Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-05-01

a cigar. He had listened to several
pieces from the orchestra when a cou.
pie entered and took seat at q neigh
boring table.
The man looked like a German or
an Austrian; the woman was dark
complexioned and appeared to be
French. At any rate, she spoke French
to the man, whose accent was Teuton-
&c. She seemed very Ill at ease.
Presently the man arose from the
table and went to the cashiers desk.
he had no sooner left the woman than
she leaned toward Starkweather and
said:
Monsieur, are you French?
mo, madame; am an American"
Il am French and am trying to get
to France. This man is trying to head
me OF. For heavens sake, help me-"
The woman's companion at this mo-
ment turned and, seeing her thus speak
Ing to Starkweather, glared at him,
returned at once to her, and together
they left the kursaal.
An American gentleman is nothing
If not defender Of woman. Stark
weather longed to assist this one, but
did not know how to go about it. Be-
sides, he considered the responsibility
he had assumed in bearing the king Of
1taly's message quite enough for him
to attend to without getting into trou-
bic with Teuton who was tyrannizing
over lady. He therefore resisted
an impulse to follow the couple and
endeavor to afford the poor woman
another chance to communicate with
him. He sat where he was till he had
finished his cigar and his wine, then
returned to his hotel and went to bed
The next morning at the railway STA
ton one of the uniformed attendants
who carry hand baggage for travellers
snatched at Starkweather's suit case
and wrenched it from his hand. The
American, who was something of an
athlete, sent the man sprawling with
his fist. A crowd was collecting when
Starkweather jumped on the train,
which was moving out. He had not
carried his dispatch in the case, but
the incident warned him that wherever
it was it was in danger. Looking out
of the coach window, he saw the man
he had knocked down running after
the train. But he had been bruised.
and the train had achieved a good
Roadway, so he was unable to catch it.
AS soon as Starkweather had become
composed after his fracas he looked
about him, and there sitting in a seat
at the other end of the compartment
was the woman who had appealed to
him at the kursaal the previous even
Ing. She smiled at him, and he took
a seat beside her. She told him that
she had succeeded in GLIDING her per.
secutor and had reached the station
and boarded the train.
During the day the train sped
through valley in which dashed a
stream. Early in the afternoon the
famous St. Gothard tunnel was reach
ed, to pass through which some fifteen
minutes are consumed. Starkweather
conversed with the lady, who informed
him that she was on secret service for
the French government When tho
tunnel was reached Starkweather was
surprised to notice that the lamp in
the top of the car was not lighted.
Why it was not he could not explain
till after having passed through the
tunnel, and even then he did not know
how the failure to light it had been
accomplished.
When the train entered the tunnel
Starkweather was sitting in his own
seat at some distance from the lady.
Being plunged in total darkness, he
naturally placed his hand on his dis
patch, which was in the left side coat
pocket, directly over the heart. The
train had not been in the tunnel min
ute when he felt pair of viselike
arms about his chest, pinioning both
his own arms. Then he was held by
one arm of his assailant while the 9th
er hand was thrust under his coat and
grasped his hand which held the dis
patch.
1t was Greek meet Greek. Stark
Weather's grip was of iron, and his ad
Versary's was of steel. But Stark
weather had the advantage of holding
the dispatch, though he was not in
training for such an encounter. His
opponent finally clutched his throat.
Starkweather before leaving his no.
tel had picked up stiletto he had
bought for a curio and hung it, Amer
lean plains fashion, to the back of his
neck. He just had time before losing
consciousness to free one arm, draw
the stiletto and stab in the dark.
When the train shot out into the
light, revived by fresh air he saw the
woman who had appealed to him for
protection lying on the floor in q pool
Of blood. But her disordered apparel
showed under it the clothes Of man.
Starkweather climbed out of the VIM
dow on to the footboard, and as the
train slowed up at the station near the
mouth of the tunnel he jumped down
on terra firma aud ran like deer.
At the time the world wondered why
France took away her troops from the
Italian frontier, sent them against the
Germans and saved Paris. Now it is
known that the prime minister of
France received the message of the
king Of Italy at midnight and at once
set free the troops held on the Italian
border.
The Primo Problem.
did you ever consider that old prob