The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-26
It Was Very
Plain to Her
By SADIE oLooTT


the Balkan states and made the &C
quaintance Of the wife Of one Of the
chief diplomats. / don't specify be-
cause there is lot In this story that
1t wouldn't do for me to reveal. In
deed, shall endeavor to tell 1t in a |
way that my own identity shall not |
be known.
From my friend the diplomats wife |
I heard great deal about the struggle |
between the entente and the central |
powers to secure the adhesion of the |
different Balkan states. was i'm
pressed with the fact that there was a |
lot Of chicanery going on and was
seized with desire to take a hand
In 1t, for the representatives of each
side were ready to pay any price for
information as to what the other side
was going to do. dropped hint to
the diplomats wife that I would like
to try my hand at diplomacy, which
she understood to mean spying.
The very next day l received an In
vitation to call at a certain embassy.
I was received by the secretary of
| legation. He was the most clean cut
man had ever met, very handsome.
with a certain impressiveness about
him that Is indescribable. made up
my mind then and there that whether
! or no / succeeded ID a diplomatic mis-
sion I would bend all my energies to
securing him for my own sweet self.
Mr.. Fauntleroy-so win call him
told me that the entente allies were
In great doubt which way the Bulgari-
an cat would jump. He expressed the
idea IN the choicest language, but l
don't remember his words. He wish
ed me to 60 to Sofia and gain the con-
ndence Of some Bulgarian magnate
and worm out OF him which side King
Ferdinand was going to declare for.
i prolonged the interview with Mr..
Tauntleroy as long as possible, all the
while giving him such little hints to
attract him to myself as a woman
keeps ready for the purpose. When,
however, could think of no more
points on which to ask instructions I
babe him goodby and set out for So
fla.
VI was some time getting the informa-
ton desired. for there was only one
, person who knew what the king had
decided to do. and that was the king
; himself. Indeed, | got the information,
, not from person. but from my own
observation Sometimes the plainest
} thing TO woman is that for which
| she can give no reason. l soon knew
4 thar King Ferdinand would take the
' German side How | knew 1t l can
z not tell you. though 1t was as plain as
the nose of the kings face, and every
4 one who has seen him or his picture
= knows that his nose is not to be mis-
|, taken for any other nose.
Returning to Mr.. Fauntleroy, told
e him that the king would jump toward
i Berlin When | was asked the source
K of my information | said that ! had
succeeded in making a hiding In Q
a ! room where the king had received q
! deputation of Bulgarian magnates
4 who had come to protest against hi:
/. majesty's taking sides with Germany
a and was convinced that he was fool
9 ing them. Mr.. Fauntleroy asked me
. how knew the king was fooling them
q and l replied "Just as any woman
knows when a man is not to b
A trusted"
a Mr.. FauntIeroy said he reckoned
, was not cut out for spy. though b
II offered to pay me for my work. de
g clined to take anything.
But" added. mr.. Fauntleroy, 1
you act on. what tell you you vii
gain credit in your profession"
a gave him pleading look, as thougl
# was awfully interested in his sue
h cess. and really think he believed
# was interested for him and not my
salt. He endeavored to persuade hi
+ superior and other diplomats to SEN
Is word to London and Paris that Kin
Ferdinand was about to declare 70
D. the central powers. But none Of thos
\. great men could see what was A B
% to me, and when the king did join tn
d Germans they were all very much al
A. tonished, and the powers they repr'
e scented were caught In a position 70
N which they were by no means pr
d pared.
<. There was one. however, who coul
he say, II told you So" That was NJ
v Fauntleroy. He had taken the precas
N ton to enter a protest to his govern
t. ment against trusting King Ferdinan
er and recommending certain movement
D. Of troops in view Of Bulgaria's actor
to II was risky for him to do this, for
must be done over his chiefs hea,
Judge of the secretary's delight whe
his chief was ordered home and B
as (Fauntleroyl was made ambassado
40 he sent for me. and the moment eI
tered the room. In his ecstatic cond
d tion. he took me in his arms and kis
a ed me.
so OF course by that action he put hin
es self In my power, but he never realize
in that It was the turning point betwee
10 us. When he introduces me now
70 does It with intended facetiousness-
rs This is my wife," he says. Nv
ar work very well together. Ny diplom
on cy is founded on reason, hers on 4
70 stinct. I would give fifty Of my re