The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-28
Me zee Kings sMessenger
torlglnall

"a treaty Is in process of arrangement
between us and the king of Prussia
favorlng defensive and offensive al
lance against the French. The final
draft has been made, and the Prusslan
envoy has requested us to forward
copy OF It TO his sovereign for ap-
prevail King Louis OF France knows
that treaty Is being discussed and is
anxious to defeat 1t. or if IL is made to
know its terms. The real king OF
| France, Cardinal Richeleu, has placed
men on every available route between
| here and the Prussian capital, and II
IL next TO impossible TO transmit
| copy.
"You have been recommended TO me
not only for your caring. but for your
! ingenuity. Invent plan for concealing
bit Of paper which when compressed
will be about the size Of an almond
| Go and bring me solution as soon as
you have made It,"
81 have often thought OF such a ne
cessity and have invented such a plan,
but several weeks are required for
preparation"
1--WE can wait that long provided the
plan will surely succeed"
Three weeks from that day spies OF
Cardinal Richeieu 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
description Of him. There were few
travellers in those days. and the only
person the spies encountered was n
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 frlar made excuses which did
not satisfy those who had stopped
him. whereupon, concluding that he
was 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 th"y
found nothing and permitted him to
proceed.
Crossing the Ems, he went on. beg
ging by the way, till he reached the
outskirts of Quakeubonk, where he
was met by a man, who said to him,
"Holy father, | have an order from
his emlnence Cardinal Rlchelleu TO in
vte you to his palace In Paris"
Lead on" replied the friar. "I am
honored in an invitation coming from
so great churchman."
The man turned his back for mo-
ment. and the friar brought his staff
down on his head. He sank on the
ground with broken skull. You
think it heavy?" said the frlar. $50
1t is. 1t is filled with lead" Then the
ungrateful and unmerclful 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 OF
the king of the Netherlands. He was
stationed at ferry across the Weser
river and did not suspect the friar.
Ferry you across, holy man" he
said. "That | WILL"
There was now but one route avail
able for some distance, and the cardl,
nal had directed that every traveller
passing that way be searched. A mum
ber of times the frlar was stripped and
carefully examined. One party even
broke TO pieces the rosary that hung
about his waist For this the father
, called down upon the man who com
, mitted the sacrIlege the anathemas OF
the church. They were supersttiouS
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 he had
; often been molested on his pilgrimage
a and would not remove the curse unless
he were furnished with an order that
lie be permitted to travel without fur
q ther interference. This was given him
= He withdrew his anathemas and gave
Z the party his blessing.
= The friar went on. begging by the
: way, giving his blessing to those whC
' gave him sustenance and shelter, I'll
+ he came to the Ebe. On the banks o
/ this river the passages were all guard
D ed by the cardinals secret emlssarles
n who. had they been known to tn,
g Prusslan government, would have beer
: hanged and quartered. This was thu
last line it had been thought advisable
@ to guard. The friar had crossed thu
J. river and was tramping through
wood when men sprang from behin(
trees and downcd him. AS soon as h,
; could make himself heard he told then
of his pass and produced 1t. The!
were much astonlshed, for they haC
been advised that the messenger wa
travelling I'm the guise Of a mendicant
However, they knew the men who haC
given him free passage and let hin
u go. This was the last time he wa'
stopped.
e One morning the king Of Prussia re
Il ceived word that an envoy from tn,
n Netherlands was in the antechambcr
+ The king, who was expecting news o
Il the treaty, ordered the envoy udmittc,
< at once. When he saw friar he wa
t astonlshed. But the friar, who haC
t thrown off his sanity mien. told tn,
i king that he had brought a copy OF tn
trantV Whom directed In nrOnuce II IN