THE KAISER'S SECRET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16169, 4 March 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE KAISER'S SECRET.

BY CURTIS HOPE AND ARNOLD - ; " , WALLER. ' Authors of "Blackmail," "A Forgotten Clue," etc. j f v •> \

■ (COPYRIGHT.) • 4 CHAPTER XXX. Gustav Heimei, was a man of his word. He had told Pearl that she would be r travelling with him that night towards • Kiel. At eleven o'clock, accompanied by his fair prisoner, he stepped into the train, which had started its journey. Together they had supper in the refreshment car, and the meal revived the spirits of the dejected Pearl. ' Submissive, she determined to remain content with the reflection that her friends would guess that where Heimei was there was she to be found. She was now satisfied that Lady Duplane and Carrick were working hand-in-glove. As to that woman's relationship with Gerald, it made her heart sad to even speculate upon it. She, therefore, wisely drove'the matter from her mind, and sought to concentrate her thoughts upon a means of even yet frustrating the awful scheme which Heimei was putting into execution against the British fleet. By so doing she trusted to be able to prove, in spite of the dogmatic Moncrieff, that she was loyal to her lover and her country. Heimei, satisfied with the meal which he had eaten like sonio ravenous creature, regardless of ordinary table manners or of the fact that he t was in the presence of a lady, was now lying back in his comer seat opposite to her. His eyes were closed, and through his mouth came occasionally a grunt, denoting bodily satisfaction. He looked very little removed from a common pig, Pearl thought, as she looked upon his wicked face and corpulent body, across which his hands were clasped. She could not bear to'think that she must spend the time which would be occupied by the long journey to Kiel in the company of this repulsive creature. " Mr. Heimel! " she exclaimed, in a gentle voice, as she put' her hand upon his arm. He woke up with a start. "'I beg your pardon," he said, as he shifted his position in order to converse. "I had fallen asleep." " May I not retire?" she asked. "You must realise that I' am very weary." "Most certainly you may," he said, quite effusively. " I have made every arrangement for your comfort. A special sleeping compartment has been reserved for you. I will show you the way." Pearl M'as distinctly relieved to find that she was to escape from the man if only for .a few hours. .Besides, she.knew that sleep was essential if she was to be ablo to use her facilities to the fullest advantage , when she arrived at ; Kiel. She smiled her approval of the announcement, and rose to take advantage of it. • "One moment," Heimei said, leaning across the table, and speaking in a, low • tone. "I have something to say to you about the arrangements at Kiel. I make no excuse for telling you that I ; am seeking 'to win you'for my wife.- But 'there shall be no ' compulsion, you understand. I leave you entirely free to accept me as your husband. You' are 'to see to-morrow how highly esteemed • Gustav. Heimel is. You will accompany me to the Admiralty works, .where' I am to be received by the . Kaiser himself and his right hand man, Count Yon Hollweg, the Imperial Chancellor,. They will! inspect' my marvellous invention,' 'which lies in the canal adjacent, Waiting to ascend in the air and ; bring about a termination of this terrible war, with success to Germany. You will seo mo receive the approval of my Emperor. Will you not then think ; me ■ a worthy man to aspire to your hand?" . \ "It will . be wonderful. to witness this: i great honour and triumph, Mr. Heimei."/ . She spoke with calm, though there seemed to be a touch of admiration' in her . voiced " Thank you, thank you so iffuch, Miss Cheshire. I hope that you will J not .be unmoved by the spectacle, and tSat your feelings towards me will become at least m6re :> friendly. : I am contain" to move slowly, and 'shall await 'patiently your acceptance of my proposal." - He smiled happily 011 tlie girl, confident that his scheme in iove, as In espionage, promised well. , " Now you must retire and rest," he; added, "and you .will be awakened half an hour before we reach Kiel." ; Then courteously he 'led her to the apartment reserved for . her, and with a simple " Good-night" she closed the door. Once in the privacy of her room, Pearl had a" chance to: collect her thoughts arid reason things out. It was a consolation at any rate to know that Heimei was not going to compel ■ her to: marry him with an absolute disregard for her feelings in the matter. Moreover, Heimel's disposition towards her was now friendly, and i she was not going to .hesitate at the right moment to take advantage of that. Lady Duplane, if she Was not acting treacherously, would have : warned her: r friends that Heimei, with the stolen battery and the completed invention, was to be at Kiel the next daj\, The chsjige of planon' the part of Heimei had given him the lead of a few hours, but he would not have left Kiel when Sir Andrew and the others arrived. , With the confident' reflection that her reunion with her old .friends and with the hope still strong in her heart that Lady Duplane would atone ' for the past, by restoring her to Gerald,' she soon passed into a deep sleep. It was in the early forenoon when Heir mel, buoyant in spirits, as well he might be, and Pearl, greatly refreshed by her night's rest, passed out of Kiel station, and made their way to the Admiralty works. *" Heimel chatted most animatedly, and was undoubtedly in the happiest mood he had known for years. He explained to Pearl the advantage she derived from the military uniform she wore, and impressed upon her the fact that she was perfectly safe in his company, but would fall into very serious peril if she became separated from him and was ordered by the vigilant guards at Kiel to explain her presence at the Admiralty works. ■ . . : " ' I Pearl expressed her appreciation of. the point, and proceeded to r talk brightly, and inquire interestedly to Heimei. about the various objects of interest they passed on their way. She inspired Heimel with a new confidence by her display of friendliness. Instinctively -she felt whatever might befall Heimei on this day of his final triumph, that the hour of. her freedom was coming, and that her restoration to her lover and their complete reconciliation was at hand. Heimei, on tie other hand, little suspected that, her display ..of gaiety and her apparent contentment of mind was but a screen; behind which She was plotting a daring ruse to outwit him once more. . - Within the Admiralty works Heimel had shown" to him the greatest deference on all sides. Sentries standing .at various points saluted him as; - he • passed. Admiralty officials greeted him with' every sign of respect. And all' the time the young orderly, as Pearl was generally regarded, kept close at his side or on the heels of her master. It was a thrilling moment for Pearl when passing through a wicket gate they came to a portion of the canal surrounded : on all . sides by high barricades. Floating upon the water was. the curious aluminium cigar-shaped craft which represented Germany's last hope. ■ Her heart throbbed violently ; as she realised that the brains-and handiwork of ; her lover had been stolen by this German . genius now smiling at her side m order .to ( perfect his engine of destratum. ® u . s she suppressed; the angry, , were risinc within her at tho_thoii nt 01 , I CsSJacherv which h»« been prac- * tised' at' so terrible a cost £ heL lp«v ; < Her sole thought must >■ be to carry imo execution tho plans sho was making to j

