The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-05-24
A n light AMONG THE EIHn1sTs.
!" Robinson, the boss wants Hou =

ue ulcktaS ne does 4hOnght 4,
for Alr. Dickson, Odessa agent of Bailey
4 Co., corn merchants, was . bit of .
Tartar, as l had learned to my cost
What's the row now ?'' 1 demanded of
my fellow-clerk; "has he got scent of
our Nicolaief escapade, or what In it -
No idea said Gregory "t the old
boy seems in good enough humor
some business matter, probably. But
don keep him waiting. So, summoning
up an air of injured innocence, to be
ready for all contingencies, / marched
into the lions den.
MF. Dickson was standing before the
FIRE in Briton's time-honored attitude,
and motioned me, into a chair in front of
| him. Mr.. Robinson " he said, " have
great confidence in your discretion and
common sense. The folIies Of youth will
break out, but | think that you have
sterling foundation to your character un-
derlying any superficial levity"
bowed
believe he continued, that you
can speak Russian pretty fuently."
bowed again
have, then," he proceeded, "a mis-
sion which wish you would undertake,
and on the success of which your promo
tion may depend. / would not trust it
to a subordinate, were it not that duty
ties me to my post at present.
\ ou may depend upon my doing my
best, Sir" replied.
Right, Sir, quite right. What wish
you to do is briefly this: The line of rail
way has just been opened to Solteff, some
hundred miles up the country. Now |
wish to get the start of the other Odessa
firms in securing the produce of that dis
trict, which have reason to believe may
oe b ad at low prices. You will proceed
by rail to Solteff, and interview Mr.
DimEdoff, who is the largest land proprie
tor in the town. Make as favorable terms
as v ybu can with him Both Mr.. Dimidotf
and | wish the hole thing to be done as
quietly as possible, in fact, that nothing
should be known about the matter until
the grain appears in Odessa You will
find yourself expected at the end of your
jourh hey, and will start tonight Money
shall be ready for your expenses"
Gregory | said, as | strutted into
the office, I'm off on mission, secret
mission, my boy: an affair of thousands
of pounds. Lend me your little portman-
teau mines too imposing-and tell Ivan
to pack it. A Russian millionaire ex-
pect$ me at the end of my journey. Don't
breat the word of it to any of Simkin's
people, or the whole game will be up.
Keep it dark ! p
was so charmed at being, as it were,
behind the scenes. that crept about the
offc4 all day in sort Of cloak-and bloody
dagger style, with responsibility and
brootling care marked on every feature,
and when at night stepped out and
stole down to the station the unpreju-
diced observer would certainly have
guessed, from my general behavior, that
had emptied the contents of the strong
box, before starting, into that little valise
Of G Gregory's. 1t was imprudent Of him,
by the way, to leave English labels pasted
all oyer it. However, could only hope
that the London = and +" Birmingham .
would attract no attention, or, at least,
that no rival corn merchant might deduce
from them who | was and what my er-
rand might be.
Having paid the necessary roubles and
got nv ticket, ensconsed myself in the
corne er of snug Russian car and pom
dereh over my extraordinary good for
and If | could make my mark in this mat
ter it might be a great thing for me-
Drea ms arose of partnership in the firm.
The noisy wheels seemed to clank out
Bailey, Robinson i Co." -" Bailey, Rob
inson i Co.. in a monotonous refrain.
which gradually sank into y hum and
finally ceased as dropped into q deep
sleep. Had known the experience
which awaited me at the end of my jour
ney It would hardly have been so peace
able
l awoke with an uneasy feeling that
some one was watching me closely, nor
was l mistaken a tall, dark man had
taken up his position on the seat opposite,
and bis black sinister eyes seemed to look
through ME and beyond me, as if he
wished to read my very soul. Then
saw him glance down at my little trunk.
I" Eood heavens - thought /, "here's
Sim pkin's agent, suppose. 1t was care
less of Gregory to leave those confounded
labels on the valise.'
| closed my eyes for a time, but on re-
opening them again caught the strangers
earliest gaze.
4" From England, see,' he said in
huskl3D, showing ITO" oi "HlIc tccth IN
what was meant to be an amiable smile.
+" Yes" replied, trying to look uncon-
cern ed, but painfully aware of my failure.
=" Travelling for pleasure, perhaps 2 T"
said he
{" Yes" l answered, eagerly. Ger
tainly, for pleasure nothing else"
.sOf course not" said he, with shade
of irony, in his voice. Englishmen
alw4 Tvs travel for pleasure, don't they? o
no, nothing else."
His conduct was mysterious, to say the
least of it. 1t was only explainable upon
twohypotheses.-he was either madman,
or be was the agent of some firm bound
upon the same errand as myself, and de-
termined to show me that be guessed my
little game. They were about equally un-
pleasant, and on the whole | was relieved
whd n the train pulled up in the tumble
dow shed which does duty for station
in the rising town Of Solteff- - Solteff,
whose resources was about to open out,
and whose commerce / was to direct into
the great world channels. ] almost ex-
pected to see . triumphal arch as /
step ped on the platform. was to be
expected at the end of my journey, 30
Mr.. Dickson had Informed me. looked
abo at among the motley crowd, but saw
no Mr.. DimidoE Suddenly . slovenly,
/ 1~v rxA