The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-01
@@eking' sMessenqer
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lance against the French. The final
draft has been made. and the PrussIan
envoy has requested US to forward a
copy of 1t to bis sovereign for ap-
proyal. King Louis of France knows
that treaty is being discussed and is
anxious to defeat it. or If 1t is made to
know its terms. The real king OF
France. Cardinal Richelleu, has placed
men on every available route between
here and the Prussian capital, and II
is next to impossible to transmit a
copy.
you have been recommended to me
not only for your daring but for your
ingenuity. Invent plan for concealing
a bit of paper which when compressed
viii be about the size of an almond
Go and bring me solution as soon as
you have made it."
II have often thought of such a ne
cessity and have invented such plan
but several weeks are required fol
preparation"
I'VE can wait that long provided the
plan will surely succeed"
Three weeks from that day spies of
Cardinal Richelieu located near the
boundary line between Holland and
Germany were notified that the mes
senger had left Zwalle the day before.
though they were not furnished with a
description of him. There were few
travellers In those days, and the only
person the spies encountered was
friar. who said he was starting on a
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Good father" said one of the gang
'say a paternoster for us"
The friar made excuses which did
not satisfy those who had stopped
him, whereupon. concluding that he
was a sham mendicant, who didn't
know prayer, they searched him
Not finding anything on his clothing,
they stripped him and made an exami-
nation that would have discovered an
object no larger than a pea. But they
found nothing and permitted him to
proceed.
ging by the way. till he reached the
outskirts OF Quakenbouk. where he
was met By man. who said to him,
"Holy father, have an order from
his eminence Cardinal Richelieu to in
vite you to his palace In Paris"
lead on, replied the friar II am
honored In an Invitation coming from
so great churchman."
The man turned bis back for mo
ment. and the friar brought his stat
down on his head. He sank on the
ground with broken skull. "You
think 1t heavy?" said the friar. $50
1t is. 1t Is filed with lead" Then the
ungrateful and unmerciful friar pro-
ceeded on his way
The next Of the cardinals intercept
ers had not been SO well informed
as to the guise Of the messenger or
the king OF the Netherlands. He was
stationed at n ferry across the Weser
river and did not suspect the frIar
Ferry you tfcross. holy mans' he
said. .'That will"
There was now but one ronte avail.
able for some distance, and the cardi.
nal had directed that every traveller
passing that way be searched. Al mum.
Der of times the fTfar was stripped and
carefully examined. One party even
broke to pieces the rosary that hung
about hts waist. For this the father
called down upon the man who com.
mitted the sacrilege the anathemas Of
the church. They were superstitious
people In those days and the fellow,
convinced that the pilgrim was what
he pretended to be. begged on his
knees that he would withdraw the
curse. The friar told him that be had
often been molested on his pilgrimage
and would not remove the curse unless
he were furnished with an order that
he be permitted to travel without fur
Their interference. This was given him
He withdrew his anathemas and gave
the party his blessing
The friar went on, begging by the
way. giving his blessing to those who
gave him sustonance and shelter, till
he came to the Ebe. On the banks of
this river the passages were all guard
ed by the cardinals secret emissaries
who. had they been known to the
Prussian government, would have been
hanged and quartered. This was the
last line 1t had been thought advisable
to guard, The friar had crossed the
river and was tramping through 2
wood when men sprang from behind
trees and downed him. AS soon as he
could make himself heard he tod them
Of his pass and produced it. They
were much astonshed, for they had
been advised that the messenger was
travelling In the guise OF mendcant.
However, they knew the men who had
given him free passage and let him
20, This was the last time he was
stopped.
One morning the king Of Prussia re-
ceived word that an envoy from the
Netherlands was In the antecha
The king. who was expecting news of
the treaty. ordered the envoy admitted
at once. When he saw friar he was
astonished But the friar, who had
thrown of his sanity mlen. told the
king that he had brought copy of the
treaty. When directed to produce 1t he
said he must have surgeon. A sur
geon was called, and the friar. expos
ing his side under the ribs. told him to
feel till he detected small lump. The
surgeon. having discovered IL, was re-
auested to make an incision over 1t.
This done, a piece Of wax was with
drawn from between the muscles. The