The Afton American (Afton, Okla.), Vol. 8, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 25, 1915 Page: 3 of 8
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THE AFTON AMERICAN
I
V?
CONES'
From iKe Scenario OPACE OUNARD
COPyPlGHf 19 15 fy WPIOHT A PAlltQSOH
Novelized From the Motion Picture Drama of the Same Name Produced by the
Universal Film Manufacturing Company
' SYNOPSIS
Kitty Gray newspaper woman finds In
a curio shop half of a broken coin the
mutilated Inscription on which arouses
her curiosity and leads her at the order
of her managing editor to go to the prln-
clpality of Gretzhoffen to piece out the
story suggested by the Inscription She Is
followed and on arrival In Gretzhoffen
her adventures while chasing the secret
4f the broken coin begin
' NINTH INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER XXXIII
The Trap
"Mademoiselle give It to me! Let
os end all this"
The voice of Count Frederick was
ogltated For once he had met a sit-
uation sufficient to shake him from his
calm
Kitty Gray made no answer as she
shrank back the coin tightly clasped
in her hand She cast on him a look
so full of womanly anger as might
have scorched him — an anger now de-
void of fear Caged trapped left with-
out resource helpless In the hands of
her enemy still she seemed deadlier
than that enemy now
“Will you not?" The man’s voice
had In It now something almost of
pleading Count Frederick felt some-
thing of shame at his own part In this
"Nol” she answered at length her
own voice low and even panting out
the words "No 1 will not Come and
take it from me If you dare You have
done that once why not again?"
He turned away with a sudden ges-
ture his face red in chagrin over the
lustlce of her taunt
"You remember that?" said he
What remains? Must I be yet more
rude with you? It Is not that I like
the part mademoiselle be sure of
that It was not myself but my man
who laid hands upon you that other
time”
"He is still your man You yourself
till are willing to persecute a woman
ind a stranger You are no better
than he"
"Suppose I am not then Does ft
look as though you would gain much
by defying me? Come now The coin
Is nothing to you It is everything to
me I swear It Is more than I thought
It ever would be It is life and death
tor me and more than that made-
moiselle Would you stand between
me and an ambition such as that? 1
would repay you a hundredfold In any
way you needed if you would but lis-
ten to reason But perhaps a woman
joes not know the word for reason”
"No I do not I remember only one
word and that Is hate for you! When
my chance comes I shall still remem-
ber that In turn I will put you be-
hind the bars If ever the opportunity
comes to me And you shall stay there
always for all of me I hate you!"
Count Frederick smiled grimly
“There Is comfort In that word made-
moiselle" said he "Rather that than
leaden-eyed Indifference at least But
as for me I do not hate you neither
am I Indifferent toward you I only —
at leaBt mademoiselle I try only to
think of the coin and what It means
to me"
"If It belonged to you mcnsleur It
would have gone to you long ago If
you ever owned It you would own It
now"
A sudden change came over the face
of the nobleman as he caught the con-
fiction In these words They touched
lor him some consciousness long left
anawakened
“What do you mean?" ho asked In
a low voice “What Is it that you
mean when you say that?"
"When Frederick Count of Grets-
boffen deserves this coin when he
earns it when he gains title by virtue
of right thoughts and deeds then per-
haps It will come to him surely not
before This coin" she held It now out
before her in her hand "It will come
eventually to that place where It be-
longs It Is seeking for that place now
The people really own it They ask
freedom and Justice and liberty And
(low you ask me why I cling to It
hy it clings to me I suppose It Is
uecause something Impels me com-
pels me to do what I have done"
Count Frederick turned to compose
clmself to a situation of greater com-
fort As he did so and about to seat
himself upon the lower stair some-
thing fell from the pocket of his coat
something which he had brought with
him from his room in the hope that It
had Hot been observed there by this
woman It fell now face upward on
the stair between them and he saw
that she had seen it He accepted the
fact and at first did not attempt to
pick up the little picture for It was
the little picture which he had brought
with him from his room
“You saw mademoiselle?" said he
"I had hoped that you would not”
"Yes I soe It now I saw It there
In your room" answered Kitty con-
temptuously "You ask why I venture
into your apartments now and then
Have I not the right? May I not claim
my own property? I am not familiar
with tha laws qf Gretzhoffen Indeed
It seems to me there are no laws In
this land Not knowing bow to re
plevin my property by process of law
what shall I do— wait and lose It or
take my own when I find It?"
