Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1915-12-19

mosphere which We diplomatists are
trained TO feel. 1t was not OF sus-
pense exactly. but certainly Of marked
interest in couple who were amoug
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 mustsche. S. he
followed their movements With hts
eyes
The man ! recognized st once
Handsome. blsck-haired. debonsir as
only Frenchmsn can he. I had seen
him on several occasions and kne v
him to speak TO slightly He was
Captain Paradis. one Of the minor
military attaches at the French en-
hassy. The girl did not know, aud,
discovering an old friend among those
who were consregsted about the door
watching the brilliant spectacle,
asked him her name
He looked rather surprised at nv
question. Why. that is the Fraulein
Wedenkampf." he answered. This
name. however. is not the one that he
gave. One must preserve some shadow
Of anonymity in such revelations.
The heiress Of the late cannon
maker" I inquired. with interest.
"Assuredly. She only came out this
spring. and you can imagine she is
persona gratissima at court.
And why du you suppose" I 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. smil-
ing. "is what everybody is wondering
and. not least, Captain Won Lindorf,
TO whom. runner has it, she is supposed
TO be engaged to be married"
They certainly made an interesting
couple as they circled round the enor-
nous ballroom. | saw Herr Won Jagow
and the crown princess watching
them: I saw the princess whisper in
,he foreign secretary's ear, and Won
.iagow answer in words. whatever
they were, that made her nighness
raise her eyebrows IN surprise. In
fact the astonishment was rapidly be-
coming universal And it was hardly
TO be wondered at For each CT 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 infor-
nation locked up in the head Of Cap
tain Parads was worth five extra
days Of mobilization to the kaiser's
forces. And il was evident that the
infatuation was on the part OF the
young man. and not on that OF the
calm. fair-haired. blue-eyed, and who'll
IL self-possessed young woman.
saw Count Won Lindorfs scovl
deepen. and | took up my position
near him. where / could watch him
unostentaticusly. At the end of the
dance Captain Paradis led his partner
10 a seat near the door. half hidden
by a cluster of large palm trees.
saw the count stroll slowly in that
direction He seemed preoccupied.
but I noticed that his lip was twitch-
ing.
What happened ! could not see. but
a moment later | saw Won Lindorf and
Captain Paradis upon their feet, fac
ing each other. their faces flushed
with anger Then ! saw the count
bow and protfer his card to the
Frenchman.
Captain Paradis seemed to hesitate;
finally, with a gesture that was quite
incomprehensible to me. he turned
away and walked uusteadily toward
the door.
Count Won Lindorf looked at the
sraulein 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 persorages, ex,
alted and otherwise. who surrounded
the crown princes chair. 1 saw smiles
upon some lips. ard frowns upon some
faces. Herr Won Jagow glanced In
uuiringly toward Coun. Won Betkmann'
Holiweg. the imperial chancellor, but
he, apparently not wishing TO notice
the foreign minister's look, remained
dee, in conyersation-with a man
whom ] had not noticed before, but
whom 1 recognized Immediately.
The person in reference had at one
sime looked remarkably like myself
This resemblance had, in fact. given
me the clue which enabled me to frus
srate a clever trick to steal the Rul
sarian mobilization papers. y was
on account of this similarity Of ap
pearsnce that i had grown a beard
For | do not care TO be mistaken fol
an international financier OF Dubious
regulation: ard this parsonage was q
cert1in Louis Weisknopt. head OF wha'
has come TO be known as the interna
tionai War syndicate.
This syndicate, formed for the pur
pose OF unIfying aad exploiting th'
wealth OF the world, having ramifica
tions a. every capital. and reing un
dourtediy behind most OF the con
temporaneous political intrigue. ha'
decioed tnat to attain its ends, !
must cast n its lot with the feutoni'
uztsons. 10 whom, in its opinion, tn