Tombstone epitaph., 1915-10-24

| umph. At best l must wear down his
 ill-conditioned body. We bumped
 from shelf to shelf, and the grasp oi
 his powerful arms about my chest con.
 stricted it and made me gasp foI breath.
 Suddenly Hallam retreated to the
 extreme limits of the little alcove, and
 then. as I made for him. lowering his
 massive head. he came for me like a
 bull, with the intention of throwing
 me and stunning me against the edge of the door. saw his maneuver and half evaded him, but the impact of the rush swept me of my feet. and. clutch. ing wildly at him. l fell with all my
 weight against one of the interior | shelves.
 Instantly the woodwork cracked and sprang apart seemed to plunge right through the bookcase: {: then the whole mass of shelves came down. burying us both beneath their contents. and sending up a cloud of dust. together with a crashing sound that must have been heard through half the palace.
 Lying there beneath the boards I realized an astonishing fact. The books were dummies-painted boards within the shelves. The little alcove was evidently used as a spying place by the imperial secretaries. How the door had happened to be open cannot surmise.
 The board before my eyes was painted in imitation of the five vol umes of the great work of Schopen. hauer.
 Through a gap in the dummy books in front of me I could see into the l anteroom. dreaded each moment that the secretaries would rush in. But nobody stirred. And. lying there, half choked with dust, I still endeav- ored to carry out my purpose. We must have made two comical figures two gentlemen of an age which is as. sociated with dignity. clutching at each others throats smid the debris. | I saw Hallam beside me, prone on his face. blinking the dust out of his eyes-and then something happened which imposed on both of us a truce. For the door of the anteroom opened and two figures strode in. One | was Sir Edward Goschen. our ambas- sador; the other was the kaiser him. self. in the uniform of . British colonel. It was impossible to mistake the short and rather plump figure. the upturned mustaches, the left arm, shorter than the right by several inches and partly paralyzed. The kaiser strode angrily into the room, turned. and, facing Sir Edward Goschen. with . single sweep of his right arm tore the medals from his uniform and sent them spinning upon the floor.
 That will show you what think of your English decorations!" he cried. Sir Edward bowed. and then did something that has never been record ed in my dispatches. I think 1t was the finest retort that could have been made. For he went down on his hands and knees and picked up the medals one from under the table, another from beneath a chair, a third from the base of the bookshelves. He placed them together in his pocket. got up. dusted the legs of his trousers, and faced the kaiser again. And l understand that he was honoring the orders which his sovereign had bestowed upon Ger. many's ruler, and did not scrupie to perform the menial task of picking them up after they had been dishon. ored-or after the kaiser had dishon- ored himself by throwing them down. "I shall convey these orders to my sovereign, sir, with your statement" he answered.
 The kaiser waved his single useful arm aloft dramatically.
 You have sealed your own doom!" he cried. What do you think you can do against Germany with your con- temptible little army? In six weeks my troops will enter London. You have stabbed me in the back with your miserable shopkeepers' war, de- signed to injure Germany when she is engaged with two powerful antago- nists.''
 Sir Edward bowed again. T am not at liberty to discuss my country's motives or the prospects of success, sir, but merely to present your majes- ty with Great Britain's ultimatum," he said. And let me remind your maj esty that, though you have renounced your English decorations. you have not yet definitely rejected Great Brit aims ultimatum, which expires at mid night. If Germany's troops immedi- ately evacuate Belgium"
 You will remain neutral. I sup pose" snapped the kaiser. What diff ference does it make to mel"
 By no means. sir" replied the Brit ish ambassador suavely. We do not offer our neutrality as a condition of Germany's evacuation of Belgium, but merely q withdrawal of our ultimatum and the reference back of the matter for the further consideration of the British cabinet"
 You shall receive your answer in six weeks." the kaiser snapped, when German troops enter London as con Querors."
 With q gesture of disdain he