Evening star. [volume], March 03, 1935, Page 3, Image 73

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
they had been on former occasions, marvelous.
(In Martinoff's right sat the Baroness, next
to her Bonton, then Baron (irantz, the trusted
secretary of the house, and finally Besserley
himself completed the five at the table. As
soon as coffee was served, decanters of rare
wine and old brandy placed upon the table,
with cigars and cigarettes within reach,
Martinoff said :
"The moment is now opportune, Mr.
Bonton, for you to repeat the proposals you
have made to me. I make no excuse for
asking you to do so in the presence of others.
1 am an old man and I do nothing without
advice. The Baroness, my niece, is deeply
interested. Baron Grantz, my trusted sec
retary, is in my entire confidence. General
Besserley I have invited because he is a man
of the world with a reputation for sound
judgment. Will you be so kind as to proceed?"
Bonton leaned forward in his chair.
"The Prince," he explained, "inoneof those
huge transactions which brought him fame
and wealth years ago, thought well to accept
large commissions from various American
houses in connection with the purchase of
several battle ships. Some friends of his also
interested themselves in the matter. In this
clean sweep which is now going on in Wash
ington, papers concerning these transactions
have come to light. The Fence's share in the
matter has been adversely commented upon.
I have been sent here to request our host, in
return for a certain consideration, to hand me
the evidence linking up two other men in
these transactions."
There was a brief silence. The Prince
nodded his head thoughtfully. The Baroness,
with a little sob, suddenly clutched at his arm,
slipped from her place and went down on her
knees by his side.
"You will not give it to him," she implored.
"You know what it will mean. It will cost
Augustus the throne which has been promised
him!"
Martinoff permitted his hand, with its long
delicate fingers and wonderful signet ring, to
rest for a moment on the woman's gold-brown
hair. He even smoothed it gently. His face,
however, was implacable.
"Anna," he said, "one has to decide in these
matters according to the greater good of the
greater number."
"But it will mean war," she pleaded.
"Surely you can see that."
"1 love war," Martinoff acknowledged
calmly.
"in return ior the documentary evidence
concerning two people whom we will not
name and one American, who must not be
named," Bonton went on, "the department
which I represent undertakes to withdraw all
charges against you, Prince, and to withdraw
the lien upon your assets being put into force
in New York. This alone should make you
richer by three million pounds."
"You cannot do this thing!" Anna cried.
"My country — 1 call it mine because I love
those who belong to it better than life itself —
has made so heroic a struggle. It has won
tranquillity owing to the fine government of
the man whom you propose to ruin. In a few
months now he will be king unless you bring
this scandal upon him. What was the harm in
his working to earn American gold? You did
the,same What you earned went into the
coffers of your vast fortune. What he earned
went back to his country. You promised me
those papers."
"I promised you them for a wedding
present," Martinoff reminded her. "If things
turn out as you say, there can be no marriage.
Besides, at that time I promised, 1 was not
threatened with this ruinous action. Grantz,"
he added, "I shall require the opening of
Safe K."
Anna's shriek rang through the vaulted
room. Besserley leaned across the table.
"Prince," he said, "you have invited me
here as a sort of watching consultant. Am 1
permitted to say one word?"
"You may speak if you wish, General,"
Martinoff assented coldly. "I may add, how
ever, that my decision is taken. I have decided
to hand over the papers to the authorities at
Washington."
"You shall not!" Anna cried, writhing in
agony.
The Prince motioned Grantz towards the
door. Besserley, however, had risen to his feet,
pushed his chair back, and was standing with
his hand outstretched towards the American.
"No papers which you hand to your guest.
Guy Bonton, Prince," he declared, "will find
their way to Washington. Furthermore, he is
not in a position to grant you the immunity
lie offers."
For a moment there was silence. Grantz,
half way to the door, stood looking back.
Anna, the tears streaming down her face, her
liair disheveled, her bosom heaving, stared
wildly at Besserley. The Prince, too, was
looking directly at him, an hngry frown upon
his forehead. Bonton alone in the room
seemed, to everyone except Pesserley himself,
unchanged. Besserley saw it coming. The man
appeared to be turning into ice. He was frozen
with that same silent fury which had crept
over him during those moments of possible
defeat upon the tennis courts.
"Have you lost your senses, General?" his
host asked.
"On the contrary," Besserley replied, "I
have been using them to exceedingly good
purpose and I have divined the truth. This
man Bonton has nothing to do with the Amer
ican Government. He is better known to
police headquarters than to Washington for
the reason that he belongs to the cleverest
trio of criminals America has ever known. If
you hand him over those papers. Prince, they
will be used for blackmail and nothing else ...
A little more to the right, please. Baroness."
She leaned away. The skill of Besserley's
old days had not deserted him. The black
muzzle of his gun pointed straight as a line
at Bonton's heart.