"V" ' ■ i 111 ■■■»*: thwart. awful designs upon the Britiaß;, fleet. Soon; she knew, > all the information . that was to be obtained about the Kaiser's , ' secret would be in her possession. The . little group rof officials amongst whom the inventor .and his young "or- . '; " derlv-"stood suddenly opened out, the , heads of civilians were bared, and 1 soldiers stood to the,salute. His Imperial :"- Majesty the Kaiser 'was'. ■approaching ' ■ , through the wicket gate, accompanied by --v % his burly Chancellor, Count Von Hollweg; MP Von Tirpitz, the German 1 ' Admiral, with. \>3 his sinister-looking forked beard; and" a '■■>:■•'& stream of.officers and a sprinkling of silk- •'■' % hatted individuals some, of whom were ■ ,*' detectives constantly in. attendance on the '" Kaiser. .;-*'.'• .-, '•'*•'■' /'• •• "'/' . The ceremony 'of presentation 1 was'■'»'-.' brief and informal one, and the Kaiser, ' sallow-faced and stern-featured, addressed • himself at once to' Beimel "So you have not failed me, Herr Heimel. It is well." , The inventor silently bowed. "You can now explain to me," the Kaiser Went on, " and to Count Yon Hollweg and Admiral Von Tirpitz, as precisely as may be, the scheme by which you propose to place naval supremacy in our "I hope, Your Majesty, that twentyfour hours hence the British fleet will be hors de combat," was Heimel's confident rep.y. ' The process is a simple one, if I may say so." Pearl, standing only a few feet away, could hear every word that passed. But she was not prepared for the diabolical powers which Heimel was about to profess for his mysterious engiuo of war. "You see, here,*' Heimel proceeded, pointing to the maze of taut wires which stretched in little bunches along the hull of the craft, "the aerials which put the operator on the wireless ship in control of the delicate internal mechanism of this flying death. The storage battery of whicn I have now become possessed will enable the vessel to fly for 80 hours. The wireless ship may follow at a distance of 20 miles. From this ship, all tub distance away, my .invention can be steered by one set of wireless. A separate wireless installation directs the vessel to ascend or descend to any desired height, and a third wireless, of far greater power than the other two, when the craft is known to be directly over the enemy ship, will open a trapdoor in the under part of the hull. Here lies waiting to descend the death-dealing substances .which will permit anything '.' to live within i* radius 'of three miles."" This ' fine powder . which I have taken ten years to create * in my laboratory in London has been put ■% to a rigorous test, and all my experiments show that every animate thing., within, the prescribed area perishes when reached -•.'■' by the suffocating fumes emitted from these grains of powder." "' ir '-' ■- "How long do the deadly* fumes of this chemical substance remain operative ■■ after they are released - from , your airship?" asked Yon, Tirpitz. .1,...

