The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-20
WHAT'S In
A Nane?:
Sometimes There Is a
Lot of Trouble
By F. A. mitchell

by r. A. milOIlEL 81
&><~<><<~~~~~<<<>>><><><~S
Caspar Kneiblitz's greatgreat-grand-
father was a German. He was not q
Prussian nor a warrior, but a Han
overian and a professor. Indeed, the
old fellow was a bookworm, who, IL
dy had attacked the tip Of his nose.
would have been too absorbed In his
studies to have defended himself. And
II the fy had succeeded in arrestfng
bis attention he would not have In
| jured the intruder for the world. he
would have opened window and put
1t out
His son, Caspar, was called to the
chair Of a university in France.
| Thenceforth the family became French.
The men, OF course, kept the German
surname, but by the time the fourth
Caspar Kneiblitz came this was all
the German there was about them
Not one OF them could speak word
| Of German, and the third Kneiblitz
1 had given his life for France in the
war of 1870.
When Germany advanced into Bel.
gium to seize Paris, Caspar Kneiblitz
of the fourth generation, the hero Of
this story-if the word hero is a proper
| appellation-was twenty-one years old.
He was only deferred from joining the
colors by being so desperately in love
with Hortense lie Verrier that he was
unable to tear himself away from her,
though It must be admitted that II he
had been able to master his own feel
ings sufficiently to leave her she would
not have let him go.
For Frenchman to have a German
name accrued to his disadvantage as
soon as the war broke out Caspar
Kneiblitz was at last driven to part
with his beloved Hortense on this ac-
, count. When others had Joined the
colors and Caspar remained at home
1t was suspected that the reason he
! did not go to the war was because OF
, German sympathies. When he came
! to know Of this suspicion he was
2 much panied. He told Hortense that
he must not listen to the voice OF love
4 any longer and at once began to make
q preparations to go to the front.
! OF course he met with great opposi-
q ton. Hortense was sure that she
4 would never see him again and that her
! life would be blighted. He tried to
! reassure her, but In vain. However,
1 since the suspicious Of his countrymen
that he was loyal to q country he had
L never seen and Of whose language he
4 did not know word had been aroused
y his resolution was taken.
j. In order to make the separation
easier for his sweetheart he promised
to write her a letter every day that II
. would be possible for him to write
= Another thing she insisted on which
, would not likely be possible was that
J after every battle, If he came out alive
4 he telegraph her to that effect. Caspal
fully realized the crowded conditions
a Of the telegraph lines, especially i'm
mediately after battle. and that they
! were under control of the government
r but he had not the heart to make i
= known to the girl thus denying hel
!. this crumb of comfort However, no
knowing what possibilities might arise
- he drew up cipher code by which b,
might add a few endearing words o.
: information concerning himself.
1t was decided by the lovers tina
they would be married before a sep
z, aration that might last forever. Thu
- ceremony was performed privatel.
with few persons present. Within
40 week after its conclusion Caspar de
y parted for the front.
~ While Caspar's loyalty to France wa
~ not questioned by those who knew
10 him personally, his name at once ex
cited suspicion In strangers. He ha'
o. scarcely broken away from the cling
as ing Hortense and gained his regimen
ID before he began to be looked upon a
l a possible German sympathizer, thong
why he should be in the French arm
er II he was loyal to Germany was nc
1g explained Truth is that many a ma
az loyal to France or England who ha
German blood In his veins experience
IT. like suspicion.
w Caspar Joined the army as privat
ed and would have been promoted ha
1t not been for his German name. SeN
or. eral times be distinguished himsel
and, officers Immediately above hill
ut having been killed off, there were VI
ng cancies. But when it came to a que
ton of filing them and Caspar was pr
til posed his name caused his rejection.
Ri what! Lieutenant Caspar Kneiblit
ed to command Frenchmen? Impossible
ed OF course Caspar knew nothing I
al this; he only knew that when vacanci'
tn occurred he was not promoted. 1t d
he not trouble him, for his heart WI
se- with his dear Hortense, and all
W. desired was that the war should
an ended and he might return to her.
As luck would have it. Caspar -four
a friend, an operator In the milital
,ba telegraph department. One day wh'
vs he was feeling very homesick Gasp
"a went to the office and asked his friei
HE to send a dispatch for him. No figf
ing was going on at the time, and {
49, telegraph was not very busy, so {
friend told the lover that II he won
leave his message with him he wou
endeavor to smuggle 1t through
tween messages for the governmeI
Caspar left his message, which {
operator put on file without looking
1t and when a convenient time
e sending it arrived took it up for I
you purpose.