Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-16

lsiC up.
AT : o'clock. dressed in the plain
livery of n cabman and my face made
up. drove my cab to point near the
ambassadors house and waited. Cabs
We're passing. some empty, some with
q fare inside | had maintained my
position for some time when the door
Of the counts residence opened and
his valet came out bareheaGed and
looked up and down the street As i'll
luck would have it, an empty cab was
passing and nearer to him than l. He
hailed the other cabman.
Il was in an agony of disappoint-
ment when a lady appeared-I knew
not from whence-and called the cab
man the valet had hailed He pulled
up to the sidewalk. and the lady got
into his cab. leaving my vehicle the
only one in sight. The valet beckoned
me. and drove up to the door of the
counts abode.
I'm ten minutes Won Sterlitz ap-
peared. carrying his own grip. His
valet opened my cab door for him and
told me to drive to the station.
drove away feeling that the principal
crisis was past, and my heart was full
of thankfulness to Miss Stringfellow,
whom l recognized as the lady who
had turned the scale in my favor by
taking the other cab.
During the afternoon l had pur-
chased my vehicle, including its drtv-
er's clothes. and it had been delivered
at a stable where l kept my horses.
| had secured short rubber tube and.
having bored a hole in the cab just
back OF the drivers seat. had intro
duced one end of the tube into the
cab. On the other end was a rubber
bulb. In which had been placed sub
stance | had purchased from a chem
list which. blown into the carriage.
would render the occupant temporarily
insensible.
"Purposely driving through a street
but little used for a thoroughfare, l
pressed the bulb. l heard the count
try to let down window. but l had
driven a nail in both window frames,
so that neither could be moved. He
cried out 10 me to stop and tried to
open the door. but | had employed a
locksmith TO alter the lock- so that it
could not he opened from the inside.
The counts efforts soon ceased, and
l whipped up my horse. driving
straight to a retreat for invalids | had
in mind. and on reaching 1t told the
! physician in charge that l had picked
/ up fare who had acted very strange
! ly and on opening my cab door l had
found him insensible. The count was
carried into the building and put into
n room. where the doctor sought to
revive him. Before he succeeded 1
said:
doctor. when this gentleman
comes to himself you're not going to
turn him loose. are your
mot till we know who he is
"'He told me a wild story about be
ing in the employ OF the German gov
eminent. and think he's crazy. If
, you let him go without summoninG his
friends to take him away you'll do 1t
on your own responsibility
Never fear. I'll exercise a proper
! caution
BY the time | left the retreat the
evening train had started for Berlin,
and there was no other till early
morning. | drove to my stable, as
sumed my proper clothing and hurried
to the residence Of Miss Stringfellow.
| had been half I'm love with her for
some time. and in the exuberance OF
my gratitude and admiration l told
her that If | couldn't go through life
with her for n companion | would not
! go through It ut all. That's the way
the American girl plays her game"
That's all right" said the burlv
man. but how about the controlling
interest in the Suez canal?"
Count Sterlitz didn't succeed In get
ting out OF the retreat till about noon
the next day and couldn't get train
! for Berlin till Is o'clock In the evening
/ Meanwhile the morning after ! had
! done my work the premier was awak-
! ened before daylight to be told that
the stock was for sale, and. getting ont
( Of bed. he cOnsummatcd an arrange
ment to buy ii. 1t was duly purchased.
and today. though England has no
treaty rights above other powers in the
Suez canal. she owns q controlling in
terest I'm II
And youT wife was"-
Miss Alice StrinEfellow. and you are
the only man outside diplomatic circles
who knows that England's interest I'm
the canal was obtained through the
/ ingenuity Of an American girl. My
! marrying her gained me the post I so
. long occupied At Washington, and my
whole advancement in the corps is
. due TO her"
Did Won Sterlltz ever discover who
had kidnnped him.
Not except that II had been done
10y some one in the interest Of the Brit
ish ambassador. We guarded the Sc
cret carefully. for It would never do
for a british diplomat TO he known as
descending 20 act the part played.
II would have been all night 10 hire
come one 10 DO IT, but for secretary
Of legation 70 play cabman would not
accord with the dignity of the British
nation"