The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-08

my errand Will just take a. moment
II you will remember, some time agt
you asked us to allow you 70 SCI
any checks that Franz Won Paper
issued on our bank. Here is one tina
think will interest YOU" He slip
ped a check from his pocket anC
handed it to Grant.
ITO J. S. Slakberg," Grand read
Five thousand dollars!"'
There's your Slakberg again." OBJ,
served Cavanaugh.
YES" said Grant slowly studying
the endorsement Of the check. Nov
I've got him. Or at least his writing
He's the same merry little forger W.
trailed all the way from Chicago tt
Berlin on the Weymouth case-anC
then they refused extradition. Can
a taxi. I'm going to the A. T. r
| plant"
Work at the A. T. R. Munitior
plant was booming. Slakberg hac
cause for satisfaction as he stood IL
the doorway Of one Of the shell load.
ing rooms watching the trucks load
ed with shells rumbling past. AnC
the room was filled with the rumble
and roar of activity as men and wom-
en- worked at high speed, pitiably ig-
norant that they were laboring ir
| II
| ing, conniving, treacherous Germany
AS a rack of shells clattered past
him, Slackberg's thin lips curled back
in a smile of satisfaction. "Pool fools,
he muttered they think they are
working for France" He rubbed his
hands and turned away, But for
Germany-and they don't know it."
Preparations For Destroying NUM-
tions Plant.
He crossed the factory yard to the
powerhouse and entered it's semi
darkness, peering about. No one was
in sight but at his low whistle a fige
ure emerged from behind a dim hulk
Of machinery and came toward him
It was the chief electrician.
Slakberg bent toward him with a
leer. 'How's the safety CONTINUANCE
working?'' he asked. The electrician
stared at him moment and then
laughed.
"Oh you meant the sparker-to
blow up the plant?'
Careful" warned Slakberg, land
only If necessary, always remember
that, only if necessary"
Certainly, know that, only If nee
essary," the electrician repeated as
though the words were part of q les
son he had been compelled to mem
oriZe. LAS long as we can keep the
plant running along the lines it is
running now, everything is fine
that's right isn't it?"
quite right, but If anything hap
pens, any trouble blows up and Won
Papen says the plant must, we must
be prepared"
you can count on me-" The cleo
trician held out an instrument re-
sembling the spark plug Of an auto
mobile. This is all We need. I've
connected a dead wire in the loading
room to this switch. If the plant is
to be blown up, all that will be nee
essary will be for me to put this
plug in a light socket in that room,
then come back here and throw the
switch. The minute the switch is
thrown q streak Of fire will shoot out
the explosive dust with which the
room is filled. The factory will be
blown to pieces"
Slakberg smiled appreciatively. A
moment later he left the power house.
The building in which were the Of
fices stood some distance from the
factory He followed the gravelIed
pathway to his office and there after
closing the door carefully, went to the
safe and pulled out roll Of blue
prints. They were the specifications
for the shells now being turned out
by the factory. To him they meant
the destruction perhaps Of the French
army. He started nervously from. his
revery as an office boy entered.
''Mr. Slakberg, Mr.. Marquis wants
to see you and says for you to bring
the plans"
Slakberg picked up the plans and
followed the boy slowly out. The re-
quest was little unusual and q shad-
ow of fear crossed his face as he
entered the office Of the, president.
A moment later he was looking into
the inQuiring eyes Of Harrison Grant
and the fear had returned to his face
to stay. Grants steely eyes stared
into the shifty eyes below him seek
ing to evade his look. do not trou-
Bile to introduce U.S." Grant said slow
ly to Mr.. Marquis who had risen, II
think Mr.. Slakberg and have met
before. In case he does not remem-
Der the occasion will seek to call
1t to his memory later. Just now,
I would like these plans
i'm the name of the secret service. |
Slakberg seemed to shrfvel up be-
fore him. An ashy pallor swept his
face. He tried to smile jauntily but
the pitiable effort was distorted into
a snarl 1
The sudden CONFUSION movement |
with which he gripped the plans with |
the evident intention Of destroying
them was thwarted as Grant caught |
his wrist in a paralyzing grip and re-
moved them from his limp hand.
'Thank you, Mr.. Slakberg," he re-
marked calmly. Perhaps you can
explain few little points about these |
plans to Mr. Marquis and myself AS
I understand it these plans were
drawn in Paris 2"
''Yes-yes, of course" S1akberg
somewhat weakly
"And naturally they have been in