nicholas
tarts for Oregon. He wins the race over
the British portv. A British warship ar
rives with the baroneea as a passenger.
Bhe tells Nicholas that she placed a note
In the slipper which caused the breaking
1T of his marriage, and that she intends
to return to Washington to repair the
Samage she has done. Nicholas decides to
follow her. The baroness beats him to
Washington. He learns Polk is elected
tnd Texas annexed, and that there is to
fee war with Mexico.
CHAPTER XXXI. Continued.
"My daughter! Yess, my daughter.
It iss Helena! I haf not seen her for
many years, long, cruel years. I sup
pose her dead. But now there we
were, standing, looking In each oth
er's eyes! We Bee there Ach, Gott!
what do wo not see? Yet In spite of
ill. It wass Helena! But she shall
tell you." He tottered from the room.
I heard his footsteps pass down the
halL Then softly, almost silently, Hel
ena von Ritz again stood before me.
The light from a side window fell
npon her face. Yes, it was she! Her
face was thinner now, browner even
than was its wont. Her hair was still
faintly sunburned at its extremities by
tho western winds. Yet hers was still
Imperishable youth and beauty.
I held out my hands to her. "Ah,"
I cried, "you played me false! You
ran away! By what miracle did you
tome through? I confess my defeat.
fu beat me by almost half a year."
"Eut now you have come," said she
limply.
"Yes, to remind you that you have
friends. You have been here in secret
all the winter. Mr. Calhoun did not
know you had come. Why did you
not go to him?"
"I was waiting: for you to come. Do
rou not remember our bargain? Each
day I expected you. In some way, I
scarce knew how, the .weeks wore on."
"And now I find you both here
you and your father where I would
expect to find neither. Continually
you violate all law of likelihood. But
cow, you have seen Elizabeth?"
"Yes, I have seen her," she said,
till simply.
I could think of no word suited to
that moment. I stood only looking at
her. She would have spoken, but on
the instant raised a hand as though to
demand my silence. I heard a loud
knock at the door, peremptory, com
manding, as though the owner came.
"You must go into another room,"
said Helena von Ritz to mo hurriedly.
"Who Is it? Who is at the door?"
I asked.
She looked at me calmly. "It is Sir
Richard Pakenham," 6aid she. "This
is his usual hour. I will send him
away. Go now quick!"
I rapidly passed behind the screen
ing curtains into the hall, even as I
heard a heavy foot stumbling at the
threshold and a somewhat husky voice
offer some sort of salutation.
CHAPTER XXXII.
Pakenham's Price.
The happiest women, like nations, have
Co history. CJeorge Eiiot.
The apartment into which I hur
riedly stepped I found to be a long
and narrow hall, heavily draped. A
doer or so made off on tho rigbt-hand
Bide, and a closed door also appeared
r.t the farther end; but none invited
me to enter, and I did not care to in
trude. This situation did not please
me, because I must perforce hear all
that went on In the rooms which I
had Just left. I heard the thick voice
of a man, apparently none the better
for wine.
"My dear," it began. "I" Some
feature must have warned him.
"Gcd bless my soul!" he began
again. "Who Is here, then? What is
wrong?"
"My father is here to-day," I heard
ber clear voice answer, "and, as you
suggest, it might perhaps be better "
'God bless my soul!" he repeated.
nit, my dear, then I must go! To
night, then! Where is that other key?
It would never do, you know "
"No, Sir Richard, it would never
do. Go, then!" spoke In a low and
icy voice, hers, yet not hers. "Hasten!"
I heard her half whisper. "I think
perhaps my father- "
But it was my own footsteps they
heard. This was something to which
I could not be party. Yet, rapidly
as I walked, her visitor, was before
me. I caught sight only of his portly
back, as the street door closed behind
him. She stood, her back against
the door, her hand spread out against
the wall, as though to keep me from
passing.
I paused and looked at her, held by
the horror in her eyes. She made no
concealment, offered no apologies, and
showed no shame. I repeat that it
was only horror and sadness mingled
which I saw on her face.
