As the end of 1928 neared, war was already raging in Europe.
England and Russia had already gone to war as Robert had predicted.
Complications were developing quick and fast and war clouds were
gathering. Robert knew that it was only a question of a short time
when the United States with all of its gold supply, would be attacked
and there would be a great battle in the air. Great progress had been
made in aviation. Airplanes were carrying mail at the rate of 300
miles per hour. Passenger lines were now starting all over the United
States. "Marie the Angel of Mercy," Robert's great ship, was rapidly
nearing completion. The new 12-cylinder motor had been tested and the
engineers had estimated that they would attain a speed of 1000 miles
per hour. Robert was elated over the success and knew that he would now
be prepared to help his country in time of its greatest need. He had
been working early and late and the interest in his work had kept his
mind off Marie. Yet not a day passed but what he made some inquiries
or had his detectives chase some clew which he hoped would lead to the
discovery of Marie, but all efforts were in vain. No news had ever been
heard of her.
With the great progress in radio messages thru the air, and radiograms,
Robert knew that in time of war, secret communications would be
necessary. Spies could steal codes, and messages sent over the radio
could be interpreted; therefore, one of the great needs for the war in
the air would be a way to communicate without detection. He finally
succeeded in completing what he called "The Pocket Radio." It was no
larger than a watch and worked on the same principle of his machine
for recording the thoughts of people, only the instrument had to be
used by two people who understood how to work it, because the positive
radio was carried in one man's pocket and the negative in the other
and by pressing the stem, it could be changed from positive into
negative. No sound was transmitted thru the air. The machine could be
operated by certain motions of the fingers on a little push button
which recorded symbols on the other machine that would reveal the
message sent. The Pocket Radio made it possible to convey any message
without any possibility of detection because only the person sending
the message and the one receiving it could understand or know anything
about it. This was better than wireless or any other radio discovery up
to this time. Robert tested the machine out by leaving one instrument
in Walter's pocket, he himself going to Chicago and conveying messages
which Walter was able to get without any trouble. He could either speak
into this little Pocket Radio and convey the sound without anyone else
being able to take it from the air, or use it to convey thoughts or
emotions. The test proved perfect and Robert knew that he had another
great discovery which would be of great value to his Government in time
of war. He decided to keep this a secret and have it ready to aid the
United States at a time when they would need it most.
Robert figured that there would be a big bull campaign in cotton
during 1929 so he had started buying early in the year, expecting a
big advance later. He had also forecast the rapid advance of certain
classes of stocks. During 1928 he had closed a successful bear campaign
in Major Motors and was still holding his Right Aeroplane stock, which
had continued to advance, and he figured that it would have a big rise
during 1929. His fortune was piling up rapidly, despite all the money
he was spending on his new inventions. The new ship "Marie, the Angel
of Mercy," was now about perfected, but Robert intended that this
should never be made known to the public until he had it in perfect
working order and it was a success beyond doubt.
After preparing his campaign for the market and buying stocks and
cotton for the big advance, Walter noticed a great change in Robert.
His health began to fail again, and now that he had achieved great
success and completed such wonderful inventions, without Marie to
comfort him he would probably break down in health and give up. Robert
had ceased to talk much about Marie. His interest in the future was
waning. Walter and Edna, who were still as much in love as ever, often
discussed Robert's physical condition. They decided to encourage him
to go away for a long-needed rest. Walter had a talk with Robert in
the middle of January, 1929, but Robert didn't show much interest or
any desire to travel. A short time after this, Robert appeared at the
office one morning looking more haggard and worn than ever. He called
Walter and Edna into the office, told them that he had had a very
peculiar dream the night before, that he had dreamed that he had gone
to Paris and suddenly met Marie. He was so strongly impressed with
the dream that he decided to leave at once. Told Walter to give the
mechanics instructions to put his old ship "The St. Marie" in shape to
sail at once.
