the lost road-第86节

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disliked　as　heartily　as　he　disliked　Senator　Barnes　was　a　public
service　he　preferred　to　leave　to　others。　　And　he　knew　besides　that
if　the　father　she　loved　and　the　man　she　loved　distrusted　each
other；　Barbara　would　not　rest　until　she　learned　the　reason　why。

One　day；　in　a　newspaper；　Barbara　read　of　the　Puju　Mayo　atrocities；
of　the　Indian　slaves　in　the　jungles　and　backwaters　of　the　Amazon；
who　are　offered　up　as　sacrifices　to　〃red　rubber。〃　　She　carried　the
paper　to　her　father。　　What　it　said；　her　father　told　her；　was　untrue；
and　if　it　were　true　it　was　the　first　he　had　heard　of　it。

Senator　Barnes　loved　the　good　things　of　life；　but　the　thing　he
loved　most　was　his　daughter；　the　thing　he　valued　the　highest　was
her　good　opinion。　　So　when　for　the　first　time　she　looked　at　him　in
doubt；　he　assured　her　he　at　once　would　order　an　investigation。

〃But；　of　course；〃　he　added；　〃it　will　be　many　months　before　our
agents　can　report。　　On　the　Amazon　news　travels　very　slowly。〃

In　the　eyes　of　his　daughter　the　doubt　still　lingered。

〃I　am　afraid；〃　she　said；　〃that　that　is　true。〃

That　was　six　months　before　the　directors　of　the　Brazil　and　Cuyaba
Rubber　Company　were　summoned　to　meet　their　president　at　his
rooms　in　the　Ritz…Carlton。　　They　were　due　to　arrive　in　half　an　hour；
and　while　Senator　Barnes　awaited　their　coming　Barbara　came　to
him。　　In　her　eyes　was　a　light　that　helped　to　tell　the　great　news。　　It
gave　him　a　sharp；　jealous　pang。　　He　wanted　at　once　to　play　a　part
in　her　happiness；　to　make　her　grateful　to　him；　not　alone　to　this
stranger　who　was　taking　her　away。　　So　fearful　was　he　that　she
would　shut　him　out　of　her　life　that　had　she　asked　for　half　his
kingdom　he　would　have　parted　with　it。

〃And　besides　giving　my　consent；〃　said　the　rubber　king；　〃for　which
no　one　seems　to　have　asked；　what　can　I　give　my　little　girl　to　make
her　remember　her　old　father？　Some　diamonds　to　put　on　her　head；
or　pearls　to　hang　around　her　neck；　or　does　she　want　a　vacant　lot
on　Fifth　Avenue？〃

The　lovely　hands　of　Barbara　rested　upon　his　shoulders；　her　lovely
face　was　raised　to　his；　her　lovely　eyes　were　appealing；　and　a　little
frightened。

〃What　would　one　of　those　things　cost？〃　asked　Barbara。

The　question　was　eminently　practical。　　It　came　within　the　scope　of
the　senator's　understanding。　　After　all；　he　was　not　to　be　cast　into
outer　darkness。　　His　smile　was　complacent。　　He　answered　airily：

〃Anything　you　like；〃　he　said；　〃a　million　dollars？〃

The　fingers　closed　upon　his　shoulders。　　The　eyes；　still　frightened；
still　searched　his　in　appeal。

〃Then；　for　my　wedding…present；〃　said　the　girl；　〃I　want　you　to　take
that　million　dollars　and　send　an　expedition　to　the　Amazon。　　And　I
will　choose　the　men。　　Men　unafraid；　men　not　afraid　of　fever　or
sudden　death；　not　afraid　to　tell　the　trutheven　to　you。　　And　all　the
world　will　know。　　And　theyI　mean　youwill　set　those　people　free！〃

Senator　Barnes　received　the　directors　with　an　embarrassment　which
he　concealed　under　a　manner　of　just　indignation。

