Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-11-09
- George
Starkweather's
Mission
Il Sssey Of Secret Service
h tho Works. War.
By F. A. Mitchell

~ r. a. M1lCk1EL
t0hazge Starkweather was dressing
fu dinner At his h.tel IN Rome when
e shapssr entcaed his room and closed
lAe door behind him. Starkweathel
1esaea at him, indignant at this cool
6eaDaasing.
why do you enter my room with
pu1 kaocking?' he asked sternly.
'4eeanse ! do not wish to be seen
entering your room. chose moment
WHOM there was no one In the corridor
and 1t vas essential that should lose
ia time. Signor. you are wanted at
tne QxEtnal palace"
"l-at the palacey
Yes. signor, and I am ordered to
take yen there without your going be
{ng hDown. As soon as you have I'm
1s.,ed your toilet 60 down and out.
iFos win find a cab standing by the
adswan. Enter it and tell the cab
Saan 20 drive you to the Plaza de
Nenetia. He win take you to the pal
ae>."
~Ds& Why this mystery7"
S1bere are spies watching the move
DeDts Of every one who has any COM
1s1njcat3on with the government. That
Il an ! can tell you now. You will
&oa0 know the rest. May I trouble you
d )ooA out into the corridor and ad-
vine mo when It is emptyY
6tarkweather did a. requested and
presently reported that the coast was
t)gay. The stranger went out, and
aess9e finished dressing. While doing
- he was wondering what this sum-
&aeEo to the kings palace meant. He
NVaD N American traveller who had
zone % Italy some six months after
the breaking out Of tho worlds war to
Hee for himself how things were 60
Rg. He knew no one In Rome except
Ia American lady who had married an
1ta1lan who now held a portfolio in
the cabinet. But he could not see why
this acquaintance should cause him to
he summoned by the king.
When StarkWeather had finished his
&o0et-Ae put on ordinary clothes In
stead Of evening dress-he went to
the dining room, partook Of one course
Of the table d'hote, then went out and
Got into q cab which he found waiting
3or him. He saw there the man who
had entered his room unbidden.
"Yeu have been a long while, signor,"
eo6 the stranger, lin finishing your
toilet. You do not seem to hesitate to
Keep hs majesty waiting"
III the king calls for me-" replied
eCeo1ge, when l am about to dine
either be or. my stomach must wait.
einee ] am IN American citizen, not q
aub5eet Of the king Of Italy. do not
Tel compelled to sacrifice my stomach
- Doyslty.'
When they reached the gates Of tho
pohce grounds they passed in through
lses Of guards and alighted at side
Entrance Of the building. Starkweath-
q wan conducted to a room in which
Mt lhe king and his prime minister.
AZ hs entan both rose and greeted
~ American in a friendly manner.
slIv. starkweather," said the prime
minister in fair English, 'signor Baro-
~ whose wife is a countrywoman Of
JoWA has suggested you as one fitted
u carry a message from his majesty
q France. Would you be willing to
ah,igs us by doing so7''
II am at q loss to know why I am
aalected for such a purpose" replied
Gtarkweather.
"You are an American, thus far q
neutral in this war. Therefore you
VIII not be so likely suspected Of bear
Ing message from the Italian govern
Dent. For You must know that the
central powers are watching US keenly
10 know what we are going to do and,
4 we enter the war on the side of the
allies, to know 1t at the earliest posi-
be moment. Were we to send an
1ealian or one known to be in our con-
1deRce it is quite likely that the mes
page would be stolen from him before
he had crossed the border. We hope
BY using an American who has not
1een previously known to US to throw
no spies of the track.
IL We are neutral the allies can move
I million men they now hold to op-
pose rs against the central powers.
Here is dispatch notifying the French
premier that Italy will remain neu-
oksl h must be delivered with the
etnnost dispatch, and the central pow
aRq must not know Of our policy.
-r1au are to carry the dispatch to
Dd1a1d Bruson, who is waiting for
Ne kings decision In Lucerne. He
vu Instruct you 40 to tho best means
q 1taehing Paris" \
i was suggested to starkweather
leElae the cab In which he had come to
~ paAce would be watched on its r.
)ufn, and he was advised not to use It
DWther. It was dismissed, and that
hight the messenger left the palace by
! private exit, entered his hotel by q
DetaF door and, having thrown what