The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-08-21
Children Cry
FOR FLETCHER'S
C a 8 TO RIA
George
Starkweather's
Mission
A Story Of Secret Service
b he WHEiRs Wds.

Tor dinner at his hotel IN Rome when
d stranger entered bis room and closed
tho dooy behind him, starkweather
hooked at bim, Indignant at this cool
ttespaasins.
sWhy DO you enter my room With
out knockhgT be asked sternly.
Because DO not Wish to be seen
entering POUR room. ! chose q moment
when there was no one b the corridor,
and II was essential that I should lose
40 time. eignor, you gre wanted at
the Quir4pal palace"
"-at the paiace%
Yes, sgdor, end am ordered to
take 200 there WITHOUT your going Pc
ing known. 40 soon a you haYe en-
Ahed your toilet 60 down and out.
You VIII ind q cab standing by Che
sidewalk Enter i and teil the cab
man % drive you 10 the Plaza De
Yenet@, BE VIII take You to the PAL
ace"
but Why this mysteryY
There ere spies watching the move
ments d every one who has any com
wunt@tion with the goYernmeut. That
- al can tell you now. You will
soop know the rest. May ! trouble you
to look out into the corridor and ad-
viae me when d is emptyS'
etafkYesthar did al requested and
presently reported that the coast was
clear The stranger vent out, and
George finished DRESSING, While doing
90 be vas wondering what this SUM-
mons 70 the kings palace rneent. tie
was al American traveller who had
gone % Italy some SIX months after
the breaking out Of the worlds waS to
eAe fog himself how things we're 60
ing. he knew no one to Rome except
an American lady who had married On
Italian who now held . portfolio In
the cabinet, But he could not see Why
this acquAintanN should cause him 30
be summoned by the king.
When Starkweatheg had finished his
toilet put % ordinary Clothes 10
stead Of evening dress-hs went to
the dining room, partook Of one course
of the table 6hote, then went ont and
got Into q cab which be found waiting
tor HIM He say there the man who
had entered bis room unbadden.
You have been 0 long while, signory|'
said he stranger IN finishing your
toilet. Hou DO not seem to hesitate to
keep hie majesty waiting"
IF tbs king calls fog has replied
George, awhep / am about to dine
either be On my stomach must wait
Since an an American citizen, not D
subject Of the king Of Italy, / DO not
feel compelled to sacrifice my stomach
to royalty"
When they reached the gates of the
palace grounds they passed In through
aues Of guards and aiighted at SIDE
entrance Of the building. starkweath-
% wes conducted to room In which
sat the king and his prime minister.
At his entrance both rose and greeted
the American In q friendly menner.
Mr.. 6tarkweather," said the prime
minister IN fatr English, "Signor Baro-
nj, whose wife Is countrywoman of
yours, has suggested you as one fitted
to carry Q message from his majesty
to France. Would you be willing to
oblige US by doing sorp
Il am at loss to know why I am
selected for such a purpose" replied
Starkweather.
You are an American, thus far a
neutral 70 this war Therefore yon
win not be 80 likely suspected Of bear
ing Q message from the Italian govern
ment. For you must know that the
central powers are watching us keeniy
to know What we are going to do and,
II we enter the war op the side Of the
allies, to know It at the earliest posi-
BILE moment. Were we 10 send an
italian or one known to be In our con
fdence It Is quite likely that the mes
sage would be stolen nom him before
be had crossed the border. we hope
By using an American who has not
been previously known 10 us to throw
the spies off the track.
IF we are neutral the allies can move
q million men they now bold TO 0p-
pose us against the central powers.
Here Is dispatch notifying the French
premier that italy VIII remain neu-
trail 1t must be delivered with the
utmost dispatch, and the central pow
ers must not know Of our policy.
you are to carry the dispatch to
Edward Brusun, who is waiting for
the kings decision IN Eueerne. He
WI instruct you as to the best means
OF reaching Paris"
II was suggested to Starkweather
that the cab In which be bad come 10
the palace would be watched on its re-
turn. and be was advised not to use it
further. y was dismissed. and that
night the messenger left the palace by |
. private exit, entered his hotel BY b |
rear door and, having thrown what |
articles he needed for his journey into
! lightweight suit case, left the house |
b the gray of the morning when no
me was about proceeded to the rail-
way station Oh the EsQuiline hill and
ook train leaving for Milan.
Il did not seem to the American that
liter SUCH precautions any one except
hose who had dispatched him could
now that be was on O mission, prob
bly, the most important to France,
o the world, that had ever left the
Italian capital He did not know the
'ower of the spy system OF the central
'owers, which In this case was oper-
TED by the Austrians The man who
40 taken him to the palace vas
ladowedy and Starkweathers move.
tents from the moment he left his
Otel to go there were known to those
no We're intrusted to report to Vienna
'efY movement Of the Italian RoY- |