The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-04
COMING TO THE POINT.

With this Introduction Simplicis-
sinus has masked his batteries. What
| could be more conventional, according
to German standards, than this local
color of punch, beer, landlord, birth
| day carousal? 1t is as harmless and
unsuspicious as the country ball or
cricket match with when the English
writer of short stories delights to veil
| his plot. But the English short story
| has its background of sorrowing love
and Der Sptzer' has it's substance
| Of sorrowful politics Simplicissmus
swung away gradually from punch
and gayety and approached thus the
| serious work in hand:
Each of us gave his opinion of this
| institution and it's Importance in State
affairs. Nearly every one had an in
stance of it's activity to relate from
| his own experience.
"'Now counsellor what have you to
say? remarked the army surgeon,
| turning to our man of silence.
AFTER this gentleman said the
| lawyer with a motion towards our
| guest.
| The stranger cleared his throat and
| with the VentureSOme spirit which the
|
AS you wish he remarked by way
| of introduction. 'Of course / could tell
you many stories, for / have a friend
in the secret police from whom l have
I learned much of that bOdy'S varied
activity. There is. for instance, a neat
| little story-an anecdOte. l might say
regarding an affair of recent date. 1t
is authoritative, for my friend was one
| of the principals in it. You know of
Duke S, of course, the man about
| town
He let his voice sink suddenly and
put his hand to his mouth.
"'Wen, this young gentleman had
| become Letrothed to the Princess O..
1t was n affair Of European import
| anCe, gentlemen, as you doubtless
| understand. One day a small tinted
! note was delivered to the duke. 1t
was from an old friend, a woman who
| lived in k street. She had been
| the sole guardian of many ticklish
| ducal secrets, and she had an idea Of
turning them to account. The duke
had a liking for young women-very
| young wonderland she had aided him
| in making their acquaintance. Para
graph so and 50, criminal statutes, you
the period of her usefulness to him
appeared to be at an end, that she
should stir his fears a little and open
his pocket. The duke, in keen distress,
went at once to Paul Girard-you
know the detective agency in b
| street
"Whew, 80, 600 marks" exclaimed
Girardi as he read her demand. That
is pretty steep. She wouldn't stick to
that if we should try to settle II. How
ever, what we must do is to turn the
I tables on her. We have the choice of
two criminal charges, attempted black
| mail and gross immortality. Let's take
| gross immortality. Then your serene
| Highness will not be bothered in any
way by the proceedings"
" The duke breathed a long sigh OF
relief. on the same day Girardi re-
ported the case in full detail and with
in tWenty-fOur hours my friend and
another official We're in pursuit of the
dukes female friend. Now how long,
gentlemen, do you suppose it was be-
fore they had their game in the trap?
Eight weeks. Eight anxious, disagree
able weeks. They were out after her
night and day, in all possible and i'm
possible disguses, lounging in the
streets, loafing in restaurants, and
standing about street corners. At last
they found her in a little nest of a
place near PrenZlaw. They made her
acquaintance and. after displaying
large rolls Of bills, obtained invita-
tions to visit her in her city house
on the next day they all met in the
x street home of the dukes friend
The two detectives We're received with
considerable splendor, but no sooner
had the second cork popped than the
old woman disappeared, She returned
| presently with a pretty 15-year-old