South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-22

T It's most intimate friend would scarcely
II have recognized Captain Verril, at
tached to the Intelligence Department
His dress. to say the least was peculiar for
officer In His Majestys Army In his rough
tweed suit he looked more like farmer or
dealer than officer All the smartness had
gone out OF his bearing He slOuched lszly
along. and no could tell that those shout
ders had ever been drilled.
Just az the present moment Captain Verriu
cnanced 10 be In Holland bargaining for pota-
-oes for the English market His search for
cheap potatoes had taken him close to the
German frontier and there in little railway
station waiting room he CHANGED TO have an
Interview with an aggressive Teuton who had
come 10 buy potatoes for Germany The inter.
view was decidedly a stormy one: but before
It began the German had passed list OF ad-
dresses 70 the captain and had received in turn
a bundle OF bsnknotes. Then the German
burst into violent denunciations OF England and
the accursed English. So loud was the quarrel
that II brought the Dutch sentry on guard al
the station 10 the waiting room. He sa the
Engishman and the German shaking their
nsis at each other and stalked between them
10 prevent violence. The two parted breath
Ing out threatenings against each other.
I came here 10 buy potatoes" said Captain
Verrill 10 the station master, who understood
a little English. and that damn German came
telling the tale OF what Germany would do
10 England I'd have knocked his head of II
that blessed soldier hadn't interfered"
We are neutral" said the station master
Not that We do not wish you well but we do
not desire trouble. We are too near You
understand. Co. buy your potatoes, but let us
have peace here
"T'll leave him alone II he'll leave me alone"
grunted the captain surIiy
Curiously enough, the captain completed his
bargaining in time to catch the next train 10
Rotterdam an hour later. In the train he care
fully committed a list OF addresses 10 memory
and then tore IL up. Now he held firmly in his
mind the localities OF the German SPY centres
I'm London the angry German had sold his
country's secret for thousand pounds The
information far too important to be
trusted to the cable or to letter He had mis-
doubts about the Dutch postal and cable au-
thorties. Not that officially they would do
the least thing to violate neutrality, but that
German gold might bribe some subord nate
official 20 betray his trust.
lie had iust time when he reached Rotterdam
10 get the Harwich boat He felt that his Jour
ney had been most successful. He only wished
that he had time before the steamer sailed to
leave a duplicate of hts information at the
British Consulate. Still. that would have meant
missing the steamer and days delay. After
all. such invaluable information must not be
delayed. His only fear was lest the steamer
should be mined OF torpedoed However. as
the voyage went on he grew confident Soon
they were clear Of the zone where mines and
submarines might be expected. British de-
stroyer dashed alongside and threw its search
light upon them. Then he felt in safety and
fell asleep in the saloon till the boat an
preached HarwiCh.
When he awOke the boat was going dead
slow through thick mist. He looked at
his watch and felt annoyed. Even il he caught
the boat train he could not be in Whitehall till
midnight. Nothing could be done that night