"Madam," I began. And again,
"madam!" and then I turned away.
"You see," she said, sighing.
"Yes, I fear I see; but I wish I did
not. Can I not may I not be mis
taken?" "No, it is true. There is no mis
take." "What have you done? Why, why?
"Did you not always credit me with
being the good friend of Mr. Paken
ham years ago did not all the city?
Well, then I was not; but I am, now!
I was England's agent only until last
night. Monsieur, you have come too
soon, too late, too late. Ah, my God!
my God! Last night I gave at last
that consent. He comes now to claim,
to exact, to take possession of me
. . . Ah, my God!"
"I cannot, of course, understand
you madam. What is it? Tell me!"
"For three years England's minister
besought me to be his, not England's
I IIMMMII
ism -m
"I Cannot, of Course, Understand You,
property. It was not true, what the
town thought. It wts not true in the
case either of Yturrio. Intrigue yes
I loved It. I intrigued with Eng
land and Mexico both, because It was
in my nature; but no more than that.
No matter what I once was in Eu
rope, I was not here not, as I said,
until last night. Ah, monsieur! Ah,
monsieur!" Now her hands were
beating together.
"But why then? Why then? What
do you mean?" I demanded.
"Because no other way sufficed. All
this winter, here, alone, I have planned
and thought about other means. Noth
ing would do. There was but the one
way. Now you see why I did not go
to Mr. Calhoun, why I kept my pres
ence here a secret."
"But you saw Elizabeth?"
"Yes, long ago. My friend, you have
won! You both have won, and I have
lost. She loves you, and is worthy of
you. You are worthy of each other,
yes. I saw I had lost; and I told you
I would give you her and Oregon!
Well, then, that last was hard." She
choked. "That was hard to do." She
almost sobbed. "But I have paid!
Heart and eoul ... and body .
. . I have . . . paid! Now, he
comes . . . for , . . the price!"
"But then but then!" I expostu
lated. "What does this mean, that I
see here? There was no need for
this. Had you no friends among us?
Why, though it means war, I myself
to-night would choke that beast Paken
ham with my own hands!"
"No, you will not."
"But did I not hear him say there
was a key his key to-night?"
"Yes, England once owned that key.
Now, he does. Yes, it is true. Since
yesterday. Now, he comes . . ."
"But, madam ah, how could you so
disappoint my belief in you?"
"Because" she smiled bitterly "in
all great causes there are sacrifices."
"But no cause could warrant this."
: "I was Judge of that," was her re
sponse. "I saw her Elizabeth that
girl. Then I saw what the future years
meant for me. I tell you, I vowed
with her, that night when I thought
you two were wedded. I did more. I
vowed myself to a new and wider
world that night. Now, I have lost
it. After all, seeing I could not now
be a woman and -be happy, I mon
sieur I pass on to others, after this,
not that torture of life, but that tor
turing principle of which we so often
spoke. Yes, I, even as I am; because
of this this act this sacrifice I can
win you for her. And I can win that
wider America which you have cov
eted; which I covet for you which
I covet with you!"
I could do no more than remain
silent, and allow her to explain what
was not in the least apparent to me.
After a time 6he went on.
"Now now, I say Pakenham the
minister is Bunk In Pakenham the
man. He does as I demand because
he is a man. He signs what I demand
because I am a woman. I say, to
night but, see!"
She hastened now to a little desk,
and caught up a folded document
which lay there. This she handed to
me, unfolded, and I ran it over with
a hasty glance.' It was a matter of
Madam, What Is It? Tell Me!"
tremendous importance which lay in
those few closely written lines.
England's minister offered, over the
signature of England, a compromise of
the whole Oregon debate, provided
this country would accept the line of
the forty-ninth degree! That, then,
was Pakenham's price for this key
that lay here.
"This this is all I have been able
to do with him thus far," she faltered.
"It is not enough. But I did it for
you!"
"Madam, this Is more than all Amer
ica has been able to do before! This
has not been made public?"
