The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-23
& OH AUTHoRl

the sheet there limit to their credulity. and
that they objected to be taken for drvcng imbeciles
To complete the discomfort of the Daily Bugie the
government of Austria published a semi-official
statement which Reuter- and the special corespon-
dents scattered broadcast over the earth. The
statement was written in that calm serious and
sistent tone which diplomatsts when uttering a
falsehOod Of more than ordinary dimensions.
Irresponsible rumOrs had been floating about (the
official proclamation began) to the effect that there
had been explosion in the treasury at Vienna. 1t
had been stated that large quantity Of gold had
been stolen, and that a disaster of kind had
occurred in the treasury vaults. Then ridiculous
story had been printed which asserted that Prof.
Seigfried. of Austrias honored dead had in
some manner that savored of the black art encom-
passed this wholesale destruction. The government
then begged to make the following declarations:
First not penny had been stolen out of the treas
ury second the chest intact; third, the 200
100000 forms reposed securely within its boted
doors; fourth the coins not, had been al
legged, those belonging to various countries which
covert intimation that Austria had hostile in
tent against the other of those friendly ma
tons (the whole coinage in this called war chest,
which not chest at all, but merely the
receptacle of fund which Austria pos
sessed entirely in Austrian coinage); fifth in
order that these sensational and diSquieting scandals
should be set at rest, the government announced
that it intended to weigh this gold upon a certain
date and invited representatives of the press from
Russia. Germany, France and England to witness
this weighing
The day after this troy weight function had taken
place in Vienna long Geographic accounts of it ap-
peared in the English press, and several solemn lead
ing articles put forward in the editorial col
umns which, without mentioning the name Of the
Daily Buge. depIOred the voracy Of the sensational
editor. who represented neither the amty which
should exist between friendly nations nor the good
name of the hOnored and respected dead in his
wolfsh hunt for the daily scandal Nothing was too
high spiced improbable for him to print. He
traded the supposed gullbility of tickle public
But fortunately in the long run, these Stad sheets
asserted such actions recOled upon the head of him
who promulgated them Sensational journals merit
ed and received the scathing contempt of all honest
men. Later of the reviews had an article
entitled "Some Aspects of Modern Journalism"
which struck the head of the Daily Bugle with a
sledge hammer, and in one of the quarteres pro-
fessor at Cambridge showed the absurdity of the al
legged invention from scientific point of view
81 swear cried Mr.. Hardwck he paced up
and down his ROOM that I shall be more careful
after this in the handling Of the truth 1t is dan
gerous thing to NEEDLE with. If you tell the truth
about a man. you mulcted in a libel suit and if
you tell the truth about nation the united press of
the country is down upon you. All, well, it makes
the battle of life all the interesting and we
baffed to light better Browning says!'
The editor had sent for Miss Baxter and she
sat by his desk while he paced up and down the
floor The doors closed and locked so that they
might not be interrupted, and she knew by the
editors manner that something important was on
hand Jennie had returned to London after a
months stay in Vienna and had been occupied for
week at her old routine work in the Office.
"Now. Miss Baxter" said the editor, when he had
proclaimed his fear of the truth a workable ma
teral in journalism, 81 have plan to before you
and when you know what it is 1 quite prepared
to hear you refuse to have anything to do with it,
and remember, if you do undertake it, there is but
chance in million of your succeeding. 1t is on
that one chance that propose to send you to
St Petersburg
'"To st. Petersburg!" echoed the girl in dsmay.
''Yes,' said the editor miStaking tlt purport of
her ejaculation. at is very long journey but you
can travel in great comfort and you to spare
no expense in obtaining for yourself any luxury that
travel afford during your journey to ST. Peters.
burg and back"
And what am 1 to go to St Petersburg forg"
murmured Jennie family.
Merely for a letter Here is what has hap
pened and what is happening: 1 shall mention no
Names but at present high and mighty parsonage
in Russia who is friendly Great Britain has writ
ten private letter making proposals to a cer-
tain high and mighty parsonage in England who Is
friendly Russia. This communication is entirely
unofficial; neither government is supposed to know
anything at all about it. As matter of fact the
Russian government has suspicion and the British
government has a certainty that such document
will shortly be in transit. Nothing may come of it.
or great things may of it. Now on the night
of the Dist one of the sleeping cars leaving ST
Petersburg by the Nord express for Berlin there
will travel special messenger having this letter in
his possession. l want you to take passage by that
same train and secure compartment near the mes
senger, if possible. This messenger will be a man in
whom the respective parties to the negotiation have
implicit confidence. / wish l knew his name but 7
don't Still, the chances that he is leaving Ion-
don for st. Petersburg about this time and SO Won
might keep your eyes open the Journey there
Tor you discovered him to your fellow passenger
it might perhaps make the business that comes after
easier. You see this envelope" said the editor TAX
ing from a drawer in his desk large envelope the
flap of which was secured by a great piece of
stamped sealing wax. "This envelope contains q
humble ordinary copy of todays issue of the Daily
Bugle, but in outside appearance it might be taken