Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-05-14

per, / win tell you beforehand Of an
other little measure on which. per
haps, this faithful Bismarck has for
gotten to consult you
"The kaiser's face flushed darkly.
at win say no more about that pa
per. What else do you refer tot"
Simply this, sire, that on Satur-
day next the prince expects to receive
Engiand's adherence to the triple alli-
ance. In that / have reason to think
he win find himself deceived
"And before Wilhelm II had time
to take in the bearing OF this piece Of
news. evidently unwelcome to him.
had bowed myself out and left the
palace.
Il drove straight to the telegraph
office, whence ! dispatched the follow
ing message to Lord Soames:
You have been misinformed. There
Is no such letter.
And was right. For ON the way
from the palace had torn up the pa
per into hundred fragments, and had
swallowed them every one.
The ambassador stopped abruptly
and made as II he would turn his at
tention to the stage.
Surely that 10 not ALP ! said. Can
you not tell me what occurred on the
Saturday."
His excellency smiled pleasantly.
II had the account some time after
through my friend Soames, who got 1t
from his colleague in Berlin. 1t APP
pears that Bismarck never once looked
inside the envelope till he and the Eng
fish ambassador met in the kaiser's
presence at the time appointed
1.-THE old chancellor had not in.
formed his master of the precise ma
ture of the business to be transacted.
Prince Bismarck opened the inter
view, therefore, by explaining to the
kaiser the purpose for which he had
summoned the meeting. Then turn
ing to the British envoy, he added
with confidence:
Well, sir, what is your answer?
VIII England join us?'
The Englishman kept perfectly
cool. He had, of course, been warned
by Lord Soames how matters stood.
Before you have any right to de-
mand my answer he said, you must
fulfill your undertaking to produce
some evidence that France contem-
plates an attack on u.s.
"Thereupon the prince tapped his
famous yellow box
=" I have here he returned, "a writ
ten proposal from the French govern
ment for an offensive alliance against
you
This was the first hint to the kaiser
OF the real significance of the mysteri-
GUS document he had allowed me to
recover. He drew back in his chair
and began to gnaw his mustache.
But the Englishman merely smiled.
Excuse me, prince, but really
think you have been imposed upon,
he replied quietly. i cannot believe
that the government of the republic
would be guilty OF such folly
Bismarck now smiled in his turn.
and with an air Of triumph took out
the paper from its envelope, and
passed 1t to the other. The kaiser
looked on, helpless, and divided, no
doubt, between anger at the manner
in which / had outwitted him. and
pleasure at the modification In store
for his overbearing minister.
THE Engliehman unfolded the pa
per and read aloud:
Proposal for an Offensive Alliance
Between France and Germany
"'Ha! What did sayi" interrupted
the chancellor.
The French government, after
according due consideration to the pro-
posal laid before it on behalf of the
German government, has decided to
absolutely decline entering into any
such alliance as
He had got to there when the over
whelmed chancellor, uttering a cry OF
rage, snatched the paper from his
hand and fastened upon its contents,
with his eyes starting from his head.
and his features wrinkled up in a look
of positively ludicrous CONSERVATION.
Then wilhelm II saw his chance.
Herr Prince he said sternly,
what is the meaning of this comedy
What are these proposals which you
have made without my authority, for
an alliance against the government Of
country which regard with friend
ship?
THE prince flung down the paper
with growl like that of an Infatuated
mastiff.
For the first time In my life, sire
my dispatch-box has been tempered
WITH he raped out IN surly tones
AT this moment can only assure you
and the ambassador here that the pro
posal came, not from me, but from the
French government
AT this point the kaiser turned
away and ceased to listen. The Eng
lishman shrugged his shoulders with
an incredulous air, and rose to go.
THE audience broke up. England
remained outside the triple alliance
and before month was over all Eu
rope was astonished to hear tha
Prince Bismarck was no longer chan
cellor of the German empire.
"You understand" added my friend
after minute, that 1t Is only becaus,
of the years that have passed since
the death of poor Soames that / an
able to tell you all this
tu ,,nIawo4ntfl un-faa4Ixy