"Very dramatic," Bonton sneered. "How
ever, the Prince has at least had his choice.
Whether these papers are handed over to me
as a representative of the American Govern
ment or as Guy Bonton makes little difference.
The point is that I am here, and I demand
possession of those documents."
"Short of killing us all," Martinoff de
manded, "may I ask how you intend to
enforce your will upon us after General
Besserley's revelations?"
"I did not travel across from the States
without making my preparations," Bonton
declared.
Martinoff appeared not to hear him. He
was leaning forward in an attitude of listening.
"Is it my fancy," he asked, "or is there
some strange noise outside? A passing aero
plane perhaps."
They all listened. From somewhert close at
hand came the muffled beat of a great engine.
The Baroness suddenly called out. She pointed
overhead to the beautifully shaded lights.
One by one they were growing fainter. Grantz,
who had been out of the room for a few
moments, entered and hurried to his master 's
side.
"Your Highness," he announced, "it is im
possible to say what is happening. The electric
light is fading away. The telephones to the
lodge are not working. The bells are not
ringing. Outside in the front courtyard there
is something which resembles a small tank.
One fears almost that the power station is
affected."
Besserley flung back the heavy curtains.
Outside, he could dimly discern the form of
some weird-looking vehicle, but probably the
greatest shock he had ever received in his life
was the fact that between it and the château
the air seemed filled with irregular streams of
lightnings, at one mome-t green, at another
yellow.
"Come here, Grantz!" he called out. "There
is some new form of wireless at work in the
courtyard."
Bonton tapped a cigarette upon the table
cloth.
"There is no need for anyone to disturb
themselves," he said coldly. "I know precisely
what the machine is doing. I am hoping to sell
the rights of it to our host to-morrow morning.
I brought it over with me in case I found any
difficulty."
"And may I ask," Prince Martinoff in
quired, "what the machine is doing?"
Bonton lit the cigarette which he had been
holding between his fingers.
"It has by this time," he said, "practically
exhausted the accumulated electricity of your
power station. When we bought the rights
from a Dutchman, we called it a demagnetizer.
For some time not a bell in your home will
ring, there will be no light except those candles
and, ' ' he added with a little bow to the Prince,
"the doors of your secret chambers will fly
open and the handles of your safes turn of
their own accord. You have built up a nar
velous scheme of defence here dependent upon
electricity alone, Prince. Electricity has
failed you."
"You are one man, "said Martinoff. "I have
a dozen armed servants, and there are our
selves."
"Unfortunately we outnumber you," Bon
ton observed. "My brothi , with fifty of his
friends from Genoa, spent last night at La
Turbie. They are now within a dozen yards
from the various entrances to the grounds. I
might add that we possess Maxims and the
latest type of bombs. Shall we continue the
negotiations?"
There was a blank and dismal silence. And
then, although no definite sounds reached
them, they were all conscious of men outside
moving silently to and fro. Besserley leaned
forward.
"Prince," he pointed out, "we have only
Bonton'e word for this epic of destruction. I
propose that Grantz and myself go below for
a moment. Mr. Bonton perhaps will accom
pany us and see what condition your safes are
in."
Bonton rose at once to his feet.
"It would interest me very much," he
confessed.
Martinoff waved his hand and the three
men left the room.
Anna, too sick at heart for speech, leaning
forward with her head resting upon her arms,
seemed to pass into a lethargy of hopeless
grief. Finally she stretched out her hand for
her uncle's.
"Do not let the servants be shot to pieces,"
she begged quietly. "If Bonton really has his
men here from Genoa and the safes are open,
we are in their power."
There was the sound of footsteps outside.
The first to enter was Grantz carrying a black
tin box under his arm After him, very much
in the background, came Besserley.
"The destruction is complete," Grantz re
ported despairingly. "Every electric device in
the house is ruined."
"What have you brought us here?" Mar
tinoff asked, pointing to the box.
' 'The papers Eonton is demanding, ' ' Grantz
replied fearfully. "The agreement signed by
the Archduke and —"
Anna rose to her feet with a ringing cry.
Martinoff, with a quick glance towards the
door, felt in his pocket and produced a key
He unlocked the box and drew out several
bundles of papers. He found the one he
wanted. He held it over the nearest candle.
It fluttered away in ashes. Another followed it,
and then another. Martinoff sat upright in his
high-backed chair and, for the first time for
years, he laughed.
"That at any rate is finished," he exclaimed.
"Relock the box. The rest of the papers are
of no particular consequence. Anna, the man
and the country you love are safe,'' he
told her.
Her arms were around his neck, her soft
(Continued on Vage Jf)
f
Illustrationt by George Howe
Anna Rote to Her Feet With a Ringing Cry