"No, no! It is not enough. But
to-night I shall make him surrender
all all north, to the very ice, for
America, for the democracy! See,
now, I was born to be devoted, Im
molated, after all, as my mother was
before me. That is fate! But I shall
make fate pay! Ah, monsieur! Ah!
monsieur!"
She flung herself to her feet. "J
can get it all for you, you and yours!"
she reiterated, holding out her hands,
the little pink fingers upturned, as was
often her gesture. "You shall go to
your chief and tell him that Mr. Polk
was right th-at you yourself, who
taught Helena von Ritz what life Is,
taught her that after all she was a
woman are able, because she was a
woman, to bring in your own hands
all that country, yes, to fifty-four
forty, or even farther. I do not know
what all can be done. I only know
that a fool will part with everything
for the sake of his bod.?
I stood now looking at her, silent,
trying to fathom the vastness of what
she said, trying to understand at all
their worth the motives which im
pelled her. The largeness of her plan,
yes, that could be seen. The large
ness of her heart and brain,, yes, that
also. Then slowly, I saw yet more.
At last I understood. What I saw
was a horror to my soul.
"Madam," said I to her, at last, "did
you Indeed think me bo cheap as that?
Come here!" I led her to the central
apartment, and motioned her to a
seat.
"Now, then, madam, much has been
done here, as you say. It is all that
ever can be done. . You shall not see
Pakenham to-night, nor ever again!"
"But think what that will cost you!"
she broke out. "This Is only pert. It
should all bo yours."
I flung the document from me. "This
has already cost too much," I said.
"We do not buy states thus."
"But it will cost you your future!
Polk is your enemy, now, as he is
Calhoun's. He will not strike you
now, but so Boon as he dares, he will.
Now, if yt ould do this if you
could take v '-i "to Mr. Calhoun, to
America, it Wid mean for you per
sonally all that America could give
you In honors."
"Honors without honor, madam, I
do not covet," I replied. Then I would
have bit my tongue through when I
saw the great pallor cross her face at
the cruelty of my speech.
"And myself!" she said, spreading
out her hands again. "But no! I know
you would not taunt me. I know, in
spite of what you say, there must be
a sacrifice. Well, then I have made
it. I have made my atonement. I say
I can give you now, even thus, at least
a part of Oregon. I can perhaps give
you all of Oregon to-morrow! The
Pakenhams have always dare much
to gain their ends. This one will dare
even treachery to his country. To
morrow if I do not kill him if I do
not die I can perhaps give you all of
Oregon bought bought and . . ,
paid!" Her voice trailed on Into a
whisper which seemed loud as a
bugle call to me.
"No, you 'cannot give us Oregon,"
I answered. "We are men, not pan
ders. We fight; we do not traffic thus.
But you have given me Elizabeth!"
"My rival!" She smiled at me in
spite of all. "Eut no, not my rival.
Yes, I have already given you her and
given you to her. To do that to
atone, as I Bald, for my attempt to
part you well, I will give Mr. Paken
ham the key that Sir Richard Paken
ham of England lately held. I told
you a woman pays, body and soul! In
what coin fate gave me, I will pay it.
You think my morals mixed. No, I
tell you I am clean! I have only
bought my own peace with my own
conscience! Now, at last, Helena von
Ritz knows why she was born, to what
end! , I have a work to do, and, yes,
I 6ee iT. now my journey to America
after all was part of the pian of fate.
I have learned much through you,
monsieur."
Hurriedly she turned and left me,
passing through the heavy draperies
which cut off the room where stood
the great satin couch. I saw her cast
herself there, her arms outflungs Slow,
deep and silent sobs shook all her
body.
"Madam! Madam!" I cried to her.
"Do not! Do not! What you have
done here Is worth a hundred millions
of dollars, a hundred thousand of lives,
perhaps. Yes, that 13 true. It means
most of Oregon, with honor, and with
out war. That is true, and it is much.
But the price paid It is more than all
this continent Is worth, if It cost so
much as that. Nor shall It!"
