The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-05

jubilee was the levee of her Britannia
majesty's consul at Matautu on the last
day. The tableau was set with a keen
eye to general effect, for the consul
would have made a good stage manager
for drawing room comedy if he had gone
into that line of business. He stood on
the steps of the veranda of the consul
ate IN shade of stephanotls and ALA
manda, which kept eff the glare Of the
noon sun. He was supported by the
majesty of King Maletoa in his one
uniform with the inconvenient sword,
and by the officers of the cruiser, by the
diplomatic and treaty officials in inc
strict order of rank few persons
with pretentions to position had been
honored with invitations to seats on the
Veranda, or in default of such invita-
tion had manoeuvred themselves into
the reserved circle.
British subjects and American citi-
Zens We're strung out in line along roped
pathways through the compound to
prevent them from struggling out of
the line of march which was designed
to lead them solemnly past the dapper
little consul in his silver-laced uniform
as the personal representative of all
that was British. OF course, when one
is in the world where things happen
and there are real people walking
about, it does seem most absurd
thing to find any pleasure in pranc-
ing gravely up to the front view of a
neatly groomed man in uniform and
bowling to him with the utmost circum-
stance. But out in Samoa it struck peo-
pie as being almost the real thing, and
they dld 1t for the most part without
cracking a smile.
Not entirely, however. There was in
! the line of citizens afoot a large, slab
sided stevedore from way down East
from Sacarappa, to be more precise
Captain Harrington had left his home
in Portland many a year ago, had
seen the chances of the sea, and mad
settled down to stevedoring in the port
of Apia combined with a small planta-
ton on the slope of Mount Vaea He
had a voice so powerful that no gale
had yet been found strong enough to
drown it out. He had a vocabulary
which would do credit to the mate of
western ocean packet. He was for mis-
own part blissfully unconscious of
these somewhat prominent peculiari-
ties. Others might be well aware that
he was shouting boisterously; he real
ly thought that he was conversing in
subdued and gentle manner.
Harrington was in the line of citi-
zens slowly moving across the scene in
front of the British consul. He did not
particularly notice the form of saluta-
ton with which those ahead of him
We're presumably imparting solemn dig
nifty to their department. He had
talked to consuls before and he knew
what to say as well as the next man.
He was really feeling cordial toward
the British nation and it's representa-
tive just about that time and he was
willing to say so. When in his turn
he shuft1ed along in front of the re-
volving party he paid his independent
respects to the consul, whose dainty
hand he infolded in a comprehensive
grip and a shake which communicated
its heartiness up and down the slender
frame of the representative of the Brit
ish empire.
Great Scott, Mr.. Consul" he roared
meanwhile, IT like this. By Judah's
priest I do Tn gosht almighty glad to
see you and all the rest Of these gol
burned British objects having such a
lot of good time, by thunder
The British consul had to stay where:
he was and try to look as though Cap
tain Harrington had not been quite so
cordial. But others in the official cir
Gle We're not so chained to rtEe nar-
ticular spot, and they felt a sense of re-
ief when the German consul turned to
his neighbor and said:
Our British colleague has possibly
some refreshments in his dining ROOM
Shall we see?" 1t was a trifle, but it
saved the situation.