The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-07-09
The Eye Of the
Government
By RYAN. I'LL

many and -Airt.Ll. ". -+.i.N ~ "a ..''.'
| very nearly overturned j.. a.. III. i'n.
| kept Il strict record ct >:ialj". - lass
! ing through their dnmain~ >o tAat
! tourists are today ignored. hut the
methods are not now 50 chtI@sive as
! they We're then.
! In 1852 William Sta:kWeather of Al
| bany, ~ y. while In Berlin was fol
! lowed about by Il man who was un-
| doubteGly Il >,3y Of the gOverumcn:.
| Ten years later lie had occasion 70
again visit Berlin. He remembered hi%
! previous experience and wondered if
! it would be repeated. He saw nothing
! however. to excite his suspicious till he
= was leaving the city. He stepped INTO
| q compartment of CoaCh-cach com
, partment WAS separated from the 9th
| ers at that time-in which there was
! no other passenger Just before the
train started a one eyed man carrying
q valise entered the compartment and
as he did so eyed Mr.. St1"kweather
| sharply.
! Here he is" thought the American.
He has but one eye. but for spying
purposes it is quite as good as two"
The man took Il seat as far away
! from Starkweather as possible, and in
stead of putting his vHlise III the rack
overhead placed it in the seat beside
| him.
| Stark weather reached a Satchel from
the rack. took out Il book and began to
read He had perused several pages
when, looking aside, he saw tie single
| eye-the eye of the government be
called it-looking at him.
| AS Starkweather looked up the man
| put his hand on the yaliSe beside
| him, and, since his expression indicat-
| ed that he was ready to fight if neces-
| sary, the American thought that he
was intending to open the valise and
| take out brace Of pistols. Stark
| weather, who kept what money he
| had with him in his right hip pocket.
| involuntarily put his hand there. The
man started and put his own hand to
his hip, keeping that single eye of his
| OH his fellow passenger. Starkweath-
err, inferring that the man supposed
| he had reached for ii pistol, withdrew
his hand in way TO avoid, so far as
| possible, giving that appearance. New
| ertheless he dreaded lest the man, ex-
| pecting that he would draw Il weapon,
| should do so quicker than he and send
bullet crashing through his brain.
| However, when the other saw his emp
| ty hand he too, withdrew his own and
without anything in it.
I, hon lair
alone in Il compartment with Il man
| whom he believed had been sent by
| the police to watch him and shoot him
down if he attempted To play any DIES
| perate game, considered quite time
| to disabuse his antagonist of bis sup
! position as to his character. Fortu-
nately he spoke German very well ana
| thus addressed the one eyed man in
| that language:
| "Since you seem TO be interested in
| me, sir, take it that you think me
| revolutionist l assure you that have
no interest in this country whatever
/ i am citizen of the city of Albany, in
/ the state of New York, in the United
/ States of America. beg you, there
4 (,
| me alone
| This brief speech seemed to have
! contrary effect on the one eyed man
| to what was expected. He glared at
| Starkweather, cutching his valise in
one hand while he kept the other I'M
| der his coat in the region of his hip
| When Starkweather had finished be
| lt1t a an
| parently for some means of stopping
the train. Starkweather lost patience
| with the fellow and, forgetting TO
| speak in German, blurted out in first
! rate American:
what in thunder is the matter with
you:"
| What in thunder is the matter with
you?" was the reply in the same Ian
guage.
"You understand English?"
"Of course | do. | don't understand
anything else"
Not what l said to you just now in
| German
mo. Who are you:'
I'm William Starkweather of Al
bany, n. Y. Z. S. \"
"Then you know ME and have my Sc
rret''
Il don't know you, and | neither have
nor wish to have your secret"
I'm from Albany myself-145 G
street. | live around the corner from
you. l suppose you learned Of my mis-
sion there and have followed me TO get
| the securities
| What Securities?'
THAT I'm taking home for the state
| government"
Stark weather burst into laugh.
| what are You grinning att" inquired
J the other.
do Won know I've been taking you
for q spy of the PruSSian government
| who SUSPECTED me of being revolu-
tionist:''
"Why did you think that"
You looked ut me when you entered
the coach is; if YOU had spotted me-
II didn't like riding in a compart-
ment with one other man, having 5000.
300 in bonds in my valise."
"Oh, that's the explanation, is it:
What's your name
"Philip Van GeiSen."
| ooh, you're the assistant state treas.
urer"
! "Yes"
"Well. I'll be jiggeredr'