Count Frederick smiled at this
"You claim the coin also by that
law?” said he "Very well I claim
my picture by that law Possession la
nine points of the law of any land
Will you trade this for that?"
“No" spitefully
“There Is no bargain concluded”
said he "So then I suppose we will
wait here until doomsday"
“Yes” viciously
"Agreed then mademoiselle With
your permission may 1 light a cig-
arette? TUI doomsday! 1 would rather
spend my time bore than any place I
know”
CHAPTER XXXIV
New Problems
Meantime the agencies of the law
were in charge of another situation
which but now bad arisen In the des-
tiny of the dynamic Gretzhoffen coin
There had been murder done but now
over this coin The city was exerting
all its force usually employed in the
preservation of life and ' property
Swiftly a cordon of troops and of the
local gendarmerie had been summoned
into action The exits of the town
were guarded The gendarmes filled
the streets nearby some guarding the
crossings others converging toward
the point of greater interest whence
the alarm had come — the Ritz hotel
“W'hat is this monsieur?" demanded
the officer as he approached the desk
his quick eyes glancing over every de-
tail about him “Remain here all of
you Let no one attempt escape What
Is this then?”
“We da not know captain” began
the clerk who acted as spokesman
“This maid brings the alarm Bhe de-
clares a man has been found killed in
one of our apartments”
“What room was it mcnsleur?"
“That belonging to a young Ameri-
can woman a Miss Gray"
“Where Is she?"
“I do not know captain She was
here but now We did not see her en-
ter but saw her leave She and her
man come and go often — somewhat
mysteriously I must admit"
"When was she here last?"
“Within the hour I was about to
say"
“And who was with her?"
"Her man whom I have just men-
tioned They came In apparently
from the country apparently from
travel They came In at the rear en-
trance so It seems Soon after her
arrival a gentleman Inquired for her"
"And where Is that gentleman?”
The clerk looked about him Count
Sachio by this time had approached
the door and would have been glad
enough to pass out Detained by the
porter for a time he now had met the
gendarmes who allowed no one to
leave the plice The captain ap-
proached him
"Monsieur you must Join us for a
time” and led him toward the desk
where he resumed his questioning of
the hotel force
“Is this the gentleman?" he Inquired
of the cleric The latter nodded
"What did this gentleman Bay?"
“He asked me where was the charm-
ing young woman the American He
said he had known her before"
"Has anyone else Inquired for ttie
young American lately? Has anyone
else been In her apartments?"
The clerk considered for an Instant
“One other monsieur la capitalne
yes"
"Who — when was It?”
“A gentleman whose name I dislike
to speak in public"
"Speak It Is the law”
"Very well then It was Monsieur le
Counte Frederick of Gretzhoffen"
"The Count Frederick when was he
here?”
"Ah that was bofore the return of
the young woman from an absence of
several days"
The officer turned to his men
“Those of you who remain” he said
"will guard all these whom we have
questioned here Prevent all from
leaving the hotel I must go to find
the Count Frederick hlmseif and bring
him here Perhaps through him we
may find something of the where-
abouts of the young woman herself
Once we find her we have found the
solution of this crime"
"Who was the victim?" be demand-
ed of th clerk
"That we cannot say This maid
alone has seen”
CHAPTER XXXV
8tone Walls Do Not a Prison Make
Roleau guardian of the fortunes of
his mistress bad remained at that
portion of the palace which seemed
to him most useful as a coign of van-
tage In watching against Intrusion
He bad cot been aware of the quiet
advance of Count Frederick when the
latter bad been summoned by the eleo-
trlo hell set off by Kitty’s presence in
hie own apartments He knew noth-
ing of the devloe by which the count
had managed to trap the Intruder
knew nothing of the cause of the long
silence on the part of Kitty whom he
had left alone In the count’s apart-
ments As for the attendants of the palace
Itself no alarm came from them In
truth they all were In the front part
of the building grouped near the great
windows or the street door whither
they had been called by certain alarms
They had seen hurrying troops had
heard the challenge of the officers of
the law That challenge came closer
to them A little group of men march-
ing hurriedly men In uniform now
ascended the great stairs A loud rap-
ping came at the doors of Count Fred-
erick’s palace “Open In the name of
the king!” came the summons
The servants terrified lacking the
command of their master not know-
ing where that master was knew no
alternative but to obey The door was
opened The captain of gendarmes
and his squad entered
“The master of this place" he de-
manded of the men who met him
"Where la he? Is he at home?"