It was a matter of only a couple of days until they reported that
"The St. Marie" was in perfect shape and could stand a trip around
the world. There was to be a great convention of all the nations on
aviation in Paris and Robert decided that he wanted to be there for
it, but the main incentive for the trip was his dream. Robert had
no trouble in securing letters of introduction to prominent people
in London and Paris. When he said good-bye to Walter and Edna, they
wished him God-speed, told him that they hoped his dream would become
a reality and that he would find Marie, but they knew that he was not
the same Robert of old. He acted as tho his spirit was broken. On the
morning of February 2nd, 1929, Robert started his flight to Paris and
arrived there promptly in the evening and went to visit some friends
and acquaintances. After talking over the war situation and his
forecasts of the great war yet to come, he decided to visit friends in
London. England and Russia were waging their battles in the air and
doing very little land fighting. Despite the good start that England
had made, Russia and her allies were getting the best of the victory.
Robert found London very uninteresting. Up to this time he had heard
nothing of Marie and decided to return to Paris.
On a beautiful sunshiny morning in the latter part of February, 1929,
Robert was walking down a prominent business street in Paris with no
special objective in mind. He was feeling sick and gloomy and was
walking with his head down, looking at the street. Suddenly he saw
a form approaching very closely, and like a flash, a woman quickly
passed him. He was sure it was Marie. His heart was in his throat. He
turned around quickly to follow her but she had disappeared. Just as
she passed him she dropped a letter on the street and he picked it up,
put it in his pocket and rushed on down the street, hoping to find her,
but after exhausting himself running around, fighting his way thru the
crowds, without a glimpse of her, he decided to open the letter. When
he opened it it was written in a foreign language which he did not
understand. He was not sure whether it was Marie's handwriting or not.
His first thought was to go immediately to an interpreter and have the
letter read. On second thought, he decided that it might be something
confidential and that he would go to an old friend who lived in Paris
and ask him to interpret the letter. Robert called on Louis Renan,
stated the circumstance of his meeting Marie on the street and told him
about the letter she dropped. His friend gladly consented to read the
letter. Robert handed it to him and he glanced over it; handed it back
to Robert without a word, told him to get out of his house immediately
and never darken the door again. Robert begged for an explanation but
in vain. His friend was angry and determined and pushed Robert out
of the door. Robert walked slowly back to his hotel, disappointed,
mystified, and heart-broken. What could be the meaning of this letter?
Why should his friend offer no explanation as to what it contained? Had
he really met Marie and was the letter from her? One thing he knew, he
must find out what this mysterious letter contained. He decided the
next best plan was to go to an interpreter, so he inquired at the hotel
the name of an interpreter and was informed where he could get any
language interpreted. He called at the address, explained his mission
to the manager and turned over the letter. In a few minutes the manager
returned, handed him the letter, told him there was the door, please
get out and ask no questions. Robert again begged for some explanation
but the man was defiant and refused to make any comment.
Robert returned to his hotel to think matters over. He bought a paper
and looked over the news from New York and market reports. He saw that
cotton and stocks were advancing as he expected, but money-making now
was of no interest to him when he at last thought that he had found
where Marie was. He decided to place a personal notice in all the
papers in Paris, telling Marie that he had passed her on the street,
had found the letter, was unable to get it interpreted, and beg her to
communicate with him at once. He placed the notice in the papers that
afternoon. Received an invitation from some acquaintances in Paris to
dine with them and go to a ball. He wanted to refuse the invitation
because he did not feel equal to the occasion, but they insisted that
it would do him good and begged him to come along. Robert had been
so disappointed about the mysterious letter and the sudden loss of
Marie after he had seen her, that he decided to say nothing about the
incident to his friends. After dinner was over, they chatted with
Robert, and he seemed more cheerful. They told Robert of the Aviators'
Costume Ball to take place in the Hotel Lafayette that night and asked
him to go along. Robert tried to beg off and made the excuse that he
had no costume for this occasion, but they told him that they had
already ordered one for him and there was no getting out of it--he had
to go, so finally he consented.