Black, with a million pin-points of
red, the world swam around me. Mil
lions of dead souls or 60uls unborn
seemed to gaze at me and my un
hesitating rage. I caught up the scroll
which bore England's signature, and
with one clutch cast It in two pieces
on the floor. As it lay, we gazed at
it in 6llence. Slowly, I eaw a great,
soft radiance come upon her face. The
red pin-points cleared away from m7
own vision.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
The Violin Maker.
He chisels top and bottom of the
violin's body from solid blocks of
spruce and maple, coaxing the subtle
and delicate conformations through a
month of patient labor, putting soul
and yearning In the wood, as perhaps
no other hand-craftsman may. In his
search for exquisite tone. He la build
ing a slender and sensitive box with a
wonderful power to emit vibrations
marshaled Into order, and delivered
as a voice. No visible beauty of
carven form and no original departure
from set design avail him In reaching
his goal. He seeks intangible es
sence of sound and means for its lofti
est beauty. For him there Is no es
tablished law for alluring the tone
to some dimple in the wood, to delight
It to rapturous perfection. He pursues
an Ignis fatuus of quivering air-waves
that leads onward endlessly. He may
only strive toward achievement of his
object as strove his forebears of the
craft, and frequently with fax less re
ward. Harper's Magailas.
Cummins Seeks
I IV.
0 -HUM
- I -CuESS
(LL HAVE TO
WAKE UP AMD
CET BUSY J
WASHINGTON. Senator Cummins
of Iowa, as chairman of the com
mittee on civil service and retrench
ment, proposes to push the considera
tion of a comprehensive civil service
measure one that will provide for
the designation by law of all places
under civil service classification, In
stead of leaving them to executive or
der, and which will regulate promo
tions and retirements."
As a member of the committee on
Interstate, commerce he already has
dono-sonic work on a bill to reorgan
ize the interstate commission, in
creasing its membership and dividing
it Into five parts, these parts to have
jurisdiction respectively over sections
of the country corresponding to the
traffic divisions as designated by the
railroads.
It is not certain that he scheme
for reorganization of tho interstate
commerce commission will be ad
vanced beyond the preliminary stage
at this extra session.
With respect to the subject first
mentioned, however, it is the inten
tion to introduce a bill within a short
Sherman Hard
VICE-PRESIDENT SHERMAN'S
fondness for mixing wi"ji the
crowd, talking politics with uls old
cronies in the house and a general
dislike for formality, especially when
the formality is a prolonged affair,
almost disarranged the White House
plans for the New Year reception.
Mr. Sherman was the first man re-,
ceived by the president. The vice
president then became a member of
the president's receiving party. The
presiding officer of the senate contin
ued to bow sweetly as long as pos
sible, and then quietly stepped into
the line of guests which had already
passed the president and walked out
to the east room, where there were
hundreds of politicians of various
brands. The vice-president was hav
ing a fine time when he was inter
rupted by Capt. Archibald Butt, the
president's military aid.
"Mr. Vice-President," said Captain
Butt, "you have been missed from the
receiving line. Permit me to escort
you back in time to receive the diplo
mats." "So long, boys," said the vice-president,
waving his hand to his old cro
nies In the hotfse. "See you later."
Diplomat after diplomat passed the
Jap War Talk
ttWOU can take two friendly boys
1 and bump their heads together
until one of them will lose his temper
and then you will have a fight," said
a high-up official of the United States.
"The same rule applies to nations.
This talk about a prospective war be
tween the United States and Japan if
kept up for a few years will inevitably
produce war between the two coun
tries. It ought to be stopped, and
stopped now.
"There ought to be some way of In
flicting punishment "on persons who in
dulge In this war talk when there is
not the slightest foundation for it.
The newspapers are not primarily re
sponsible for this talk. I do think,
however, that they ought to quit giv
ing it publicity."
Some persons have recently made
Naturalists Busy
ENCOURAGING reports are being re
ceived by the Smithsonian institu
tion from the naturalists who are tak
ing part in the biological survey of
the Panama canal zone, which wfs or
ganized by the institution last winter.
