The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-16
His Fool Wife
By ELINOR MARSH
By ELINOR MARSH

copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union. }
"AIr. Winters" said the secretary. IL
wish you 10 go to London with an inn
portant dispatch. You are aware that
we are surrounded by spys In the EN-
ploy of the Central Powers. / do not
doubt that we have them right here
employed In this department. We
can't use the cable, even with the best
A plan. Indeed, what l wish to com
municate TO our allies abroad must be
carried by some person we can trust"
The secretary handed Mr.. Winters a
dozen pages of manuscript containing
Information as to how many troops the
United States could send to France by
given date and many other matters
OF equal Importance. II was written
| In the secretary's own hafid-he would
trust no one-and placed In an official
envelope of the state department, but
| unsealed.
II recommend you" continued the
secretary, ito refrain from using the
official envelope till you reach your
destination. As TO how you will carry
the dispatch, that leave to you"
John Winters went home and after
telling his wife of the important trust
that had been committed to him and
what a successful transmission would
bring him and her, directed to pack
suit case, the only baggage he in
tended to take with him. The dis
patch he gave her to place in the suit
case. When he was ready to depart
he examined the case.
"Why, my dear" he exclaimed test
lily, you have placed it in the official
envelope" He took 1t up to remove
ii and found that she. had sealed the |
envelope. He was about to tear 1t /,
open when she stopped him.
81 am sorry, dear, but what is done
is done. There isn't time now, but
when you get aboard the ship, steam
the envelope and open 1t without des-
troylng it. Then you can use 1t as in
structed."
IF there is any man in the world"
said Winters with much irritation "as
stupid asa woman I'd like to meet
him. But / can't stop to do the job
now"
That night he boarded the ship at
a late hour, went TO his stateroom,
locked himself in and turned into his
berth first taking look at the pack
age and when the ship sailed at mid
night. he was fast asleep.
On awakening in the morning his
first thought was of the dispatch. He
got out of bed dreading lest some one
had entered his state room In the night
and carried 1t off. Leaving his berth
he opened the suit case to assure him I
self that the dispatch was still there. |
1t was where 1t had been placed adj :
dressed, and bearing on the left hand +
corner the imprint of the state depart :
ment of the United States. He got /,
back into his berth and ringing for the
room steward called for hot water. :
The steward, who spoke with foreign
accent, brought the water. catching a :
glimpse, as he handed 1t in, of the .
package in the open suit case. As q
soon as he had gone Winters arose and t
iNih thV iaNhhAt oNNi tHN iDL Muttls
Il believe the cussed thing is glued" 5
he growled, after steaming the pack E
lge till the water grew cold. "Well,
III dress and go to breakfast and after :,
breakfast I'll try it again." a,
Winters after having dressed and a,
'reakfasted, tipped the head waiter to @
urnish him with an alcohol lamp by it
which he could heat water In his room. m
returning with this he placed it on a 81
able, and open his suit case. =, 4,
His heart jumped up into his throat -
he package was gone. u
He wasted no time In lamentation. hi
lie went to the captain. told his story Al
nd every man on board was searched. to
$ well as every Granny of the ship.
he missing package was found in an M
Id boot belonging TO the steward who ~
ad brought the hot water to Winters ~
ateroom. The man was put In the 10
lips brig and Winters joyfully took su
lie package TO his room. Then he tie,
astily tore off the envelope to assure ga
mself that the document had not 30
zen tempered with. IL
Again he was doomed to horrible en
scovery. The envelope contained ~
,thing but blank paper The thief, ale