Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-12-10

Jagow. of the foreign office, a year or
two ago, l noticed as soon as entered
the room that there was a certain at
mosphere which We diplomatists are
trained to feel. 1t was not C. sus-
pense exactly, but certainly of marked
interest in q couple who were among
the most tireless of the dancers, and
in a blond young officer, in uhlan uni
form, who stood watching them, scowl-
ing and pulling his mustache, as he
followed their movements with his
eyes.
The mar | recognized at once.
Handsome, black-haired, debonair as
only a Frenchman can be | had seen
him on several occasions, and knew
him to speak to slightly. He was
Captain Paradis, one of the minor
military attaches at the French en-
bassy. The girl l did not know, and,
discovering an old friend among those
who we're congregated about the door
watching the brilliant spectacle, |
asked him her name.
He looked rather surprised at my
question, Why, that is the Fraulen
Wedenkampf," he answered. This
name, however, is not the n that he
gave. One must preserve some shadow
of anonymity in such revelations.
The heiress of the late cannon
maker" | inquired, with interest.
"Assuredly. She only came out this
pDrip,r op1 VOI coO ino uina che ia
persona gratissima at court
And why do you suppose" | asked,
that she is dancing with Captain Par
ads, who has the reputation of being
the most expert artillery officer in
France
That" answered my friend. smiI-
ing. lis what everybody is wondering,
and, not least, Captain 0 Lindorf,
to whom, rumor has it, she is supposed
to be engaged to be married.
They certainly made an interesting
couple as they circled round the nor.
NOUS ballroom. | saw Herr Won Jagow
and the crown princess watching
them; I saw the princess whisper in
the foreign secretary's ear, and Won
JagOw answer in words, whatever
they we're, that made her highneSs
raise her eyebrows in surprise. In
fact the establishment IA rapidly be
coming universal. And it was hardly
to be wondered at. For each of these
two young people had access to Sc
Crets of priceless military value.
The knowledge that Fraulein Wed
enkampf could place at the disposal Of
the French government was the equiv
alent of two army corps. The intor
nation locked up in the head of Cap
tain Paradis was worth five extra
days Of mobilization to the kaisor's
forces. And it was evident hat the
infatuation was on the part of the
young man, and not ON that of the
calm. f%air-haired, bl%ue-eyed, and Who'll
ly self-possessed young woman.
saw Count Won Lindorf's scoW
deepen, and | took up my position
near him, where | could watch hiGc
unostentatiously. At the end of the
dance Captain Paradis led his partner
to a sea near the door. half bidder
by a cluster of large palm trees.
saw the count stroll slowly in tha'
direction. He seemed preOccupied
but l noticed that his lip was twitch
ing.
What happened | could not see. bu.
a moment later | saw Won LindOrf anC
Captain Paradis upon their feet, fac
Ing each other, their faces flushed
with anger. Then I saw the coun
bow and proffer his card to tht
F~renchman.
Captain Paradis seemed to hesitate
finally, with a gesture that vas quite
incomprehensible to me, he turned
away and walked unsteadily toward
the door.
Count Won Lindorf looked at Thu
fraulein with a sort of. bafied fury
then his face became ~impenetrable
and, Struggling his shoulders, he re
tired.
The scene had certainly not escaped
observation among the ~personages, eX
allied and otherwise, who surrounded
the crown princes chair, | saw smile,
upon some lips, and frowns upon som,
faces. Herr Won JagOw glanced in
quiringly toward Count Won Bethmanu
Hollweg. the imperial chancellor, bu
he, apparently not wishing to notice
the foreign minister's look, remained
deep in cOnyersation-with a mar
.vIo-, I,l ,,,t ,,atf,,l I,y,r, H.,
whom | recognized Immediately.
The person in reference had at on,
time looked remarkably like myself
This resemblance had, in fact, giyeI
me the clue which enabled me to frus
trate a clever trick to steal the Bul
garian mobilization papers. 1t wa.
on account Of this similarity of ap
pearance that | had grown a beard
For | do not care to be mistaken fo'
an international tinancier of dubiou.
reputation; and this parsonage was
certain Louis Weisknopf, head of wha
has come to be known as the Interna
tional War syndicate.
This syndicate, formed for the pur
pose OF unifying and exploiting tn,
wealth of the world, having ramifica
tons in every capital, and being un
doubtedly behind most of the con
temporaneouG political intrigue, ha,
decided that, to attain its ends, /
must cast in its lot with the Teutonit
nations, to whom. in its opinion, tn
future supremacy of the world pei
tanned. 1t was aand in glove witt
the cannon makers, the scare mongers
who manipulated the markets for tn,
syndicate-worse than all else, how
ever, was what | knew to be its un
shakable determination to bring abou