The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-17
by RICHARD MARSH

=
! took the shape OF lodgings; sitting and
/ oining-room or the ground floor, and a
bedroom overhead; and tbs rent OF the
farania Embassy was a little in arrears
Don Joaquin de CorUnads had Just fin
! ished dinner-and not a very sumptuous
| oinner either. Nothing could have been
/ simpler than the usual conduct OF the
establishment OF the Panama Embassy,
except the manners Of the plenipotenti-
ary. Panama was the very newest thing
I In South American republics, and IL
( seemed doubtful IL IL would survive its
novelty. The plenipotentiary himself was
beginning TO incline to the opinion that
IL would not. As he put his feet on the
table, and j. his cigar, and examined the
whisky which was left In the bottle, his
mood was gloomy.
If some dollars don't come along prct-
~ soon. I'll have to skip. This embassy
business is failure-it is that Here's
, ny salary four months overdue; and lJ's
no use me telegraphing, because l don't
get no answer. Ia have done better TO
have run for President, though they
/ wouldn't have had me II | had"
Don Joaquin de Coronads poured some
/ whisky into glass.
Il ought 20 have done what Gustav s
( done-taken block in WestbOurne Ter
, race, and made things hum. i wouldn't
/ have had so much dificulty in getting IN
I 20 debt. No ones gong to trust an en-
/ bassy what's located In these rooms. Gus
tav owes thousands. Fifty would see me
through, and it's likely TO. sorrowiui
man / am TO have to say 1t"
Don Joaquin de Coronads thrust his
thumbs into the aTmhOles of his waist
coat. He Duffed at his cigar as he pom
dered
us comfort laid my hand on that
( there darned treaty. 1t was bold stroke,
so it was! Gustavll sit up when he
knows, though he suspicioned me directly
We got outside the room. He'll have to
pay before he has d peep at 1t, the mean
sCwled German thief. / thought I'd have
a peep at IT, first of all. myself: / did.
But the blamed things writ in Spanish;
and it's tarnation little know of my nat
ural tongue That's the worst OF not be-
ing native of your own country. I'll
have another try at it now, / will. / may
find out trifle of what it means by
guessing"
Don Joaquin de Coronads removed his
thumbs from his waistcoat armholes, his
feet from the table. and was about 10
rise, leisurely, 10 a perpendicular posi-
tion, when a cord was thrown over him
from behind, twisted, with very consider
able dexterity and rapidity, two or three
times round him, and, before he had woke
10 a reality of the situation, he found
himself tied to his chair. In front of him
| stood tall man, who was attired in d
long dark ulster-which he kept well
turned up about his ears-and long soft
felt hat This gentleman was pointing
the barrel of a revolver directly at Don
Joaquims face.
When he had recovered from his not
unnatural astonishment, Don Joaquin ad-
dressed the newcomer as If he knew him.
This is friendly, Gustav. to drop in on
me- through the window, in this unex-
pected kind Of way-upon my conscience
so ii is"
The newcomer replied with that curious
twanS in his speech which is character
istic OF certain type of German-Amer-
| lean.
You think so, Mr.. Timothy ORourke,
eh?'
Don Joaquin looked about him. with
startled air.
Ssh! You've left the window open.
Maybe some one Will be hearing. Haven't
asked you TO forget TO remember the
/, ,0Rourke?''
And have / not asked you to remember
that / am Martinez Sutierrez, Mr.. Tim
Othy ORourke?-Blathering Tim. Soapy-
mouthed Pat or whatever you call your
self, you dirty Irishman-eh?'
Don Joaquin regarded his visitor with
Wh&t seemed TO be increasing astonish-
mtnt.
You've a friendly way Of speaking.
Gustav, so you have. And might |
trouble you to tell me what's the mean
|
| Wasn't there a door? And have YOU
taken off your feet that l never heard
you tread on them? Is it a trihe of a
game you're having with the best friend
you even had-to tie him TO his chair?"
! You behaved to me like a true friend
! this afternOon-eh?'
| is 1t aboIt the treaty you're meaning?"
| "N hat about the treaty-eh?"
! Il be honest with you, Gustav, as /
| always am. l lied to you this afternoon
! when | said l hadn't taken it, so | did.
slipped 1t into pocket in my coat VIII ch
has come in handy more than once or
twice before. / don't know how | came
/ to lie to you; l done it before l thought;
! but meant TO let you have it in the morn
ing, and that's the TRUTH
Then you won't mind my having II
! now, eh?'
| Not the least bit in the world. Why
| should |? 1t was for you l stole IL. You're
| welcome"
Don Joaquin stopped He looked al
the other as If he eXpected-and hoped
that he would give him some kind of a
cue But his visitor was silent Don
Joaquim's tone became unctuously
/ wheedling.
Its you who won't forget TO give his
iriend a trlfie to recompense him for the
{ trouble which he took"
is there's there any reference to that
affair of mine?'
you mean in the treaty? And that's
what L myself would like 10 know. I'll be
frank with you. I've been spelling of it
throughi but it's tricky lingo is the one
winch I'm supposed to be speaking, ard
they've hashed il up in a fashion which
makes II worse than ever, so that devil a
word can l understand at all, at all"
Where is it?'
Now, Gustav. there's a word Of busi-
ness I'd like TO have with you before we
reach the pleasure"
Where is it?''
You're handy with the barker. Gustav.
and there's a friendly something in your
tone which is new, but what I'm after
knowing is what you're going to give me-"
IF you don't tell me where that treaty
is inside OF sixty seconds I'll give you the
contents OF six barrels"
"Oh, TO, YOU won't. I'm not afraid
This isn't country in which shooting's
free, and you know IT, This isn't Caracas
or one OF them happy hunting grounds,
| but a mean-spirited, low-down place
where you have 10 pay for every drop OF
whisky you put your lips to. Steady, Gus
tav! Keep yourself 10 yourself Don't
you start TO overhaul the Parama secret
archives-snd keep your hands off my to-
baceo box, That desks where 1 keep my
cigars, IL you're smoking, blaze away at
weeds OF your own, Steady / say. Don't
you think that because you've tied your
friend TO his chair that you're going 10
rob him 10 suit yourself II you lay fin
ger on what isn't yoUrs-and there's moth
ing here that is-ln holler. And If hol-