When they arrived at the hotel and entered the ballroom, Robert's
friends, who knew of his great fame in New York and his success in
speculative markets, were anxious to introduce him to the prominent
men and women of Paris. Aviators were there from all over the world.
They had come for the great convention. Each country was competing
for the grand prize for the most efficient airplane and the best
one suited for war purposes. They asked Robert if he did not have a
plane to enter or if he could not demonstrate something with "The St.
Marie." He told them that his health was not good and that he was not
interested in entering a plane at this time. The ballroom was decorated
with everything connected with airplanes. Miniature planes were flying
around the room, circling up and down from the ceilings. It was a
gorgeous display and while it was dazzling to others, Robert paid very
little attention to it. His friends, in order to please him and get
him interested, had the radio tuned into New York and were getting
music from the Biltmore. The dance started. Robert watched but was very
little interested. His friends invited him to dance but he refused. He
had no thoughts of anything but Marie. As he was sitting, watching
the dancers whirl around the floor, suddenly he looked across the hall
and again he saw Marie dressed like an eagle, queen of the air. He
made a mad rush thru the crowd to the other side of the hall and when
he got there, he could see no Marie. The ordeal was too much for him.
He fell unconscious on the floor. Friends rushed to his assistance and
after reviving him, he explained to them that he had seen Marie again
and asked them to find her and bring her to him. After investigation,
they told him that there was no one there by that name and that none of
the ladies had left the ballroom. They brought them all before him and
introduced him, but Marie was not among them. Robert was not only sick
at heart but sick physically, and his friends realized it and called a
nerve specialist, Dr. Descartes. Robert explained what had happened,
about meeting Marie on the street and about seeing her at the ball,
altho he said nothing about the mysterious letter to the Doctor. The
Doctor, after examining him, told his friends he thought that he was
suffering from mental delusions--that he had probably had this woman
on his mind so long and after dreaming he had met her on a street in
Paris, had hoped so strongly that he would meet her, he had brought
himself to believe that she was there and had really thought that
he had seen her, both on the street and in the ballroom, but it was
probably an optical delusion and after he got better he would realize
that he hadn't seen Marie.
Several days passed before Robert fully recovered. In the meantime, he
had become quite friendly with Dr. Descartes and told him a great deal
about his history. The Doctor was very much interested and had a great
desire to help him. Robert finally decided to confide in him about the
mysterious letter. The Doctor had a brother in New York and was going
to give Robert a letter of introduction to him upon his return. While
they were on the subject of the letter of introduction, Robert told him
about the mysterious letter and the Doctor agreed to get a friend of
his who could interpret it, to read the letter for him. Robert was very
happy because he thought that if he could get the meaning of the letter
it would throw some light on what the trouble was with Marie. While he
had been sick, his mind had wandered and he had imagined all kinds of
things, and for a few moments, doubted Marie. He even thought that she
might have turned out to be a bad woman and was now in Paris, having a
gay time, but as soon as his mind returned to its normal state, his old
faith in Marie returned, and he loved her as of old and believed that
she could do no wrong.
The next day Dr. Descartes called, took Robert with him in his car to
his friend who was an interpreter. Robert handed him the letter and,
after looking it over, he handed the letter back to Robert, turned to
the Doctor, and said, "Have you no more respect for my friendship than
to insult me in a manner like this. Begone, and never let me see you
in my house again." The Doctor begged for an explanation and Robert
offered his apologies, saying it was all his fault and the Doctor was
only trying to aid him, but the man refused to discuss the matter and
they hurried away. When they got in the car, Dr. Descartes knew that
the shock was too much for Robert so he drove him immediately to the
hotel without discussing the mysterious letter. After he had gotten him
in his room and made him comfortable, he begged Robert not to worry
about the letter, told him that he would think the matter over and call
and see him the next day.
Robert was very much worried. His hope was fast giving way to despair.