"We do not know" stammered the
major domo the first to seak
Roleau caught some sense of wbat
was coming on saw the men approach-
ing and darted back to warn his mis-
tress whose long delay he could not
understand He hurried swiftly on
tip-toe along the halls he knew so
well and naturally met no opposi-
tion He reached the door of the room
where he had left Kitty glanced with-
in and found the room empty He
turned this way and that not knowing
what to do and fearing to turn back
toward the main stairway passed
deeper to the rear
All at once he heard the voice of
Kitty loud and clear: "Roleau! Rol-
eaul A mol! Vlte! Vite!"
He hastened on down the hall
knowing that Ills mistress was once
more in some desperate plight and so
found himself at length face to face
at the foot of the staircase with the
Count Frederick who turned to meet
him
“Eh blen Roleau?” smiled the lat-
ter “What again?" You are most
faithful shall I say most industrious
In the service of this lady? I would
you bad been so devoted in my own"
"As you please master" replied
Roleau with aplomb "But where 1b
she?"
“She seems safe” said Count Fred-
erick coolly and waved a hand
Roleau came front to front against
the Iron grlllo doors which barred
egress for the Inmate of the little
priBoa He shock at the bars in
frenzy as he saw her She approached
him her eyes wide with Joy at his
coming
"So then this was why!” cried Ro-
leau "Open this gate I say" In his
passion he forgot his own position
and turned on bis master ordering
him as though Count Frederick him-
self were the servant In this place
"Roleau you will yet exhaust my
patience This Is my home I have
had almost enough of your running
back and forth In It as you like This
Is the last time Out of here you fel-
low” “Is It bo?” grinned Roleau savagely
his own mind upon the main situation
of menace to his mistress “There
X x
if
Kitty Is Surprised In Frederick’s
Apartment by the King’s Sweetheart
and Then by Frederick
are things which even matters quick-
ly master But as for this I won’t
argue now It Is your own safety de-
mands It Listen the men are com-
ing — the officers— don’t you hear
them?”
"Who are coming?”
"The gendarmes There Is a charge
of murder They are after you they
are coming to search this house If
they find you with her trapped
what will they do? Open master
quickly I beg of you It Is for the
sake of her and yourself"
“ I do not run” said Count Freder-
ick slowly “If there Is such a charge
ifs this certainly! we shall meet It
for It Is our purpose as well as theirs
to find who are guilty
“Come now” he turned to Kitty as
he drew the key of the lock from his
pocket “you have once more by vir-
tue of this exigency mademoiselle
conquered me! I must set you free
for a time Fate seems to fight with
you Later we will resume our argu-
ment but now I think what Roleau
says has Justice In It We must not
be found here thus”
He Dung open the Iron grills Kitty
Frederick Roleau and
sprang down the steps clung to the
arm of Roleau A flush came to Count
Frederick's face as he Baw bow she
avoided himself There was how-
ever no time for further Bpeech The
sound of rapid footfalls came down
the hall The captain of gendarmes
and his men were at the door
“Messieurs welcome!" said Count
Frederick “But why are you here?"
“Monsieur le comte we ask rardon
for the Intrusion but we must ask you
to join us” replied the officer He
was Impressed by the calm dignity of
Count Frederick as had been awe
than one man before bis time
“For what reason do you desire our
company monaleur captain? Ib there
any charge against us?"
“There Is a charge of great severity
to bo laid against someonb monsieur
le comte We ask your aid to deter-
mine who that one may be This
young woman who Is she?"
"I am Miss Kitty Gray of America"
answered the object of his suspicion
"This Is my servant Roleau Who are
you?”
"We are of the Imperial police
mademoiselle A murder has been
done In your room at the Ritz hotel
Naturally someone is under suspicion
Let me caution both you and Count
Frederick not to speak What you
say may be used as evidence”
Count Frederick turned suddenly
toward Kitty a warning In his eyes
She stood therefore silent looking at
the man
“Mademoiselle is In no case respon-
sible for any of this" said he to the
officer "We will all go with you and
conclude this matter as quickly as
possible We must be released at
once from detention”
The officer turned beckoning to
them to follow him
The little group passed along the
walk to the open curb of the street
It was Roleau who hesitated here ad-
dressing the captain of gendarmes
"Monsieur captain" Bald he “I see
that you guard all the escapes possi-
ble to any guilty man You will
therefore allow me to step to the cor-
ner to summon a carriage for these
two excellencies?"
