The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-20

In cipher Not feeling at liberty to
send a cipher message, the operator
laid It aside. When Caspar came again |
to inquired II it had been sent and was
told that it was held because It was |
in cipher Caspar looked so disappoint-
ed and begged so hard that it be put |
over the wires that his friend promised |
to do so, though he feared trouble |
would result Caspar assured him that |
there was nothing In the dispatch that
would be Of the slightest injury to
France. and this turned the scale.
NJ. Larfabee, deputed to examine tel
egrams received In Paris. was sitting
at his desk when an operator handed
him Caspar's dispatch. The moment
he read the name Of the person TO
whom 1t was addressed and noticed
that the message was In cipher his
face assumed the expression of one
who had unearthed an announcement
to German sympathizers that Paris
was about to be attacked by a hundred
Zeppelins.
Mile tonerrest" he exclaimed. Has
| 1t come to this7 Do the enemy send
cipher messages to their spies In
Paris over our telegraph lines7 To
Mime. KneibIitz. q Rue Pomponier.
Could there be better evidence that
this message Is intended for one of the
horde Of German spies in our midst
who are watching our every actT'
+, Taking up telephone receiver, he
called up the officer in charge Of the
military telegraph and informed him
Of the message, stating that he did not
doubt that it had been surrephtiousiy
/ sent In the expectation that 1t would
be delivered by some one in the tele-
graph department who was working
secretly in the German interest. Colo
mel Bombardier, the officer telephoned,
directed that the dispatch be sent to
him and, after receiving and examin-
ing it, called a council of war to de-
eide what to do In the premises.
When the council assembled experts
in interpreting cipher kilograms were
introduced and began the work of
TRANSMITTING it. This was not easy to
do, for it consisted in certain SEN
fences which doubtless had a meaning
for the receiver. However, the ex-
perts, not daring to acknowledge that
they could make nothing of 1t, gave a
possible translation. admitting that
they could not vouch for its correct
ness. The meaning they placed upon
1t was that it announceda meeting Of
the German spies in Paris to receive
one high in the German secret service.
Meanwhile Hortense was arrested
and taken to Colonel Bombardier's of
fee, where she was kept in an ante
room awaiting the result Of the work
of the experts. In time she was called
In to face an array of men who looked
ready to send her to the gallows.
"Frau Kneiblitz," said the colonel,
7 'do you speak FrenchT
II don't speak any other language
was the meek reply.
"Do not try to deceive me. You are
/, German, as your name indicates. A
|. dispatch in cipher addressed to you
, has been intercepted. 1t Is an an
nouncement that an officer of high
rank in the German secret service Il
, coming to Paris to meet the spy corps
. in Paris"
This was said because II it wers
. the true Interpretation OF the dispatch
! the young woman would likely col
lapse. She did no such thing. She
: simply looked at her accusers wonder
3 ingly.
+ "Who is Caspar7" asked the colone
Y severely.
Monsieur he Is my husband. Hal
t anything happened to him?" she asked
r paling.
t "You play your part wen, but it VIII
J. not serve"
Q "Have you a dispatch from him t.
( me? Oh, give 1t to mer'
i After conference 1t was decided 3
t read the dispatch aloud to her. Tn
) colonel began with the first sentence
e 1.-THE weather is very fine" and aske,
v her what 1t meant. She did not nee
a the key to tell him; she knew 1t b,
> heart.
IL am WELL" she replied.
IS The second sentence read was, "Yes
" terday 1t was hot"
+ Hortense, somewhat abashed. r.
d Piled. Sweetheart, love you"
= The members of the council locke
It at one another incredulously.
is Again, 1--WE are expecting coole
h weather tomorrow"
y "That means thousand Kisses" n
1t piled the bride, dropping her eyes
n the floor.
q "This climate is trying"
q 81 shall never see you again d
France Is victorious"
be 'The mud is very deep"
ID "Goodby. sweetheart. shall loy
v you forever"
L, Several OF the men who had bee
m impressed with Hortense's gentlenes
a honesty and, above all, that she wi
s. essentially French smiled. Colon
o. Bombardier's countenance assumed
shamefaced expression. He stood VIII
tz the dispatch in his hand wonderiT
" what next to do.
OF Colonel" said one Of the counc
es you've struck what they call In Anne
10 lea a mares nest
as 'aThe case" said the colonel, mai
he tanning an official tone, will be b
De ter examined into by a woman.
shall send Nine. Kneiblitz to Mn
nd Leblanc, head of our woman's dete
ry i've bureau, and II she reports fave
en- ably the prisoner win be discharged. =
ar Nine. Leblanc, instead Of assumt
nd the pomposity of the officers, beg
ht- by soothing the poor little bride a
he soon discerned that she was wrapp