Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-15

Swell" said Stedman, III you will allow me
to suggest, and you see / know these people
pretty well, would have all these suggestions
come from the President direct"
1.-THE Presidentl" exclaimed Gordon; but
how? what does the President know or care
about Opeki and it would take 80 long-oh, /
soc, the cable. Is that what you have been
doing" he asked.
'.Well, only once" said stedman, guilty:
''that was when he wanted to turn me out Of
the consurs Office. and had cable that very
afternoon from the President saying l was to
stay where was. Ollypybus doesn't under
stand the cable, Of course, but he knows that
1t sends messages, and sometimes pretend to
send messages for him to the President, but he
got to asking me to ask the President to come
and pay him q visit and had to stop il"
I'm glad you told me" said Gordon. 1.-THE
President shall begin to cable tomorrow. He
will need an extra appropriation from Con-
gress to pay for his private cabiegrams
alone"
"And there's another thing" said Stedman.
In all your plans you We arranged for the peo-
Pies cultivation but not for their amusement,
and they are q peaceful, jolly, simple sort Of
people and we must amuse them"
Have they no games nor amusements OF
their own?" asked Gordon.
We'll, not what We call games"
Very WELL then, I'll teach them base ball.
Foot ball would be too warm. But that plaza
in front of the kings bungalow where his
palace is going to be is just the place for dia-
mond. On the whole, though added the con-
sui after a moments reflection, you'd better
attend to that yourself don't think it be-
comes my dignity as American consul to take
OF my coat and give lessons to young Opekians
in sliding to base, do your No, l think you d
better do that. The Bradleys will help you and
you had better begin tomorrow. You have
been wanting to know what a secretary Of lega-
tons duties are. and now you know. IT'S to Or
ganize base ball mines. And after you get
yours ready" he added, rs he turned into his
room for the night, I'm train one that will
sweep yours off the face OF the island. For
this American consul can pitch three curves"
The best laid plans of men go astray some
times, and the great and beautiful city that
was to rise on the coast of Opeki was not built
In day. Nor was it ever built For before
the Bradleys could mark out the foul lines for
the base ball field on the plaza, or teach their
standing army the goose step, or lay bamboo
pipes for the water mains, or clear away the
cactus for the extension OF the kings palace,
the Hillmen paid Opeki their quarterly visit.
Albert had called on the king the next morn
ing with Stedman as his interpreter, as he had
decided to do. and with maps and sketches had
shown his majesty what he proposed to do
toward improving Opeki and ennobling her
king, and when the king saw Aiberts free hand
sketches Of wharves with tall ships lying at
anchor, and rows Of Opekian warriors with the
Bradieys at their head, and the design for his
new palace. and royal sedan chair, he believed
that these things were already his and not still
only on paper, and he appointed Albert his
prime minister of war, Stedman his minister of
home affairs, and selected two of his wisest and
Oldest subjects to serve them as joint advisers.
His enthusiasm was even greater than Gordon's,
because he did not appreciate the difficulties
He thought Gordon a semi-god, a worker of
miracles, and urged the putting up of monu-
ment to him at once in the public plaza, to
which Albert objected on the ground that it
would be too suggestive of an idol, and to
which Stedman also objected. but for the less
unselfish reason that it would "be in the way