Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-07-01
NO.. l6.
had bowed myself out and left the


office, whence dispatched the follow
ing message to Lord Soames:
"'You have been misinformed. There
is no such letter.
And | was right For on the way
from the palace l had torn up the pa
per into hundred fragments, and had
swallowed them every one.
The ambassador stopped abruptly
and made as if he would turn his at
tention to the stage.
Surely that is not all?" said. Can
you not tell me what occurred on the
Saturday,"
His eXcellency smiled pleasantly.
Il had the account some time after
through my friend Soames, who got it
from his colleague in Berlin. 1t ap-
pears that Bismarck never once looked
inside the envelope till he and the Eng
lish ambassador met in the kaiser's
presence at the time appointed.
"The old chancellor had not in.
formed his master of the precise ma
ture Of the business to be transacted.
Prince Bismarck opened the inter-
view, therefore, by explaining to the
kaiser the purpose for which he had
summoned the meeting. Then turn
ing to the British envoy, he added
with confidence:
We'll, sir, what is your answer?
Win England join us?' -
The Englishman kept perfectly
I1 hoI . y
by Lord Soames how matters stood
"'Before you have any right to de.
mand my answer he said, you must
fulfill your undertaking to produce
some evidence that France contem.
plates an attack on u.s.
"Thereupon the prince tapped his
famous yellow box.
81 have here he returned, a writ
ten proposal from the French govern.
ment for an offensive alliance against
YOU
This was the first hint to the kaiser
of the real significance of the mysteri,
Gus document he had allowed me to
recover. He drew back in his chair
and began to gnaw his mustache.
"But the Enelishman merely smiled
Excuse me, prince. but | really
think you have been imposed upon
he replied quietly. L cannot believe
that the government of the republic
would be guilty Of such folly
bismarck now smiled in his turn,
and with an air of triumph took out
the paper from its envelope, and
passed it to the other. The kaiser
looked on, helpless, and divided, no
doubt, between anger at the manner
in which | had outwitted him, and
pleasure at the modification in store
for his overbearing minister
THE Englshman unfolded the pa
per and read aloud:
"'Proposal for an Offensive Alliance
Between France and Germany
"'Ha! What did say!" interrupted
the chancellor.
THE French government, after
according due consideration to the pro
posal laid before it on behalf of the
German government, has decided tc
absolutely decline entering into any
such alliance as
He had got to there when the oyer.
whelmed chancellor, uttering cry OF
rage, snatched the paper from his
hand and fastened upon its contents,
with his eyes starting from his head.
and his features wrinkled up in look
of positively ludicrous CONSERVATION.
oh
Herr Prince he said sternly,
what is the meaning Of this comedyi
What are these proposals which you
have made without my authority, foI
an alliance against the gov' fnment OF
a country which / regard with friend
ship?
"The prince flung down the paper
with a growl like that of an infuriated
mastiff.
"'For the first time in my life, sire,
my dispatch-boX has been tampered
with he raped out in surly tones,
AT this moment can only assure you
and the ambassador here that the pro.
posal came, not from me, but from the
French government
"At this point the kaiser turned
away and ceased to listen. The Eng
lishman shrugged his shoulders With
an incredllous air, and rose to go.
"The audience broke up. England
remained outside the triple alliance,
and before a month was over all Eu'
rope was astonished to hear that
Prince Bismarck was no longer chan.
celor of the German empire.
You understand" added my friend,
after minute, that 1t Is only because
of the years that have passed since
the death of poor Soames that | am
able to tell you all this
II understand perfectly
AS l was helping his excellency on
with his cvercoat at the conclusion Of
the performance my eye happened to
fall upon the decorated buttonhole.
"By-the-by, NJ PAmbassadeur, did
M. Fleuriot fulfil his promise about the
grand CROSSE"
The ambassador turned round with
a momentary look of annoyance.
"My friend, you should restrain your
too great curiosity. Believe me, it is
a detestable vice. No, unfortunately,
he did not. But 1t was scarcely his
fault The fact is that, during the
few days | was absent in Berlin there
occurred change of government.
Poor Fleuriot lost his portfolio, and
my services were forgotten"
He sighed with noble air of resig-
nation. Suddenly his glance became
fixed on a point on the other side of
the crowded corridor into which we
had Just plunged.