The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 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.

DtS Spy oAoiJ III u
long time comes from a medical off,
Ger, n of the big guns of his corps
and profession. IL is all about the
Aberdeen Express, one of the worlds
quickest long-distance runs. You leave
London after the theater, go to bed
In the train, have a cup of tea In bed
at Edinburgh, and breakfast In Aber-
deem, 600 miles from town. North
ward from Edinburgh there are stops
q 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 at
Edinburgh and the porter showed her
into a non-smoking compartment of
the day coach. The other passenger
vas a foreign gentleman-of what Ia
tionality 1t would be hard to say, but
foreign. AS to the lady, she seemed
a 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
Boiut W tAAU oAd Adhy. ShC ~ W.
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
tor The only thing she saw was the
last swift movement which emptied
the bulgy part Of his overcoat. And
she caught the glimpse of a 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 IL the lady had noticed
anything. No. evidently not. She
looked vacant, nodding and halt
asleep.
81 looked stupid" she said after
ward, "but that's my speciality"
She must have done some very swift
thinking before he had time to turf
round. Her first impulse was to rur
along the corridor and find the guart
or rouse the first soldier she saw. Blu
then the foreigner would see by hel
first movement he was In danger, ant
she did not want to be strangled
thrown out Of the window, ant
drowned In the Forth estuary. She be
came affable, wondering what had de
layed the train so long. He expressed
noble sentiments concerning the allie.
and contempt for Germany.
But as the train pulled into Dunde'
the old lady expressed her convictioI
that the morning papers would be TO
sale by this time at the bookstalls. Sh'
felt that q little run on the platform
would ease her limbs after the crampe,
compartment. She would buy a pape
for the foreign gentleman also.
Halfway to the bookstall she me
a porter. It would be natural to asl
him how long the train stopped.
"Don't be seen speaking" she said
as she passed the porter. there's
spy in my carriage. Send the station
master to me at the bookstall."
When the station master came be
hind the lady spoke into an open news
paper Just as though she were readin
aloud. "Don't be seen speaking wit
me-" she said. "There's a spy In m
carriage. The train stops at Mont
rose next, chr Well, wire Mont
rose"
She paid for her bundle of paper
and walked back to the carriage.
The spy seemed u~nsuspicious, sill
ting where she had left him, niue
obliged for the newspaper. tn
plucky old lady sat opposite to he
spy and entertained him until the
reached Montrose.
No Stranger.
Then came to their compartment
British officer with an armed guar
and q detective, who greeted the sp
at once like q long-lost brother.
"why." said he, "Tve been searchin
for you for months"
The spy looked out through tn
window eastward and saw an arme
sentry waiting on the metals in cas-
he attempted escape. Then he locke
at the lady-the artful old lady-an
sighed.
Later the old lady received an OF
clal communication Of warm congrat,
lation ON her patriotism, courage an
high intelligence, begging her to a.
cept the Enclosure, memento of q fin
deed done for her country.