Evening star., 1927-10-16

that the only vacant seats were those
at our table she came toward us
without the slightest embarrassment,
and. with a disarming smile asked;
LAS there are two vacant chairs here
will the French secret service agents
| allow us TO Use Them"
I was already standing up.
I What" I countered, would one
| not do to please Miss Irma Staub?'
| Under her rouge. saw her turn
pale. My point had gone home.
| What" she answered, you recog-
nize me, you know who I amp"
How could it be otherwise? Are
you not both the prettiest woman in
Bern and the inspiration of NJ. Won
x, who sees only through your
beautiful eyes?"
| She gave way to laugh, then said
with a smirk,
II see that the French are always
gallant and that race hatred burns out
| when It comes against /. the power
of woman"
Don't be too sure" laashingly
answered. There are times when I
am really ferocious."
She looked straight at me for some
moments. then tossing her head as
though unconvinced:
wen find out, all right"
After that we bowed once more and
! continued our meal without paying
any attention TO one another--out-
| wardly. But while Irma Staub and
| her friend spoke only French my COM
panion and l used German.
| This is but one of a thousand ex-
pies Of the audaciousness with which
/ this extraordinary woman would throw
herself into the struggle. In addition,
she was extremely intelligent. she
spoke eight languages and knew her
trade from the bottom up. She could
\ undertake any mission at all. More
| overland this is extremely rare--she
acted from patriotism and not from
self-interest. That necessarily made
her much more to be feared. At times
an agent who acts from self-interest
may be bought: conscience can
never be bought.
| Many times have had Irma Staub
as my antagonist. And If most of the
| time I was able to counteract her
| deeds-which made her furious-I
must admit, without false pride. that
| 1t was largely matter Of chance that
| was able to do so.
u a*
| Il W. Oh my COHedEueS were working
- in conjunction with some Italian
agents in a district where a band of
men was trying to smuggle some spe-
| cially prepared explosives into Italy,
| with the intention Of blowing up some
of the powerful factories near Genoa.
| One morning was informed that
Irna Staub's autemobile--a beautiful
| Mercedes--had been sighted at Tesse-
rete, heading for Lugafo.
| / had found out from some German
agents who had fallen into. our hands
that the famous spy had just been told
to get some Information about our air
| force. at the time worrying the enemy
| considerably. Moreover, from other
sources had discovered that a num-
ber of paroled French officers who had
got into a very bad condition in the
German jails had just been sent to
Lugano to recuperate. Among these
officers were several wen known avia-
| tors.
| Consequently. asked myself wheth-
er this trip of Irma Staub to Lugano
III had meanwhile learned that under
the name of Baroness d'Aspremont
she had reserved an apartment at the
Helvetia Palace Hotel-had any con-
nection with the presence of these off,
GERS at Lugano. I left that evening.
Next day I, too. was registered at
the Helvetia. I was disguised as a re-
tired major, as equity as one could
| wish. I went down TO the hotel bar.