He again realized that hope deferred maketh the heart grow sick. He
thought of Henry Watson's story and wondered if he would have to go
thru life and die without ever again seeing Marie. Dr. Descartes called
the following day and was very solicitous of Robert's welfare. Told
him to forget the incident about the letter and advised Robert to try
to get it interpreted when he returned to New York. Robert told him
more about Marie's disappearance and showed him the note that Marie had
placed in his pocket on the train to St. Louis. The Doctor read it and
said it certainly left room for hope, and while it was mysterious, he
felt that Marie fully intended at some time to come back to him. Robert
had received no reply to his personal notices in the Paris newspapers
and decided to return to New York in a few days.
In the early part of March a lot of the aviators were returning
from Paris to New York after the convention and Robert decided to
go home with them. They insisted that he was not physically able to
sail "The St. Marie" alone and sent a pilot along with him. The trip
was uneventful and on March 5th Robert arrived in New York. On his
arrival he went immediately to his office and laboratories where he
found Walter and Edna glad to see him. They told him that he looked
much improved in health. He related all his experiences in Paris and
the mysterious letter. Walter was very much amazed and at a loss to
understand it all. He could not understand, if Marie had dropped the
letter and had really seen Robert on the street and at the ball,
why she would not answer his personal notices in the papers and at
least clear up the mystery of her disappearance. Robert decided to go
immediately to an interpreter in New York and see if he could get the
mysterious letter read. After handing it to the man who spoke about
ten different languages, the interpreter handed it back to him and
stated in a firm, gentlemanlike manner that he would like him to please
leave the office immediately and never return. Robert went at once to
his office and told Walter and Edna what had happened. They talked it
over and advanced all kinds of theories about what the letter might
contain, and asked Robert if any of the interpreters had ever given
any information or stated whether they could read the letter or not.
Robert told them they had not. Edna thought that probably the letter
contained a message to the interpreter not to give any information or
to reveal what it contained to Robert or anyone else. Walter thought
if this were the case, that some of the interpreters who seemed to be
insulted by it, would have immediately destroyed the letter instead
of handing it back to him. The more theories they advanced, the less
plausible the mystery seemed. Robert decided to write to a famous
astrologer in Canada whom he had heard of. He sent along his date of
birth, telling him the history of the case, to see if he could give
him any light on the subject, telling the astrologer that he would pay
$50,000.00 or more if necessary, if he could solve the problem and tell
him what the letter contained and how to get it interpreted or give him
any information leading to the whereabouts of Marie. The astrologer
answered as follows after making the calculation from Robert's date of
birth:
While it is a very peculiar case, the events were not accidents at
all but the result of Natural Law. The young lady still lives and I
believe will again come into your life three or four years later.
The great trouble was that on the day she disappeared, Mercury,
your ruling planet, applied to an evil aspect of Uranus, the great
eccentric, revolutionary, mysterious planet, and this indicated
disappointment, trouble and delays, over letters or writings and
the letters would be mysterious and hard to understand. In view of
the fact that Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury, as well as Venus, were
all changing signs just around the time she disappeared, it meant
that there would be many changes and long delays before the mystery
would be solved, that there was great danger of letters being lost or
miscarried, and that it was possible that she may have written you
letters which never reached you. Neptune has much to do with the sea
and its mysteries and as it strongly influences the city of Paris,
her appearance there would be shrouded in mystery and there would be
much that could not be explained. It is very doubtful if you will get
any explanation or interpretation of the mysterious letter. There is
something visionary about it, or the appearance of Marie may have been
a spiritual apparition.
If you will visit cities near beautiful watering places in the South
or Southwest, and could come in contact with an honest spiritualist or
clairvoyant, it may be of some benefit and help in some way to solve
the mystery. In view of the condition of your health and the planet
Saturn is afflicting you, it would be advisable to spend the balance
of the Winter and early part of the Spring in a tropical climate.
Florida would be especially good for you and might bring favorable
results in more ways than one. If you will give me time to figure on
your horoscope and have patience I will guarantee to tell you the time
that you will find Marie. The progressed Mars is traveling toward a
conjunction of Venus, the Goddess of Love, and when this is completed
she will probably come back into your life.