Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-29

Goe, foreign, to large extent ana
among these men were those In whose
minds ran the superstitious strain whicn
4 brseds faith in the occult and fortune
B ,ellers. In the hands of clever for-
tszns-telier these men might be m4de 10
taik without realizing they were giving
s,,av information TO the hidden enemy
nf America. This was the explanation
n al the presence of Baroness iheIesa =
y Verbecht in Hopewell as an arntIeSS oi
dsstinies, in the suise OF Mg" tSe myriad
r,,srhoarded shacks of Hopeweli she
5~S3Ied out the mysteries OF the in,ure
ma the well-known facts OF ine pres,
tnt with lavish hand, onps ANY n,ean by
clever questioning and sussest,o" a,sri
tha euperstitious who passsu III neN w.
SnAinr lines through the doors ol he'
euporium Of mystery. ,,or,ou beld
much of interest
n-,x for Germany Little
S..a 10 more than year
sMN-~w.ii before its site had
been unplowe
fields over wnich
-. xv,rds blew in broad sweel,N. .rhu
~ The green grasses in soft unduIatlons
nd bobbing the heads oil WIZ, ,,'ar,s
hat dotted the he,as, .,sr soon over Europe
SS~F~sii had come from the Ailles 10,
Sn,esiyes. The fields had been cS caeared
md a great Runcotton iac,u,s aroun5
IS broad stretches s,,.rs over had ,ae bobbed.
ArI about the factory sprang UP
town. or rather hall nNir L.p', Nc
fsctory, for guncotton Is tn'ns 70 w.
respected whether In the ma" VI
6 noe or in the making. r,,r
The town was a hit-and-mss ana,r,
s1y,iiitude of western towns "hlIn
sprang up overnight IN the GAYS ,oass oa soTf Of
rnshes It's streets crowoeu asn.s
slnpainted shacks, lean-tos ana .en,e
cSssr, hotels, sub-rosa gambling places
n fact. all the attributes OF the SoWn,
.s,ishry,om growth peopled with the poly
~ reputation of a manufacturins Nv
a Amer'cS. the tSst msads Madsme pe' Stephan and
Sou Lertz fleeing from fxe.er ,,rsred
SSct the plot which they InaneuNereu
"a what seemed unGuest,onan,e ueivsS sueIiSS
Nad failed, Franz Won Papeh reeeN
4 fslerram from Madame La were.
Everything o. X Sena me s'o"
nan for dangerous work
The telegram so tersely worded meant
moro than words coula cor comS 2aron.
~ Verbecht had learned az much as
,s6Saihle about the guncotton faotory,
~ orders, its guards its shipments anu
~ most vulnerable points,
80 4 week paused beforr tic baroness re-
( ecSSe6 4 reply in any form. Then one
Sfaing the tapestry curtains oL ,i, mT,
XS5S1Se-teiling parlor parted 10 adH,'
ToBe other than the sanctimonlous d. p
4G1iings Dollings had closed up ms
SGSrfsEing estabiishment in Exeter
sS11N Whist might have seemed uhaue
1 n to those unacquainted with MS rea-
a. srt.in Won Papen regrets the delay
: A. esrssplying with your telesraphed re-
-GscA" Dollinga assured the Baroness
Iho showed tendency TO be little an
GefS6 over the time lost Canada was
SSGaeing his attention to such an extent
! fkSt Ne could frd no one TO send here,
+. Sut now that have arrived ne
>9nlisd an ingratiating ss smile and 70 dad iad
little. 'T am ready for anything your
ytghneaa may suggest .x,,.
MT IL WELL" she answered brieny' we
During the week
the ring Of conspira-
Ven Lerts and tors was completed
A.aa% s.'S stephen "a sss m arrsSsp Stephan an
and Won Lertz in
.ae Richmond, upon or
5 - received from Won Papen that they
8 a. hand and ready 70 assist IN OPERA
Hon1 In case they were needed In bring
~ the plot for the destruction OF Hope
M 10 q successful climax.
Uixie Mason, returning TO her apart
nDG0f after the strenuous days OF ac-
6vjfy in Exeter. was appraised Of their
1foosncs in Richmond by the discovery
g note from Won Lertz.
~Dear Mias Mason" the note ran in
yhn Lerts's angular hand: y hope THIS
Gouthsrn trip. The madame and l are
neW In Richmond. Va. where j would
I[Ss to have you Join US as soon as pos
elbls It may be that your your eager ss, wlsn nm
~. can be granted here
.IevsIy!" commented Dixie with a
' pesr r.xoect.s xoe serp ssS nave ES she
61lPsssed the far distant agent Of Ger
na1y with an irony altogether lost.
4ass shs bounced % up with M AN, an activity Si'y
: NJ pack again. I'm on my way to Rich
Nanette appeared IN the doorway, an
es1seesion Of genuine anxiety on her er
SoSne and rest"
Dixie laughed. mo rest for me. with
f&49e German agents running around
lnSSs tSrcuEh the country, Be sure and
~ my panelphone in the bag"
0amette's eyes rolled till the whites
~ thom Gieamed. "You mean that new
teins you kin hear through the wall
that's what ] mean. but hardly
( >ns9ugh the wall Mamette. Just through
4 = 6oor or any high-sounding surface.
1<'e simply super-developed telephone
Without wires that the chief invented
4 hok seeing that this explanation was
uowhat over Mamette's head Dixie
y }tg9(psd aeruptly. "Hurray, Mamette.
64G1oo, II I can catch this train today
3 IN - in Richmond tomorrow morning !"
IN Baroness and Doilings had worked
0u< tn plan carefully for the destruc-
ttou 81 the Guncotton factory Their
what haaty. but they were characterized
" nnaiity and close attention to detail
that was typically German.
.I've been careful" the Baroness told
pollingp," 10 gain my information only
jn snafches and bits from munltion
ftheir fortunes told. The fools do not
poalise that they tell me more than
tell them and none has suspected that
ekey are being questioned. have learn
fe.en e snA' midnikSt iHs ana : o'clock In the
SSrnine. That will be the best time,
then. for you to plant your bomb. !
Win take you to point near the gun
esttcn plant and leave you 70 RisS0nr there Then IN
fssn Ven Lerts and Madame Stephan.
Rsport to me there ~ the hotel"
MI n caution gained by long ex-
Ieriencs In plotting they covered each
ste and irrnnseGf .or 10 any fbsp own sat ana
wv one morning. before the. dark
neSs and chill OF night had lifted. they
ciiipbed into an automobile ana Grove 70
~ pSint ssreee nsrone.s upon ana she drove on
|kreugh the black e q hns, the 2isht 70 report
4 sen s'' - Ths yards Of the
guncotton plant
4 Atx~~.< Il we're surrounded
k Sss4rsy A. by an underhrush
Siss' ss'ss ns.s y x ss:. &: GS:sss GSisSs
= MADE . sllEae ek~
- ssnsxsst sisls1& e,a23s: