The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-12-13
Written for The Constitution

I the rack in front of him, and he never made
| a point of never separating himself further
from it, so that if at any time he ieft ms
compartment to refresh himself at Il Sta-
ton, buffet or the like, he invariably took
his yalise with him, seeing that tremendous
issues depended on the safety of its contents,
and that its theft or disappearance Would
certainly involve his instantaneous and IL
reparable ruin.
On the present occasion, which was one,
we repeat, of exceptional gravity, he had
been strictly charged to travel right through
to London as fast as ever he could, with
out stopping, as usual, to pick up any
dispatches from the embassy in Berlin;
though a~sccretary. he was told. might very
possibly meet him on the platform at the
Central station to hand him packet from
the ambassador. Sir Edmund Hammerly.
In due time tie gallant captain reached
the German capital, and there. to be sure,
on the platform, lie behed Sir Edmund 3
private secretary, Mr.. Randall Dodd, not,
however, with an official package in his
hand, but with a most lovely young lady on
his arm.
How are you, captain? Glad to see
then. turning to his fair companion, Miss
Koseneath,' Le said, ''let me introduce to
!! You Captain MacCulloch.' who bowed and
bcamed as if he had suddenly come into a
colossal fortune. Miss Rosencath,' con-
tinued Mr. DoGd, has been suddenly called
back to England py the death of her uncle,
and we hoped you would be kind enough to
give her the bencst of your escort"
For cabinet couricrs are frequently inn
pressed by their friends and official supe-
! riors TO do all sorts of peculiar little ser
vices, from the carrying of contraband
goods and literature their baggage beng
exempt from frontier examinatiOn) to the
esc0rting of school girls; and | even knew
one whose dispatch bags were utalized for
the transmission Of tins Of sterlet soup.
tn Surh q rpulIpSf had been addressed
to him by Mr. Dodd on behalf of so charm
ing creature as Miss Sybl Rosencath,
with her smiles like the morning, and
her color like the opening dawn, Captain
MacColoch the good and gallant fellow
that he was. could only reply by processing
his boundless delight at the prospects of
being able to he Ct any service to the young
lady. and soon thereafter with cosy
compartment all - themselves. they were
rafting off TO Lcrdon by the Cologne ex-
press.
At first, the gallant captains fair com
panon was rather shy, and appeared
find less pleasure il: the conversation of
her escort lhan il turning over the pages
of as.ittiA volume Cf~Leatly roundcd verses
which ShT had received as n souvenir OF
her visit to Berlin from her admiring ac-
quaintance, Mr.. Randall Dodd, who was no
less ardent as an imltator OF Ienuyson
than as a disciple of Talleyrand.
But by degrees she got the better of her
shyness and, putting aside her poems, Miss
Svbil became a convert to the principle tina.
after all. a living man is a very much more
interesting thing to maid than mere
book Audit was wonderful how inQuis-
tive and expansive she crew under the intiu-
enco of this belief; how Atten-
lively she listened, like BESIDE
mona to Othello, to all the
captains stories of bis adventures. his mar
tial exploits among the Afghans and tho
the Zuus his character sketches of the
notabiitics whom he bad met. and his deli
cate illusions 80 the chief social event i'll all
the capitals of Europe. And as Captain
NacCulloch exerted all his powers 10 en-
terrain and amuSe his beautiful charge. SO
She. in turn did her very best TO repay HIM,
after her kind. with looks of all-engrosslns
interest and words of admiration
Thus the rapid miles rolled past ana D!
tho time the two travellers had got to Han
over their converse had become as frank