〃My　mind　is　made　up；〃　he　told　them。　〃Existing　conditions　cannot
continue。　　And　to　that　end；　at　my　own　expense；　I　am　sending　an
expedition　across　South　America。　　It　will　investigate；　punish；　and
establish　reforms。　　I　suggest；　on　account　of　this　damned　heat；　we
do　now　adjourn。〃

That　night；　over　on　Long　Island；　Carroll　told　his　wife　all；　or
nearly　all。　　He　did　not　tell　her　about　the　automatic　pistol。　　And
together　on　tiptoe　they　crept　to　the　nursery　and　looked　down　at
their　sleeping　children。　　When　she　rose　from　her　knees　the　mother
said：　〃But　how　can　I　thank　him？〃

By　〃him〃　she　meant　the　Young　Man　of　Wall　Street。

〃You　never　can　thank　him；〃　said　Carroll；　〃that's　the　worst　of　it。〃

But　after　a　long　silence　the　mother　said：　〃I　will　send　him　a
photograph　of　the　children。　　Do　you　think　he　will　understand？〃

Down　at　Seabright；　Hastings　and　his　wife　walked　in　the　sunken
garden。　　The　moon　was　so　bright　that　the　roses　still　held　their
color。

〃I　would　like　to　thank　him；〃　said　the　young　wife。　　She　meant　the
Young　Man　of　Wall　Street。　　〃But　for　him　we　would　have　lost　this。〃

Her　eyes　caressed　the　garden；　the　fruit…trees；　the　house　with　wide；
hospitable　verandas。　　〃To…morrow　I　will　send　him　some　of　these
roses；〃　said　the　young　wife。　　〃Will　he　understand　that　they　mean
our　home？〃

At　a　scandalously　late　hour；　in　a　scandalous　spirit　of　independence；
Champ　Thorne　and　Barbara　were　driving　around　Central　Park　in　a
taxicab。

〃How　strangely　the　Lord　moves；　his　wonders　to　perform；〃　misquoted
Barbara。　　〃Had　not　the　Young　Man　of　Wall　Street　saved　Mr。　Hastings；
Mr。　Hastings　could　not　have　raised　your　salary；　you　would　not　have
asked　me　to　marry　you；　and　had　you　not　asked　me　to　marry　you；
father　would　not　have　given　me　a　wedding…present；　and〃

〃And；〃　said　Champ；　taking　up　the　tale；　〃thousands　of　slaves　would
still　be　buried　in　the　jungles；　hidden　away　from　their　wives　and
children　and　the　light　of　the　sun　and　their　fellow　men。　　They
still　would　be　dying　of　fever；　starvation；　tortures。〃

He　took　her　hand　in　both　of　his　and　held　her　finger…tips　against
his　lips。

〃And　they　will　never　know；〃　he　whispered；　〃when　their　freedom
comes；　that　they　owe　it　all　to　you。〃


On　Hunter's　Island；　Jimmie　Reeder　and　his　bunkie；　Sam　Sturges；
each　on　his　canvas　cot；　tossed　and　twisted。　　The　heat；　the　moonlight；
and　the　mosquitoes　would　not　let　them　even　think　of　sleep。

〃That　was　bully；〃　said　Jimmie；　〃what　you　did　to…day　about　saving
that　dog。　　If　it　hadn't　been　for　you　he'd　ha'　drownded。〃

〃He　would　not！〃　said　Sammy　with　punctilious　regard　for　the　truth；
〃it　wasn't　deep　enough。〃

〃Well；　the　scout…master　ought　to　know；〃　argued　Jimmie；　〃he　said
it　was　the　best　'one　good　turn'　of　the　day！〃

