Evening star., 1922-04-16

| matter to negotiate, because IL
went to Essen or to Berlin and put
my proposal before her she might.
as likely as not, turn around and be-
tray me to the German authorities.
| l confess that during the next few
days walked the boulevards in great
uncertainty. I was about to tread
upon very thin ice. At the Quai dor
say they were begging me to carry
the thing farther. France was fran
| tically anxious at that moment to
know what war preparations were be-
! ing made by the junkers. In Eng
land they pooh-poohed the whole idea
that war was coming. Never in our
time." the government had assured
the people. for the British cabinet
had. thinks to certain irresponsible
politicians at whose door lies today
the lives of millions. given we'll
mixed dope to the nation.
| It was only in August, 1914. that
the effect of the dope ended and the
world rubbed its eyes. turned over
sleepily. and found itself at war. But
the Baroness Leopoldine was one of
those who knew Germany's innermost
secrets-those of the long-thought-
out gun. the big Bertha" which was
to hurl its great shell 30 many miles
distant upon Paris.
| The Quai d'Orsay worried me daily
to go to Essen, but I had had much
experience in secret service work, so
I went to London instead.
| Once more I was on the point OF
learning secrets. took up my abode
at my club, the Devonshire. and led
the life of a man about town. You
may probably wonder why. Well, I
had method. I felt that it was possi-
BILE the baroness might be just as in
quisitive concerning myself as I had
been concerning her. When one does
secret work ono has to have ones
eyes skinned.
| Pion came over from Paris one day
with a personal message from the
director of tho French secret service.
He told me that the baroness was at
home in Essen. Would I return to
Paris and arrange what offer France
should make to the clever woman
who was in the carefully guarded Sc
cret of Krupps?
| Three days later I crossed to Paris
and heard the suggestions. and
! week after travelled across the FROM
! tier to Essen. Dick had gone on to
Copenhagen. where he had some busi-
ness, and he had bestowed upon me
his blessing. saying:
| Billy, you've got a real fine thing
here for your people il you only work
1t cute"
| It was many weeks since had met
the handsome Leopoldine, and when 1
entered the hotel Rheinischer Hof. at
the corner of the pleasant Berta-
Kruppstrasse. opposite the gardens, 1
experienced a strange feeling Of de-
preston. Everyone, from the con-
cierge to the fat woman reception
clerk. seemed to view me with sus-
ipicion. I have often noticed that In
hotels. Ones bed so often costs one
hard thinking.
! Il r 4 +
A S an uninterested traveller. I re.
a mained in Essen for four days. In
those days I went out to see the re.
mains of the Benedictine Abbey al
Werden. and out to Dusseldorf, Steele
and Kray. in pretence of enjoying my.
self, my object being to disguise the
reason had entered the Krupp town
Krupp's secrets were the most jeal.
ously guarded in all the world. And
knew that in order to approach my
; friend. the dark-eyed baroness, I hat
to exercise the greatest precautior
. and to take big risks
A fortnight after 1 had arrived ir
Essen-I was utterly tired to death o.
the awful place. with its factory dir
/ = h.
J Rheinischer Hof and then drove in 6
: taxi to call upon the baroness.
The house was a large and impos
ing one. At the door a neat German
maid, in beautifully embroidered
apon, met me. Yes, the baroness wa.
at home
was shown into an elegant little
salon, and a few moments later tn,
baroness, plainly dressed, entered ant
greeted me warmly.
"Ah, m'sieur" she exclaimed, "st
you have really kept your promise t
come and see me. after all, eh?'
yes" 1 replied. II happened tt
have some business in Dusseldorf, Sc
came over for a few days, In tht
hope of resuming our pleasant ac.
; quaintance."
Excellent! And your American
, friend-where IS hep
I'm Copenhagen. He has some
financial matters there. think"
She made me take tea with her, anG
was time to go.
81 dare say you do not like oul
town, eh? The people. nearly a hun
dred thousand, work in the gun fac
tory" she said. Il would take yor
in to see the place-it is most inter.
esting-but you are a foreigner, an6
only Germans are allowed inside
Count Won Stubel, my principal. !.
very strict"
"Yes. I would like to see some OF
the Krupp's wonders said. But
can quite understand that their Sc.
: crets are we'll guarded"
"Ah, m'sieur, there are too many
spies about here. They arrested three
only last week-an Englishman ant
two Frenchmen. They will get ter
years in a fortress-all three OF
them"
II suppose, baroness. you believe
: like lots of other people, that wal
, must Gomez" asked.
"Of course! And the Germans will
win. We cannot help winning" she
said seriously. "Ah, IL Europe knew
what was going on yonder" And sht
indicated the great Krupp works
'"rhe wonderful guns that are being
made-guns to carry hundred
miles"
yet three-quarters Of the people
: Of Europe say that war will never bs