El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-11

rARIE GESSLER, known as Ma
Nj RE Chaumontel. Jeanne d'Avre-
L \ chy. the countess d'AurIllae.
was German. Her father, who served
through the Franco-Prussian war, was
a German spy 1t was from her
mother she learned TO speak French
sufficiently well to satisfy even an
Academician and. among Parislans, 70
mass as one Both her parents we're
dead BEFORE they departed, knowing
they could leave their daughter notn-
ing save their debts, they had had her
trained as a nurse But when they
were gone. Marie in the Berlin hospi-
tails played politics. intrigued, ihols-
criminateiy misused the appealing, Nlo-
let eyes. There was. a scandal several
scandals. At the age OF twenty-IiFe
she was dismissed from the munlclpai
hopital and as nOw-save Tor the VIC
let eyes=she was without resources, as
A compagnon de voyage with German
doctor she travelled to Monte CARO-
There she abandoned the doctor lor
Henri Ravignac, a captain IN lne
French aviation corps, VINO, .Wnen MS
leave ended. escorted her TO Paris
The duties of captain Ravignac kept
him in barracks near the aviation held,
but Marie he established IN his apart
ments on the boulevard haussnialih-
one day ne brought from the barracks
q roll of blue prints, and as he was
Germans would pay through the nose
for thoseI' The remark was inols-
Greet. but then Marie had told him she
was French, and any one would nave
believed her
adventure that had exiled her from the
Berlin hospitals carried her with the
blue prints TO the German embassy
There, greatly shocked, they flrsL
wrote down her name and address. ana
a. he
dered her out But the day fol4oWlhs
= strange young German who was not
at all indignant, but, on the contrary
quite charming. called upon Marie OF
the blue prints he offered her a Eetg
large sum, ard that same hour Win
them Marie departed for Berlin Marie
aid not need the money Nor did the
argument that she was serving heI
country greatly impress her. II was
rather that she loved intrigue ->N
80 she became spy
Henri Ravignac, the man she nae
robbed of the blue prints, was tried
bv court martial The charge was
treason, but Chales Ravignac, his
younger brother, promises - 80
that the guilty one was the girl aho
TO that end obtained leave OF absence
and spent much time and money Al
the trial he was able 10 snow tas
record of Marie in Berlin and Monte
Carlo that she was the daughter OF
q German secret agent: that on the
afternoon the prints disappeared Ma
RE with an agent Of the German en-
bass1. had left Paris for Berlll- ="
consequence OF this the charge OF ser
ing military secrets was altered 70 one
of gross neglect" and Henry RaNiS-
nae was sentenced TO two years IN tIs
military prison at Tours But he was I
~ ancient and noble family, ana When !
thew came to take him from ms cen
in the Cherche- Midi, he was asaI. !
ri,.-Ies his brother. disappeared II /
v-as said ne also had killed himseii'
4bar he had been appointed mliltars 4
attache in South America; thal 70
vence his brother he had entered lne I
secret service; but WiiSeersi - Cs1
him no one knew All that was Ger
tain was that thanks 10 tne act %
Marie Cessler. on the rolls OF tne
French army the ancient ana noot5S /
M ne Of Ravignac no longer apP'C - A.,
In her chosen profession Marie 1ess-
1.- fo,nd nothing discreditable. VI /
herself her opinion was not mSh' allu
her opinion of men was lower. ~,
be- smiles she had watched seNeIaI 4
sacrifice honor. duty, loyalty ana ~
held them and their klno n - se1sts
To lie. to cajole, to rob men OF scores
thew thought important and OF secrets
fbe inheritance of which they dlc no.
even mess. was TO her merely an IN
tricate and exciting game,
She played it very wei 20 W
that in the service her advance was
rapid. On important missions she We
serf 10 Russia through the Balkans
even 10 the United States Ihere, Win
credentials. as an army nurse she N
spected our military hospitals ana un-
obtrusively asked many innocent eues-
When she begged to be allowed to
work in her beloved Paris. they lolu
her when war came they intenoeq 70
plant her inside that city, and that
until then the less Paris knew Of her
But lust before the great war broke
10 report on which way Italy nlgnt
jump. she was sent TO Rome, ana II
was not until September she was re-
called. The telegram informed ne
that her aunt Elizabeth was III anu
that at once she must return 10 be5
lin This. she learned from the ceut
book wrapped under the cover OF heI
theru1os bottle, meant that she was 70
report to the general commanding the
German forces at scissors
From italy she passed through swift
zerland. and. after leaving Basic, on
military trains was rushed north TO
and then west to Laon-
She was accompanied by her compan-
ion. Bertha. an elderly and Respectable.
even distinguished-lOOkin female IN
the secret service her number was Us
Their passes from the war Once oe
scribed them as nurses of the German
Red Cross Only the Intelligence oe-
psrtment knew Of their real mission
with her. also. as her chauffeur. was
a Young Italian soldier OF fortune
Paul Anfossi. He served in the Bel
zian Congo. in the French toeign ie-
zion in Algiers, and spoke all the Eu-
ropean languages In Rome, where as
4 wireless operator he was serving a
commercial company. in selling Marie
copies Of messages he had memorlzeu,
Marie had found him useful, ana whel
war came she obtained FOR him. lroiil
the Wilhelmstrasse, the number ~
From Laon, in one of the automoolles
1f the general staff. tee three spies
were driven first to scissors, and then
'lous, the road to MeauX and Paris
10 the village Of Neufchelles- They ar
rived at midnight. and in chateau OF
one Of the champagne princes, 1ounu
he colonel commanding the !nteli-
-ence bureau He accepted their ere
lentials. destroyed them, and replaced
Inn with laisser-passer signed py
he Mayor of Laon- That dignitary.
he colonel explained. TO citizens OF
-.aon fleeing to Paris and the coast
rad issued many passes But as now
between Laon and Paris there were
-hree German armies. the refugees hao
ben turned back and their passes con-
Iscated-
IRON among them" said the off