Modestly　Sam　shifted　the　lime…light　so　that　it　fell　upon　his
bunkie。

〃I'll　bet；〃　he　declared　loyally；　〃your　'one　good　turn'　was　a
better　one！〃

Jimmie　yawned；　and　then　laughed　scornfully。

〃Me！〃　he　scoffed。　　〃I　didn't　do　nothing。　　I　sent　my　sister　to　the
movies。〃





〃SOMEWHERE　IN　FRANCE〃




Marie　Gessler；　known　as　Marie　Chaumontel；　Jeanne　d'Avrechy；
the　Countess　d'Aurillac；　was　German。　　Her　father；　who　served
through　the　Franco…Prussian　War；　was　a　German　spy。　　It　was
from　her　mother　she　learned　to　speak　French　sufficiently　well
to　satisfy　even　an　Academician　and；　among　Parisians；　to　pass
as　one。　　Both　her　parents　were　dead。　　Before　they　departed；
knowing　they　could　leave　their　daughter　nothing　save　their
debts；　they　had　had　her　trained　as　a　nurse。　　But　when　they
were　gone；　Marie　in　the　Berlin　hospitals　played　politics；
intrigued；　indiscriminately　misused　the　appealing；　violet
eyes。　　There　was　a　scandal；　several　scandals。　　At　the　age　of
twenty…five　she　was　dismissed　from　the　Municipal　Hospital；
and　as　now…save　for　the　violet　eyesshe　was　without　resources；
as　a　compagnon　de　voyage　with　a　German　doctor　she　travelled
to　Monte　Carlo。　　There　she　abandoned　the　doctor　for　Henri
Ravignac；　a　captain　in　the　French　Aviation　Corps；　who；
when　his　leave　ended；　escorted　her　to　Paris。

The　duties　of　Captain　Ravignac　kept　him　in　barracks　near　the
aviation　field；　but　Marie　he　established　in　his　apartments　on　the
Boulevard　Haussmann。　　One　day　he　brought　from　the　barracks　a
roll　of　blue…prints；　and　as　he　was　locking　them　in　a　drawer；　said：
〃The　Germans　would　pay　through　the　nose　for　those！〃　　The　remark
was　indiscreet；　but　then　Marie　had　told　him　she　was　French；　and
any　one　would　have　believed　her。

The　next　morning　the　same　spirit　of　adventure　that　had　exiled　her
from　the　Berlin　hospitals　carried　her　with　the　blue…prints　to　the
German　embassy。　　There；　greatly　shocked；　they　first　wrote　down　her
name　and　address；　and　then；　indignant　at　her　proposition；　ordered
her　out。　　But　the　day　following　a　strange　young　German　who　was
not　at　all　indignant；　but；　on　the　contrary；　quite　charming；　called
upon　Marie。　　For　the　blue…prints　he　offered　her　a　very　large　sum；
and　that　same　hour　with　them　and　Marie　departed　for　Berlin。　　Marie
did　not　need　the　money。　　Nor　did　the　argument　that　she　was　serving
her　country　greatly　impress　her。　　It　was　rather　that　she　loved　intrigue。
And　so　she　became　a　spy。

Henri　Ravignac；　the　man　she　had　robbed　of　the　blue…prints；　was　tried
by　court…martial。　　The　charge　was　treason；　but　Charles　Ravignac；　his
younger　brother；　promised　to　prove　that　the　guilty　one　was　the　girl；
and　to　that　end　obtained　leave　of　absence　and　spent　much　time　and
money。　　At　the　trial　he　was　able　to　show　the　record　of　Marie　in
Berlin　and　Monte　Carlo；　that　she　was　the　daughter　of　a　German
secret　agent；　that　on　the　afternoon　the　prints　disappeared　Marie；
with　an　agent　of　the　German　embassy；　had　left　Paris　for　Berlin。
In　consequence　of　this　the　charge　of　selling　military　secrets　was
altered　to　one　of　〃gross　neglect；〃　and　Henri　Ravignac　was　sentenced
to　two　years　in　the　military　prison　at　Tours。　　But　he　was　of　an　ancient
and　noble　family；　and　when　they　came　to　take　him　from　his　cell　in　the
Cherche…Midi；　he　was　dead。　　Charles；　his　brother；　disappeared。　　It　was
said　he　also　had　killed　himself；　that　he　had　been　appointed　a　military
attache　in　South　America；　that　to　revenge　his　brother　he　had　entered
the　secret　service；　but　wha