The captain of gendarmes hesitated
for a half-instant frowned and then
nodded
"Naturally you only do your duty
monBleur captain” suggested Roleau
"but excellencies like these must not
walk Excuse me then?"
Those who lingered for an Instant
saw Roleau walk leisurely toward the
corner raise his hand as though In a
signal and then break Into a run
"Walt" exclaimed Count Frederick
as he saw the plan of the quick-witted
servant "If you leave us we also
might run away We will pick him
up no doubt Do you tarry here with
UB”
In fact the captain of gendarmss
seeing his own party reduced hy di-
visions to no more than a couple of
men beside himself hesitated and
turned to secure the safety of his
more Important captives While they
paused they heard the quick whoels
of a taxicab which drew up before
them After all It was an open ques-
tion what had been Roleau’s Intent
for certainly he had ordered this vehi-
cle to come hither Making the best
of the matter the captain of gend-
armes motioned for his prisoners to
enter the car
Kitty turned to the silent man who
sat at her side Count Frederick laid
a finger to his lips counseling silence
and gazed straight on ahead
Thus silent and aloof they arrived
as prisoners at the grand entrance of
the Hotel Ritz
Kitty found herself face to face with
a large man in full uniform a man
with a heavy beard and merciless eye
who now addressed himself to his
subordinate
“As to this man" he demanded
"why have you taken Count Freder-
ick of Gretzhoffen?"
“Merely as ultimate suspicion"
stammered the captain "We found
him in company with this young wom-
an In whose room the crime was com-
mitted This other—" he pointed to
Count Sachio "also seems to have
known this young woman”
Kitty Arrested for Murder
"Who are you then?” demanded the
prefect of Count Sachio
“I am Count Sachio of Grahaffen"
replied the latter none too happy at
the situation In which he found him-
self “Might I suggest to monsieur le
prefect that we hasten” Interrupted
Count Frederick gently enough
The prefect had seen many women
not all of them innocent He smiled
grimly enough now as he noticed the
beauty of the young girl who stood
pale and not wholly collected In all
this turmoil The girl now turned to
him and for the first time spoke
"Monsieur le prefect” said she ‘‘you
cannot make guilt out of Innocence
1 can prove to you by this clerk and
all these others that I was absent
from the hotel for several days When
I came back It was but for a short
time I was absent when this crime
was discovered How can you con-
nect me with it? Rather connect with
it those who have had access to my
room during my absence"
The official turned toward her
thoughfully then to the captain of
gendarmes “Have you searched all
these persons?” he Inquired The lat-
ter shook his head
"So you do not know what evidence
has been destroyed Come then per-
form that duty now see what you
find upon the persons of these Individ-
uals The woman first”
Without hesitation Kitty presented
her handbag drew out from It her lit-
tle portemonnaie even turned Inside
out the pocket of her frock Count
Frederick watched her closely as she
did so He saw that none of the offi-
cers discovered the piece of coin He
suspected although he did not know
that Kitty had palmed It under her
thumb as she spread out her hands
asking them to certify themselves
The gendarmes their captain the
prefect of police turned away non-
plussed The prefect hesitated as he
faced the calm dignity of the noble-
man “Your excellency” said he at length
"I dislike to ask of you the right of
search I comply only with formal-
ities If your excellency—”
’’Certainly" said Count Frederick
and threw open his coat
The prefect of police turned to his
men "We have not yet found all of
those parties who may be concerned
with this crime We have not yet
held our questions on the scene of the
crime itself
They turned all of them now and
approached the stairway which led to
the floor upon which were located
Kitty’s apartments Their numbers
quite filled the hall as they advanced
preceded and followed by gendarmes
But suddenly as they approached the
spot they sought the captain of gend-
armes touched the arm of his superior
and pointed ahead
"That Is the man who escaped”
exclaimed be "Roleau here he is
and coming from the room itself! But
who is that with him?"