The principal branches of natural his
tory are represented in the party,
which includes seven experienced field
naturalists, nearly all of them from
the scientific bureaus of the govern
ment. Naturalists throughout the world are
greatly interested In this biological
survey, because when the canal is
opened sweeping changes probably will
take place In the distribution of the
animals and plants. A part of the
fresh water streams of the Isthmus
now empty Into the Atlantic, ocean and
others into the Pacific.
It is known that a certain number
of animals and plants In the streams
on the Atlantic side differ from those
of the Pacific side, but as no biological
survey has ever been undertaken the
extent and magnitude of these differ
ences have yet to be learned.
Rigid Merit System
time and to do as much work on it
as possible in committee during the
summer.
Hearings may be held and as an in
dication of Senator Cummins' inten
tion to keep his committee busy, the
first thing he did after reaching Wash
ington the other day was to move his
quarters in the senate office building
from the northwest corner tp the
southeast corner, immediately adjoin
ing the room allotted to the commit
tee on civil service and retrenchment.
For years, until Mr. Cummins be
came chairman, this committee had
been one of tho "do-nothing" commit
tees of the senate. In the last con
gress it held hearings on the propo
tion to provide for the retirement
and pensioning of superannuated em
ployees of the various government de
partments. It now is proposed to embrace the
civil service classification and the
promotion and retirement featurea in
one comprehensive measure.
There is no intention, it is u f-
stood, of assailing the executive
branch of the government through the
proposition to designate by law the
positions that shall be filled under
the civil service rules. It is designed,
however, to make the rules more
rigid and to prevent in the futuriMhe
excepting of certain places iiJTri he
application of the rules by ex3ci.ilve
order.
ne
president, and behind them the vice
president saw an endless line of gold
braid adorning the breasts of count
less officers of the army and navy sta
tioned in Washington.
"Those fellows don't want to see me
for anything," said the vice-president,
as he slipped back Into th,e east room.
Half an hour later, while the vice
president was exchanging the compli
ments of the season and telling and
hearing stories, he was again accosted
by Captain Butt.
"I have been looking all over the
White House for you,'' said the mili
tary aid.
'"Well, here I am," remarked "Sun
ny Jim," slapping Butt on the back.
"What do you want tMs time?"
"President Taft's 1 rty is ready to
go to luncheon," s, a the captain,
"and we are waiting for you to escort
Mrs. Taft."
Is Called Criminal
the suggestion that It might not be
improper for congress to start an-investigation
with a view to ascertaining
why this talk of hostilities between
the United States and Japan con
tinues. It is pointed out that such an
investigation ought to reveal whether
as a matter of cold fact there is any
basis for the stories that are constant
ly put in circulation. For nearly four
years this talk has gone oa here at the
capital, and naturally has spread to
other sections of the country.
President Taft has recently found it
necessary to Invite the ambassador) of
the Japanese empire to the White
House and assure him personally that
the administration is in no way re
sponsible for the war talk that has re
cently been indulged in, and to reiter
ate to him that the United States has
only the kindliest feelings for Japan.
During the last month many stories,
circumstantial in character, have been
passed around here tending to show
that Japan is preparing to fight, this
country. Every one of them on In
vestigation has been found to be bas
less.
on Canal Zone
It also is of great importance to
science to determine the geographical
distribution of the various organisms
inhabiting these waters, as the isth
mus is one of the routes by which the
animals and plants of South America
have entered North America and vice
versa.
When the canal ' completed the
natural distinctions low existing will
be obliterated, while by the construe
tlon of the Gatun dam a vast fresh wa
ter lake will be formed, which will
drive away or drown the majority of
the animals and plants now Inhabiting
the locality and might exterminate,
some of the species before the scien
tific experts had a chance to stud;
them.
to Keep in Li
U-v-rs A I -r- TrTcomc Wj
-Y. A ' ' I WITH THE
flR HFTa Uril CANC -THEY
POTMEED