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Show "VAMPS" WHO I MADE HISTORY By JAMES C. YOUNG. 8 ( by aicClure NeWBpaper Syndicate.) A WOMAN OF MYSTERY. TOE year 174S found Elizabeth on the throne of Russia. The story of her love for a choir boy already lias been told In this series. But there is a far stranger story, which concerns Genevieve de Eeau;e.-i;it. This young French woman arrived In Russia In the year named and prs-ently prs-ently became reader for ElhMr.eih. When ministers dropped In, Genevieve would retire to a distance and immerse im-merse herself In a book. And. the ministers felt themselves safe to converse con-verse with Elizabeth. After they had gone the empress often would comment on what they had said. Genevieve always showed a respectful interest, but remarked that she did not understand under-stand such matters. That was her attitude at-titude when she went around with officers of-ficers of the court, although she frequently fre-quently asked innocent questions about fortifications, armies and many other things. And all of this information informa-tion was being transmitted to France. High Russian officials became convinced con-vinced that an astute spy bad oh-" tained entrance to court. They checked over every person there, and suspicion fastened on Genevieve. The empress vould hear no word against her. It was even intimated that there was a strange love between the two. But Genevieve, apparently broken-hearted, said that she could remain no longer. In leaving, she implored the favor of the empress for her brother, the Chevalier Chev-alier d'Eon, whom she said would visit vis-it Russia the next year. Genevieve left, the spying stopped, and the officials breathed easily. Then came the Chevalier d'Eon, a gallaut young Frenchman, who was not long in making his way at court. But he was a very different personality from Genevieve. The chevalier gained the favor of Elizabeth, who suddenfy decided to take sides with France, In a war against Prussia, then threatening. Once more court officials were in consternation, con-sternation, for many of them favored Prussia. The chevalier announced that he would . visit France for a time, and after a great deal of protestation by Elizabeth, he went. Then the truth came out. Genevieve de Beaumont and the Chevalier d'Eon were Hie same person. Immediately the court recalled that Elizabeth had been reported re-ported in love with both, and wondered. won-dered. But here Is the remarkable part of the whole story, and something which never has been solved -was this strange historical figure really a woman wom-an or In fact a man? |