" Two hours after 4 the cloud of powder has, descended upon the British ships, sir, you ' may . direct your commandess to sail from WilHelmshaven and take possession ; of' what remains of the ; British ■fleet. The vessels you will find are merely death ships. '.' Even the rats will be found lying, dead." ■ "* *

Heimel looked round for a sign of approval as he i made this : declaration. But ;/; there was none. >."So you see" he pro- r j ceeded, "my invention possesses, three> V scientific qualifications unknown to our enemies. . ItiiJt an airship which dispenses with the- human, .pilot. , No. man could • live.in her when once my chemical preparation is released, into the air. It is, a craft which is propelled and in every ■'' H other way operated by, wireless at any/ distance up, to.twenty- miles. And it carries a weapon the. destructive powers. , of which .no other ;living-/man;. has any. -. , conception. . At an altitude of two miles on a calm day this invention flying above : the British fleet at ra' Spithead review would at one effort■';destroy every human';■. being on; all those /ships.,: That, Your -,;. : Majesty, is what I am going to do with, ;. : ' the British fleet when it;.is your plea* N sure." v - - Again, Heimel; bowed :to his . august : : - , audience, .and awaited. some word, of commendation. -. - ; ... i ■>..'' It is ; a : powerful weapon if it is cap- . ■;. able of all you say.'.' '-. ■ v . - . A- typical comment'for the Kaiser to " . make.;; When,' v Heimel wondered; ~. would •'.-.- the- Imperial ice be broken, and: warm praise :be bestowed upon him. ' . .." You profess to be. capable of doing '~-'; this with : the:■ enemy ..fleet now barring 1 our ; way to < the North Sea?'' Yon Holl-' v wsg asked, as'hester'nly; scrutinised the' invention. - ' • . . "At any moment," Heimel answered/ - and"- his .glance turned" to his Imperial master. .. ■ r "Those English dogs will call uslbarbanans,".the Chancellorwent on. ''Bah!, War is war, and when Germany is at war * necessity roust know,no law, That Bri- "-" tish fleet.must be removed.-; Belgium.has harassed lis on land: ? We failed. to'hack -. our way. through, there. ' But with this : ■ invention serving us from the clouds, the. way to victory is clear.". . ■.-." This was ; a cheering" little.utterance for .-■ Heimel, but he still pined for a word .of : ' ;. approbation^ from the Kaiser. >; ■>'--. V'Herr Heimel," the Kaiser in a harsh, commanding voice, "this .mven- . tion of yours shall have its : chance. to- .■.■-., night. At midnight our dummy fleet which shall; decoy,- the British from.their sheltering places will sail, from Kiel. The rest lies in the hands of this strange craft, I put great faith in you. .Do not fail me!".- _ - ; With these- few words the • conference. '-._;.; ended, and 'the royal and other distinguished •'visitors; departed. '•'..■"■'•-• ■.■'.•■:/■ A few minutes later the ..aerial death- v trap, where she 1 rested. the .canal, was ■ . free from prying eyes. . Not a soul remained within that barricaded sectionso far as was known. Pearl Cheshire was there, however.. Taking advantage of the intentnjss with'.-Vr-; Which all were' listening to the conference . : - between the inventor and his Kaiser; -and ~.; having herself obtained all the >.information desired, she had quietly stepped aside_ , and concealed herself in a-small rowing- . X boat a dozen yards away. There she re- , ■•- mained for a full five -hours until the cur- - tain of 'night began slowly; to descend. Then she crept from her hiding-place, . determined if she could to escape lrom the : Admiralty yard, and by some means com-; municate the information she had ;to her > friendsi; who- must:by this time be. near" at hand. I In the meantime, she wondered if she [could riot .-maim/theweird i machine in l - -f some way; :•.-',' Operate 7 the wireless," she .;■,"-;;. said- to herself.^;''t:P will damage \- the wires on the airship." \ % t > - She -was stealing through 'the darkness'.•;.;; to. the spot where the greyv little craft was dully, outlined to her vision, when ? she heard voices approaching* • Hastening _~.; forward,* -; she. hoped -to ; find shelter, -< but ■ ; -.; on reaching the. airship she could see na ->4 t thing ■- to give . her ,s concealment. . The.. V j wicket gate creaked as the first of- the strangers passed e through it. • The ; next l - ■. ■moment she distinctly heard the : voice of. ,/+t; Heimel, and 'saw the stooping shoulders which she knew to be those of the Kaiser, -. Without a - moment's, \ fuf ther_ delay . she crept on to the airship, and in the long ' ' - cigar-shaped '■■ cylinder that formed the body of the machine, where the famous ; ; storage battery had found a roomy home, She lay down in hiding... ' - •Presently the voices,.which' had been ~ very near to her, passed aw« into the distance, 'and .she concluded tt the Kaiser and M^f^^^^M as the wireless ship, Her ... ;.. /m .; v . k Unhappy Pearl! Her deduct** ~» .. " gllt * t * ihw were out of earshot, , w SUI - 8 -S to beak or.bend .the receiv- ' ; Swustohos to smash the con- ; "veJrthe storage battery >as a power- . n4ered accompanied by a raspmg httle u P*arl fellthat the craft was rock, : jnT' ShfhUrf a .fight cheer of manv &s,"yeat; distance , away. ■ Confused . : Sarinfd at these strange occurrences, KSed over the side of the.au-skp nd' to her amazement found a carpet of .winkling lights below. Pearl Cheshire was a passenger on the icriftl > death-trap, , the famous Kaiser« ecret, '■' which was now speeding oat to o destroy every living thing on board . be ships of the British fleet. - ( To bo continued ob Saturday n«W }, M