The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-01

No. one passing with the crowds
that thronged Fifth avenue at all
hours would have singled out the
great stone house that stood flush
with the sidewalk near Fifty second
st. It's great doors with their outer
gates of iron bars were thanked on
each side by anernic box trees which
bravely struggled for a living amid
the dust and CRIME Of the city. It's
closely curtained windows presented
an impression of cold aloofness. To
the passerby there fas nothing to
Indicate that it's air of ancient re-
spectability was not assumed. Its
door swung into an entrance hall
whose gloomy grandeur was lighted
by the subdued light Of wall brack-
cts with colored shades. Broad stairs
led to the upper floors At one side
Of the hall beautifully panelIed oak
doors opened into long room, whose
wall, hung with tapestry and great
paintings, aud giant fireplace gave
to the interior an air Of baronial
spIendor
Amid this quiet luxury and dis
play of royal grandeur the German
government had established its head
quarters for the system Of espionage
it has introduced into a peaceful
country. This room was the meet
ing place of the chief agents Of the
German government. To it came Won
LertZ of the susceptible heart, most
recently lost to Dixie Mason; here
came Boy-Ed and Won Papen, Won
Rintelen Of the many DISCUSSES and
Bernstorff, the German ambassador,
for conferences with DR.. Albert, pay
master for the kaiser's spy army in
America. And that their movements
might be directed with greatest Sc
ccrecy and expediency wireless mes
sages were received here direct from
Nauen, Germany, through the huge
antennae which could be stretched
upward from the chimney Of the
house and through the great detec-
tors concealed behind the massive
oil paintings adjoining the walls.
The room was quiet save for the
continuous shuttle Of papers slipping
into neat piles under the quick hands
of DR.. Albert and the cracking Of
the log in the fireplace, now almost
smoldering into ashes. He laid the
reports from spies in all parts Of the
country into one pile. The most i'm
portant Of these were carried in the
brown portfolio which lay on the
table and which he kept continually
in his possession.
p
Captain Franz Won Papen, suggest
Ing that the shipment of liquid chic
rine which had been ordered by the
allies be stopped by blowing up the
factories in which 1t was being man
ufactured. Thus the Germans would
be given a, new advantage in the field
by an absolute monopoly Of this gas.
This report was followed by another
from the same source calling the doc
tors attention to the possibility of
obtaining the patents Of the Wright
aeroplane by trickery, cheating the
Wright brothers out of the results of
years Of labor, and cornering the
aeroplane market in America. A
quietly personal letter from Won Rim
telen advising him of the various
aliases and describing the DISCUSSES
under which he intended to travel for
the next few weeks; documents re-
garding the embargo conference, with
it's membership of misguided Amer
deans, conceived and designed to bring
political influence to bear upon the
munitions industry. thus enabling
Germany to obtain all the arms it
needed and the allies none; letters
and reports on crop conditions, tele-
grams suggesting means by which
Germany could handle the various
blind the administration and yet COM
NIT murder on the high seas; plans
for buying newspapers and the dis
semination, Of spy propaganda pros
pectuses, planes and other matters of
Importance which came daily to the
hands of this mysterious, seemingly
Rll-seeing financial agent Of the Ger
man government, were slipped into
the brown portfolio.
The Unannouneed Visitor.
He started suddenly as the PAN
nelled doors creaked open to admit.
a visitor. His piercing eyes turned
to a person advancing toward him
jauntily, but with an air OF familiar
ity that was disarming. In a moment
the look of alarm on Albert's face
changed to one of relief as he rec
ognized his visitor and nodded curt
~.
All Won Rintelen, glad to see you.
In the future kindly have yourself
announced"
AS what? Would it make it any
easier to have Smith, or Gates or
LevinslSy or some such parsonage an
nounced? Would it make this place
easier Of access to me?" Won Rim
telen swung his cain over the back
of chair, hung his hat over the same
DISCS Oh furniture ana StoOQ rolling
his immaculate channels gloves from
his hands. This done. with a. care
and precision that seemed to make
each movement a ceremony, he re-
moved the brown Van Dyke beard
that had adorned, his countenance,
and stood revealed-to his confrere in
his true parsonage. Stepping to Al
bert's side he said in lowered tones.
You say you are glad to see me;
you may feel differently when I tell
you the news / bring"
Albert turned quickly.
Good or bad? 2"
Bad" answered Rintelen. He
reached into his pocket and brought
out a slip of paper, unfolding it as
he held 1t for Albert to read
DR. Albert glanced over it, then
& A L.