The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-01-08
Curiosity Aroused by Actions Of
Foreign Gentleman on Aber-
deem Express.
DOES SOME SWIFT Thinking
Looking Stupid Is Her Speciality, and
When Officers Grab the Spy He
Looks at Old Lady
and Signs.


long time comes from a medical off
Ger, one Of the big guns Of his corp
and profession. It Is all about til
Aberdeen Express, one Of the world
quickest long-distance runs. You leav,
London after the theater, go to be-
In the train, have a cup Of tea in bet
at Edinburgh, and breakfast in Aber
deem, 900 miles from town. North
ward from Edinburgh there are stop.
a while on the Forth bridge, from
whence you look down onto the decks
Of first-class battleships, and at Dun
dee, and Montrose.
The old lady boarded the train al
Edinburgh and the porter showed he1
into a non-smoking compartment OF
the day coach. The other passenger
was a foreign gentleman-of what ma
| tionality it would be hard to say, but
| foreign. AS to the lady, she seemed
harmless old thing some fifty-three
years of age. The point is that one
of the two was really a German spy,
and anyone's first suspicion would
point to the old lady. She owned up
frankly that she enjoyed a gossip, and
found the foreign gentleman quite a
good fellow. AS to his nationality,
the accent gave no clue. She pumped
him perseveringly.
A few stops from Edinburgh the
train stopped on the Forth bridge.
From the trains one looks down upon
a naval base of first-rate consequence.
A spy, making rapid summary of the
capital ships in full view, might pick
up important information.
The foreign gentleman stood up,
filling the window, shutting out the
view, and annoyed the old lady, who
also wanted to have a look. More
over, she saw him go through a long
fumbling procedure which puzzled her
extremely. What on earth was he up
to? The only thing she saw was the
last swift movement which emptied
the bulgy part of his overcoat And
she caught the glimpse of wing. Now
the whole thing was clear; there must
have been a message scrubbed rapidly,
folded and made fast and then sud.
den release Of a carrier pigeon.
The Old Lady's Speciality.
And then the foreigner flashed
round to see if the lady had noticed
No, evidently not. She
looked vacant, nodding and half
asleep.
II looked stupid" she said after
ward, "but that's my speciality"
She must have done some very swift |
before he had time to turn
round. Her first impulse was to run
Or rouse the first soldier she saw. But
then the foreigner would see by her
first movement he was in danger, and
she did not want to be strangled,
thrown out Of the window, and
in the Forth estuary. She be-
zane affable, wondering what had de-
aged the train so long. He expressed
noble sentiments concerning the allies
md contempt for Germany.
But as the train pulled into Dundee
he old lady expressed her conviction
hat the morning papers would be for
ale by this time at the bookstalls. She
cit that little run on the platform
would ease her limbs after the cramped
impairment. She would buy paper
or the foreign gentleman also.
Halfway to the bookstall she met
porter. 1t would be natural to ask
i'm how long the train stopped.
''Don't be seen speaking" she said,
S she passed the porter. "There's +
py in my carriage. Send the station
laster to me at the bookstall."
When the station master came be-
ind the lady spoke into an open news
aper just as though she were reading
loud. "Don't be seen speaking with
e,' she said. "There's a spy in my
lrriage. The train stops at Mont
,se next, Ell? Well, wire Mont
,se I" +
She paid for her bundle of papers
Id walked back to the carriage.
The spy seemed unsuspicious, sit
ng where she had left him, much :
,liged for the newspaper. The F
ucky old lady sat opposite to her
" and entertained him until they
ached Montrose.
No Stranger.
Then came to their compartment
'itish officer with an armed guard =
d a detective, who greeted the spy F
once like a long-lost brother.
''Why," said he, Give been searching
r you for months"
The spy looked out through the
ndow eastward and saw an armed
ntry waiting on the metals in case
attempted escape. Then he looked =
the Iady-the artful old lady-and -
he'd.
Later the old lady received an Off
i communication of warm congratu- =
ion on her patriotism, courage and
n intelligence, begging her to ac- =
IT the Enclosure, memento Of a fine F(
I'd done for her country.