The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-26
THE SEALED PICKET.

Ia l
Tho strange complications ATTENDING tnat
sealed PACKET. which involved me with The
French and Russian police. and with our
own consul at Mentone. then John Thorn
ton OF Michigan. are really so astoundjne,
that don't wonder / have been asked 10
write about them. 1t is Thornton's reopeet
By the way, and have the consent of those
more closely concerned than MYSELF
whose permission, or it's lack. of coprse
would be paramount with ms Now that
the episode has ended qnites indeed To nv
satisfaction, there seems to -. no reason
why l should not detail it Thornton as
sures me that it is not so important q mat
ter; that it will not be published. but that
1t IS only for the informa ton o. the state
Department, and that he may show how
American travellers on the continent NAV
fall into difhcuities-although this is an ex
traordlnary instance-into matters and
plots which may cause them a deal of un-
pleasantness; he wants me, in short. to de-
tail sort Of warning to my countrymen.
To return to the beginning: L had been in
Rome for Easter, and was going north with
the intention of passing a week at Mentone.
because l might find domiciled there some
people knew. fortnight later expected
to ship for New York at Southampton. NV
vacation, so hardly earned, was at an end.
and l saw before me limitless prospect of
dry work-the routine of a lawyer still
making his way, who had snatched from
the hard absorption of affairs a winter of
vacation.
At Genoa 1 stopped for a day, unused
about the history and romance Of that
interesting city, and the harbcr, locked
by the winding land which has known the
dreams and enterprise of Columbus Late
that afternoon L went to my train.
1t already seemed TO be crowded Before
one compartment three ladies stood talking
earnestly; a man. plainly a servant in the
background. One was elderly; two young.
OF the younger, both were very pretty and
entertaining, so of course l observed. One,
tail, slender, with a. certain air of America
or England, puzzled me bit; she noted me
out Of serious eyes, that yet, saw, might
4du5h' the other, TOO, was tall and slender;
she certainly was not AngiO-SaXon They
were talking in French, for 1 caught a
AS 1 approached, the elder lady and the
younger, whom l had thought might be
Angio-SaXon, kissed the other as women
Will They plainly were going to leave her
at Genoa. The elder stepped into the COM
partment, where directly my porter-who
rad been peering for place in frst-class
carr1age--plled my things. The younger of
the two waited, talking earnestly to the for
eign young lady. She suddenly called to her
servant who brought a. little bag which
she opened hastily, handing the other a
long, red sealed packet, which my young
LADY, had begun to call her my young
lady-tOOk.
At this moment l noticed in the back
ground walking to and fro, tall, bearded,
milltary-looking person, who appeared to
De watching the two young ladies.
L am not quite sure what induced me to
watch them so, particularly as these Incl
dents in themselves were not very strange;
W IA fbMxr
assume significance.
The two young women at last parted, the
one stepping into the compartment with her
elder companion; the other and the man
servant stepping away and disappearing
into the station.
Now the young lady was no sooner
seated in the compartment than her elderly
companion said something in a low voice
evidently concerning the tall, bearded mill
Incorporating man, for their eyes turned
toward him, with an expression that
seemed to me very nearly one of fear.
Then, being much interested, | saw a look
of relief both their faces This man
took a seat iii the adjoining compartment.
From their manner they evidently had been
1earful lest he would follow their conpan-
ion. | arrived at this conclusion, as one
sometimes will in such cases without, it's
true, any very plain logical sequence
The guards began to cry out, the doors to
slam. | took my seat in the compartment,
with slight bow to my companions. AS
more particularly; the younger was indeed
very pretty, and very neatly gowned the
elder-yes they were mother and daughter.
The eyes We're the same, although the
elders showed experience and perhaps suf-
fering. Once or twice / was pleased to no
tice that the interesting blue eyes OF the
younger paused at me- / took out a pile of
papers had had from the banker at Genoa,
and pretended to read. Suddenly looking up
saw in the hands of the younger a paper
that told deal: 1t was a paper OF Utica,
~ T. Now l have not stated that l was
big place; so l began to wonder But 1 saw
all at once chance for action.
May not offer you some New York pa
last mails"
The elderly lady looked at me a moment
with a fine critical air.
That is kind of you, SIR she said. 81
had about decided you were an American"
You usually can tell" I said but l
paper decided me-
do you care to see. it?'' she asked. when
the younger lady with a vivacious toss of
her head extended me the copy.
Il don't think you will find it very inter-
esting," she said; American papers are
not usually amusing unless you know their
All! but that CHANCES to be the case 1
said; I was born in Utica"
The elder lady looked at me with sudden
interest.
1T was my town before became a Rus
sian"
Really" cried, "how interesting. 1 ann
Brinton-John Brinton."
The elderly lady cried out at this: why.
] knew your mother; | am, Mr. Brinton,
you may have heard of me- the Princess
Stefanoff and this is my daughter. Miss
Manners"
Instantly knew them; the story was one
I'd heard many times. Mrs. Manners.
young and charming widow. with fortune
and little daughter. thirteen years old.
had married Prince Stefanoff, of the Rus
sian legation at Washington This was
she, then; this was the young girl become
q woman
"Of course now know all about YOU 1
said
The ice so broken. we at once progressed
to acquaintanceship. the train drew
along the rocky ledge of the Riviera ]
found that the princess had become widow;
that she going to the same hotel in
Mentone where | intended to put up. As
for Miss Manners. l found her most enter
tanning. in certain delightful way of a girl
who has never been in America-since the
first of her girlhood-and who has certain
little foreign ways. little piquant continent
alisms on a nature that was still that of
the sterling American or English girl. She
asked me strange little questions about
New York to which she lOnged to so, while
the princess watched us with a certain
staid seriousness. as if she had put away
all illusions herself but still cherished them
for her daughter She asked me questions
about Utica and Utica people: and in short
we became not only acquainted, but very
well acquainted, before we had passed San
Reno
Il wonder" said Miss Manners, IF you
really suspected my nationality.
"One can tell" said / repeating myself.