Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-01-16


did not know of the interview between
Colonel Black and the count. He re-
lated everything that had happened.
Come to dinner with me al my
home" said the count, and Ned ac-
cepted.
Chance to Clear His Debts.
They We're smoking and drinking the
after dinner coffee. The count look
ed searchingly at Ned and said very
quietly;
Il will give you a chance to clear
your debts very easily. Your father
has taken a very unjust attitude in
this affair and l fear he does not real
lie that he is risking your whole flu
ture-your whole life
There was q CLEAN of hope in the
boys eyes.
las YOU know" continued the count,
your father is perfecting gun in
which the war department is interest
ed. Now, the United States has no
real need for such gun. The United
States desires peace and she will have
it, because she will not be aggressive
against any nation for her own gain.
She desires no territory and she
would not oppose weaker nation for
| commercial gain.
MY own government is in an en-
tirely different situation. We are
hemmed in on all sides by enemies
who would not hesitate to strike to
prevent our further expansion COM
mercially or territorially. single in
cident might set Europe aflame.
Il digress thus in order to show you
| IN nell
do is no treason against the United
States. l want you to procure a set
of plans of your fathers gun and let
me see them for matter of two hours
some night. Then we can replace
them and no harm will be done. 1t
will not deprive the United States of
the gun and it will benefit my nation,
which always has been and always will
be friendly to yours.
"Only two hours to study the plans
and i will cancel your debt to me and
pay any others held against you. Do
not answer in haste. Think it over for
few moments"
Had His Answer Ready.
Ned very slowly removed his cigar
from between his teeth and deposited
it carefully. without knocking off the
ash. on the receiver in front of him.
MY answer is ready now he said
quietly,
All! That is the way with YOU
Americans" said the count You act
on the moment"
YES" said Ned, I'VE act on the mo-
ment. And if you don't get out of this
room in half a moment and send my
hat and coat, I'll smash you into can
of caviar"
The count expostulated.
That's enough" shouted Ned. Send
my hat and coat and let me get out
of here. And you get out of Wash
ington. If you're not out in a week
I'll spill this whole affair, no matter
how much of a BLACKBOARD it makes
me out"
need scarcely add that in three days
the count had left Washington foi
his native heath. Colonel Black paid
all of Ned's debts. for the boy went
Immediately to him and told the whole
story. Ned is now at work and his
little experience has made real mar
of him.
This playing on a mans debts is &
,
Not long ago a clerk in the war de-
partment became pressed for money
and pawned some of his personal prop
crty.
In Guise of Insurance Agent
The following day a man whom h'
did not know called at his home anC
professed to be an insurance agent
1 To turn him away the clerk statet
! frankly that he was short of fund.-
J and could not think of taking on an.
1 extra expense.
? well, now, I'll be frank with you,
J said the fake agent, II know you ar
hard up. l saw you go into a paw
i shop yesterday. l can show you
J way to make a little money withou
! doing anything wrong"
1 The clerk appeared receptive an,
the agent" promised to call AGAR
Y but the clerk was honest and becom
4 ing suspicious spoke to one of hi
I superiors, who discovered that tn
Y agent" was working for Europea
j government. He will be ineffectiv
i hereafter, for he is known, but Their
) is nothing that can be brought agains
] him in a court of law
4 To show that | am not exaggerat
; ing the necessity of developing som
Y system of counteracting the activitie
i of these foreign spies. l will cite
? couple of incidents of the Spanish
y American war,
Il Long before the blowing up of tn
! Maine it was known to Spain that wa
y would probably come sooner or late
D Spanish spies were feverishly activ
4 for months before hostilities broke OF
: and SO carelessly were our fort
y guarded that many secrets We're oh
Il tanned. which, If we had been at wa
: with a first class naval power. woul
Y have spelled havoc for the Atlanti
4 coast of the United States.
Chief among the Spanish spies wer
y Lieutenant Commander Sobral an
u Captain De la Casa. who spied o
! military and naval affairs of the Unit
y ed States for Is months before wa
D was declared. So lax were regulation