Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-17
A SCAVENGER SPY
By WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE

By WILLIAM HA A cleanly clad but somewhat shabby individual crept up upon the porch of the big bungalow of wealthy woman of a western city and pressed the but i ton. The Japanese butler opened the door. The visitor, who was a foreign CT, evidently of Italian lineage, handed In note The Jap bore it to his mis- trcss This is what it said:
 Dead Lady:
 "lhe bearer of this ncte has some thing of national importance to com municate. Kinddly talk with him.
 GIT. obt. servt. Officer 373."
 The lady, wondering, saw the man at his insistent request, saw him alone. He bore with him an imitation leather dress suit case. From this dress suit case there eminated an oder which seemed familiar at first, but which the lady could not place at once. The Italian bowed low.
 That note :" he explained "is not from Officer 373. It is a-forged My boy, he a-forged that note."
 lie went on to explain that he had adopted the forgery as his only means of getting into the house. He further explained that, though the lady had never noticed him, he, on the contrary, had noticed and admired her many, many times.
 "I-am scavenger" he said. He was growing not only suspicious, but afraid.
 Who are you," demanded the lady, in fact Scoppettone, the ash cart man who called twice week and removed her garbage by way of the rear alley. The lady had some sense of humor. or she would have frozen stiff at the idea of entertaining a scavenger.
 q have nothing to give you," she began. Scoppettone spread wide his hands.
 q have something to show you," he returned. He knelt down and fumbled with the suit case. The lady made ready to run. He opened the suit case and laid it open at her feet. The lady stared at it wonderingly. It contained the following articles: three fourths of side of bacon, half ham, two-thirds of a cooked roast of beef, and four loaves of white wheat bread, uncut.
 "Yours, Madam" he explained, Gall yours and all collected in one single day" He went on to say that he had noted that her garbage box of late had contained from time to time considerable quantities of unused food that the climax had been reached when he had discovered in one can at one time all these articles which he had brought. Four times he had applied to see her at the back door he was refused admittance by the cook.
 "Your ccok,' he said, "her name is Bertha. She is friend of Kaiser Bill" It was quite true. Underground instructions had filtered in to Bertha an old and trusted servant-to destroy all the food she could. Her [ mistress was a woman who never scrutinized bills-all she ever did was to draw a check. She didn't know even, that her butcher and her grocer : were scandalized by her persistent or ders (through Bertha) for meats and hams and wheat. Scoppettone held up finger.
 "You will say nothing to her," he went on, "you will watch-I shall watch. In time she will a-hang her. self"
 The lady offered Scoppettone five dollar bill. His eyes flashed in indig- nation. He drew himself up proudly.
 q anl-American citizen," he ex- claimed.
 The lady thought it over. Sud- denly it flashed upon her that she. was standing, not in the presence of her inferior-not in the presence of her equal. She was standing in the pres enceof one of those men who, pro- vided there were enough of them, could beat any German system of dev- iltrv ever devised. It came over her that she was standing in the presence of her superior. She bowed to him as such.
 We read every day in the American press of plots and fires, explosions and labor troubles fomented by sus' picicus agencies. Eight fires of ab viouslv incendiary orgin, destroying thousands of dollars worth of prop ertv, were reported in one days issue of the New York papers a few days aeo. The same. days papers reported that ground glass had been found in the canned staple goods at Camp Sherman.
 The American Defense Society real; izes what America is up against, and the American people are indebted tc t fer 2 degree of the safety which we enjoy. It has stamped out seditious