CHAPTER XXXVI
The Body of the Crime
It had been easy for Roleau once
he was free of the Immediate presence
of the officers to spring into the near-
est alleyway and quickly pass from
sight While the officer In charge of
his more distinguished prisoners was
passing In the car toward the front en-
trance of the Hotel Ritz Roleau him-
self wag speeding thither almost as
quickly through devious passageways
which led to the rear of the hotel
Attaining entrance at the rear he
sped up the back stairs and found
himself once more at the apartments
of Kitty Gray
Wbat he saw caused even his stout
nerves to quail for the time On the
floor before him with face half turned
and arms outflung lay the victim of
the lpst adventure connected with the
mysterious Gretzhoffen coin
Roleau did not know this man at
first but be seemed not of Gretzhof-
fen Rather hts garb betokened him
to come from the kindred kingdom of
Grahaffen
Carefully yet nalng that speed
which b knew was Imperative Ro-
lean bent over making such search
as he could of the silent evidence of
the crime It beemed to him almost
certain that he had seen this man
somewhere but he could not be sure-
He stooped hesitated and then swift-
ly sprang aside and sought conceal-
ment behind the hangings of the room
He was sure that be had heard some-
one move in the rear room of ths
apartments
He had no more than concealed him-
self before he had full evidence of
the Justice of his suspicion He heard
a rustling behind the curtained door
heard the slight shuffling of a ste
and saw emerge from the concealing
curtains a face which he knew well
enough he could not mistake that
cunning ratlike chin the shifting
eyes the almost silent footfall which
carried him forward Yes Roleau
knew him knew him well enough He
had met him not so long before in
combat at the lodge of Count Sachio
had saved the life of her excellency
from this very man He had fought
him again In his own den In ths slums
of Gretzhoffen here Yes it was Blake
the renegade king of the apaches ''
He stooped over the body and knelt
by its side thrust a band Into ths
pockets of the coat and at length
drew but a folded paper which he hur-
riedly crowded into his own pocket
Then be was about to arise but 4
that instant he felt the tigerlike
weight of the giant Roleau upon bis
own back A hand caught his arnr
back of his crowded It up toward the
back of his neck strained it Into a
position of excruciating pain An arm
came around his neck choking him
He was helpless
"Get tip’’ said Roleau at length
grimly ”1 know you So you did
this? Come along with me”
Now It was this strange apparition
of Roleau marching his prisoner be-
fore him which gave pause to the
procession of the law as it advanced
toward the scene of the crime The
prefect of the city his officers Count
Frederick Count Sachio Kitty Gray
all these others paused now
"What Is that?” demanded the pre-
fect Imperatively "Who are you and
what do you do with this man?"
“Ho Is the guilty man excellency"
said Roleau stoutly “I took him but1
Just now in our apartments He was
bending over the dead man there
when I saw him I sprang upon him
and took him as you see I know this
man well enough He is a robber and
a chief of robbers he is the leader o t
the apaches of this city"
‘What you say may be true” said
the prefect as he cast a swift glance
at the prisoner “but we can jump at
no conclusions Retain him retain
them both”
"Do you know this man?” ha de-
manded of the clerk
But the latter shook his head 1
never saw him” said he “But all
these things rouse additional suspi-
cion of this young woman Shs Is too
mysterious she has too many strange
friends I tell you monsieur le pre-
fect she Is the one who knows all
about this! She knows ths victim
whoever he may have been Depend
on that”
The prefect had he made like quee-
tlon of Count Frederick or of Kitty
herself might have heard that they
both had seen before now this latest
addition to the list of captives But
that official for the time was engaged
In larger matters
"There is truth In what you say”
he assented to the last remark of ths
a " ’I ' !
fr V -A t -A
Iva -i
v w8- id f'
J
tjfcgtU ttT '
a- jta J&l && fe
Count Frederick Detains Kitty While
Roleau Demands Her Release
clerk "Now all the avenues ars
closed and all tbs suspects are as-
sembled I take It We will see what
the room Itself holds We will enter"
"No no" cried Kitty In sudden ter-
ror at the thought of what she feared
to see ‘‘I cannot I know nothing ot
this I don’t know who the man was
I don’t know who did this”
"What mademoiselle! You fear to
see what there may be to witness?”
said the prefect "As to you monsieur
le comte — "
"The law will take Its course” said
Count Frederick coldly “You have
before now seen fit to doubt me Take
matters Into your own hands mon-
sieur le prefect and let the law go
on"
The prefect himself flung open tha
door ind entered ths mysterious room
The room so far as any victim of
a crime was concerned was entirely
empty Everything was In order as
before There was no dead man thsrsl
(TO BH CONTINUED)
o
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Mitts, E. D. The Afton American (Afton, Okla.), Vol. 8, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 25, 1915, newspaper, November 25, 1915; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1716278/m1/3/?q=a+message+about+food+from+the+president: accessed July 3, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.