The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-04-15
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
THREATENS THE PEACE OF EUROPE.
"Have those urgent dispatches come
in from Berlin, Deedes?"
Captain Hammerton has not yet ar
rived" l answered.
moments delay means greater risk
and the Earl of Warnham, Her Ma
jesty's Principal Secretary Of State for
Foreign Affairs, strobe up and down
his private room with his hat still on,
impatiently swapping his bony fingers
in agitation quite unusual to him.
l resumed my writing, puzzled at
the cause of the chiefs excited de-
meanor, but few moments later sharp
footsteps sounded outside in the corri-
dor, followed by loud rapping, and
there entered the messenger, clad in
his heavy fur-lined travelling coat, al
though July morning, and carrying
a well-worn leather dispatch box,
which he placed upon my table.
Late, Hammerton. Very Late"
snapped the Earl. glancing at his
wateh.
There's dense fog in the Chan
mel, your lordship, and we were COM
PEELED to come across dead slow the
whole distance I've driven straight
from the station" the Captain answer
ed, good humoredly, looking so spruce
Ill hot Uyn n
credit that he had been travelling for
nearly twentyfour hours
go and rest You must return to-
night" his lordship said testify. "At
7:30 at my house in Berkeley Square"
When the door had closed Lord
Warnham quickly opened the outer
case with his key and drew forth a
second box covered with red morocco
and securely sealed. This he also
opened, and after rummaging for some
moments among a quantity of papers
exclaimed, in tone of satisfaction:
"Ah! Here it is. Good! Seals moi
tempered with"
Withdrawing from the box large
official envelope, doubly secured with
the seal of the British Embassy al
Berlin and Endorsed by Sir Philip EN-
den, our ambassador, he walked hasti
ly to one of the long windows over
looking the paved courtyard of thu
Foreign Office, and for some moment:
closely scrutinized both seals ant
signature.
did you fear that the papers nigh
have been examined in transit?" l in
quired of my grave-faced chief, in sur
prise.
mo, Decides, no. Not at ALL" h
answered, returning to his table, cut
ting open the envelope and giving
rapid glance at it's contents to assur
himself that it was the same docu
ment he had sent to the German capt
tai a week before. "Hammerton
trustworthy, and while dispatches ar
in his care l have no fear. The onl
apprehension l had was that an at
tempt might possibly have been mad
to ascertain the nature of this treaty,
luc cat STATESMAN duutu,
the document beneath his hand.
"The result would be detrimental?
| added.
Detrimental" he cried. IF til
clauses of this secret defensive a
lance became known to our enemie
war would be inevitable. Russia an
France would combine against u.s.. an
the whole of the powers would becon
! embroiled within week. Exposure
these secret negotiations would be al
solutely disastrous. 1t would, l We
lily believe, mean irretrievable ruin
England's prestige and power"
He uttered the ominous words SLOW
ly and distinctly, then carefully r
folding the precious document, wi
its string of sprawly signatures,
placed it in another envelope, sealing
with his own private SEAL
You'd better register this, and we
lock it away from prying eyes
once" Lord Warnham said a few m
ments later, handing me the envelo
after he had sealed it.
Alone in my room l closed the doc
took the register from my own SIN;
safe, numbered the precious envolo
with the designation "B. 1893" a,
4 carefully made an entry in the boo
u When returned found that the Es
had been compelled to leave in ord
to attend meeting of the Cabinet
To me this was provoking, for t
great statesman had taken with h
the key OF the safe. Thus was | Il
with this important document in I
possession. But said nothing of t
matter, and returning to my roo
placed the dispatch in my inner poo
ct for greater security, determined
keep it there until his lordship
turned. l feared to lock it away
my own safe lest any one else mig
v possess key, and felt that in the c
cumstances my own pocket was
safest place.
,r- For nearly two hours / contin,
my work, until just as the clock at
y Horse Guards chiEled / o'clock a CT,
entered with the card OF Dudley Os
my college chum, with whom l v
CT now sharing during the Sunni
y months a cottage close to the Than
~ at Shepperton. Dudley was the b
y of good fellows. After rather "
IA college career it had been his fal
to room for about two years on
Continent, and on his return his ia
er, with whom he was not on the
of terms, conveniently died, leav
him possessor of about forty tho
~, and pounds. By ibis time he h
~ however, sown his wild oats. and
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