The Princeton union., 1899-12-28

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HHx at the young man
RHaN who had just
N62XW thrown a huge fur
NgS Overcoat on the
back of one chair,
W while he sat down
himself on an
other. "Igot your telegram" began the
editor. Am to understand from it
that you have failed?"
"Yes, Sir" replied the young man,
without tho slightest hesitation.
"Completely?"
utterly"
Didn't you even get synopsis Of
the documents?"
Not q hanged synop."
The editors frown grew deeper. The
ends of his fingers drummed nervously
on the desk.
"You take failure rather jauntily. it
strikes me-" he said, at last.
whats the use of taking itany other
way? have the consciousness of know
ing that did my best"
"Um, yes. It's great consolation, no
doubt, but it doesn't count in the news
paper business. What did you do?"
II received your telegram at Montreal
and at once left for Burnt Pine-most
outlandish spot on earth. l found that
Kenyon and Wentworth were staying
at the only hotel in the place. Tried to
worm out of them what their reports
were to be. They were very polite, but
didn't succeed. Then I tried to bribe
them, and they ordered me out of the
room.''
Perhaps you didn't offer them
enough"
Il offered them double what the Lon
don syndicate was to pay them for MAX
ing the report, taking their own word
for the amount. couldn't offer more,
because at that point they closed the
discussion by ordering me out of the
room. | tried to get the reports that
night, on the quiet, out of Wentworth's
valise, but was unfortunately inter-
Fupted- The young men were sus-
picious, and next morning they left for
ottawa to post the reports, as I gath
cred afterward, to England. l sue
ceeded in getting hold of the reports,
but couldn't hang on. There are too
DO you mean to tell me-" said the
editor, that you actually had the re-
ports in your hands and that they were
taken from you?"
'Certainly l had; and, as to their be-
ing taken from me, it was either that Or
Jail. They don't mince matters in Can
ada. as they do in the United States
you Know
But should think man of your
shrewdness would have been able to get
at least synopsis of the reports be-
fore letting them out of your possess
sion"
My dear sir" said the reporter,
rather angry, "the whole thing covered
, forget how many pages of foolscap
paper, and was the most mixed-up mat
ter ever saw in my life. tried I
sat in my room at the hotel. and did my
hest to master the details. It was full
of technicalities, and | couldn't make
it out. 1t required a mining expert to
get the hang Of their phrases and fig
ures. so thought the best thing to do
was to telegraph it all straight
through to New York. knew it would
cost lot of money, but 1 knew, also,
you didn't mind that; and I thought
perhaps somebody here could make
sense Of what baffled me; besides, I
wanted to get the documents out of my
possession just as quickly as possible.'
''Hem," said the editor. "You took no
notes whatever"
NO, did not. l had no time. I
knew the moment they missed the docu-
ments they would have the detectives
on my track. AS it was, I was arrested
when I entered the telegraph Office
well, it seems to me-" said the man.
aging editor, IF had once had the
papers in my hand should not have let
them go until had got the gist of wha t
was in them"
"Oh. it's all very we'll for you to say
so," replied the reporter, with the free
and easy manner which exists between
American newspaper men and their en-
ployers, "but I can tell you, with q
canadian jail facing a man, it is hard
to decide what is best to do. couldn't
get out of the town for three hours
and before the end of that time they
would have had my description in the
hands of every policeman in the place
They knew well enough who it was
that took the papers, SO my only hope
lay in getting the thing telegraphet
through. and if that had been accom-
plished everything would have been al
right. l would have gone to Jail will
pleasure if l had got the particular
through to New York"
"Well, what are we to do now ?" asket
the editor.
Tn sure don't know. The two mel
will be in New York very shortly. The,
sail, ] understand, on the Coloric, which
leaves in week. Ifyou think you hav,
areporter who can get the particular
out OF these men. / should be yer,
pleased to see you set him on. tell 50,