The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-11-04

Few persons have penetrated the
recesses Of the kaiser's splendid pal
ace upon the island of Corfu. Built
originally by that unhappy lady, her
majesty, Empress Elizabeth of Austria,
as a place of refuge from the griefs of
the Viennese court, 1t was purchased
by the German emperor after her
murder In Switzerland, by the anarch-
list, Luchesi, In 1898.
/ cannot say that his imperial maj
esty, with oil his reputed taste as
artist and architect. has improved
upon the simple setting of the unhap-
py empress. Where tall hedges OF box
lent the gardens an air of seclusion,
one finds now open parks In the Prus-
sian fashion, which may look better
when the young forest trees have
grown to maturity. but at present give
the gardens distinctly suburban ap-
pearance
The simple structure of stone, quar-
ried from the island rocks, has yield
ed to brick-faced building with or
nate columns, the whole having an
effect decidedly bizarre.
However, it Is not my purpose to
quarrel with the taste of William Of
Germany. Suffice it to say that Cap
tain Murray and I disembarked at
the little town of Oneiros week after
the murder of Popopoulos. We had
ridden hard, but our exhausted horses
had been outdistanced by Won Stamm's
fresh one, and he had sailed by trans
port from Saloniki to Athens before
we were In the outskirts of the for
mer city.
That gave him a days leeway, but
our vessel left Athens only three
hours behind his own In the end, we
entered Oneiros harbor just as the
ship discharged Won Stamm upon the
quay.
I imagine now that he did not know
he was being pursued. In fact, he must
have expected us to go posthaste to
Berlin, to seek him there. 1t was
a deduction of my own that the kais-
er's visit to Corfu, of which had had
secret information, was connected
with the contemplated theft Of the
formula. But Won Stamm had not only
taken the formula, but also the cloth.
That much was certain. He must
even now be having audience with
the kaiser, and, once he had proved
his case, war would be delayed just
long enough to enable the cloth to
be supplied to the German army.
Three crawling hacks at the head
of the wharf seemed to be all the loco
motion available in Oneiros. The
sleepy little town was taking it's
siesta in the hot afternoon sun. Five
miles away, upon hilltop, could
see the outlines of the palace build
ings set among the rhododendron
clusters.
ITO the palace immediately" I ex-
claimed to the nearest hack driver.
To my establishment Captain Muir
ray seized me by the arm. mo. Let
us walk" he answered.
And he dismissed the man with a
coin, while let him set the pace down
the dusty road, and so out of the
town into the country, where crops Of
currants loaded the vines on either
side of us.
my friend, do you not appreciate
the fact that we must try to catch
Won Stamm before he succeeds in
having audience with the kaiser?"
exclaimed
I had been perturbed during the
whole of the voyage by my compan-
ions apparent Indifference to the re-
suits that hung upon the success of
our undertaking. Now he replied:
ION the contrary, my friend, it is
essential that Won Stamm secures
audience with the kaiser before we
come on the scene
Captain Murray responded, do
you not know that the first thing the
kaiser will do will be to test the in
vention? He will satisfy himself i'm
mediately as to its value"
Precisely" answered Murray in a
dry tone that nettled me, for am not
used to being kept in the dark, how
ever much may delight in the mys-
FERROUS developments Of diplomacy
when hold the key to the situation.
"You understand, hope" I said,
that, if we are outwitted. the British
government will hold you respon-
sible?"
"As for that" replied Murray, smil-
ing, .sour friend Won Stamm has al
ready outwitted himself, and it is
solely for your own peace of mind
that / have come on this wild-goose
chase with you. There never was
any danger
I was frankly bewildered. Halfway
up the hill, Murray stopped me.
"You are acquainted with the pal
ace?"' he asked.
Not since the days OF her late
majesty, Queen Elizabeth an