The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-07-06
THE consul 3 VISITOR.
a D!sasreeable Duty Averted by
. Timely Arrival
BY OWEN HODGES.
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& BY OWEN HODGES. S
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OF the many consulates ON the CONT
nent of Europe in the gift of the United
States those are most to be desired, sala-
~ and expenses being equal. that are
outside the ordinary routes Of travel,
Tor TX there Is one annoyance greater
than another it is the demands made
upon consul by the tourist making the
grand tour" in three months who uses
the consulate as bureau Of information.
The tourist asks the eonsups services to
provide him with a laundress or set
tie his disputes with the hackmen and
guides, and it follows naturally the more
ignorant and purse proud the man the
more intolerant his manner. what do
We pay Him for" they say, "but to as
sist his countrymen?" And they threat
en- him with the state department il he
dares to refuse.
Chester Brandon, United States consul
at Bando, had therefore reason to con-
graduate himself that Bando, although q
health resort well known upon the CONT
nent and delightful residence, was just
off the track OF the ''tripper" and offered
nothing to his eXpatriated eountrymen
that the American colony at Florence,
for instance, could not better supply.
But now and then an American citizen
did call upon him, as he knew to his cost,
for they were in most cases those who
had exhausted their letters of credit and
demanded aid from the consulate. They
were always astonished and indignant
TO learn that the United States had no
fund for that purpose and that unless
they were seamen. duly shipped on an
American vessel, they were not q charge
upon the general government. In such
cases there was nothing for the consul to
do but to advance enough money from
his own purse to enable them to reach
the nearest consulate and 80 be passed
along until they reached an American
colony or arrived at a seaport where a
kindly consul shipped them home In the
steerage.
Now, it happened one afternoon as
Brandon was deep in a report to the de-
partment concerning the market for our
cotton goods in his district that Don To
maso, his vice consul, came in from the
outer Office and said, ''There il q signo-
IA Americana that wishes to see your e1-
cellency." Ask her to come in," he
said. The door was opened. and he rose
10 meet q refined woman Of about 30
years of age. thoroughly American in her
appearance, with a careworn face and
dressed plainly in somewhat old fashion
ed clothes. Brandon was prepared to
receive a tourist and expected nothing
less than the old story of delay in remit
tances and the request Of a small loan.
He was surprised to find that such was
not the case, for she began by saying:
"Air. Consul, you have the power to adj
minister oaths. have you mott" Ger
tainly, madam" he replied. "How can
serve your
She sat silently for a few moments,
ncrvously twisting and untwisting her
handkerchief, which she held in her
hands. She seemed very much agitated.
and Brandon snid again, at will give me
great pleasure to be Of any service ]
can. madam" She startled him by her
next question:
"You are an American citizen, aren't
you? So many Of our consuls are not
citizens, am told"
Certainly" he said.
"What part Of the country are you
FROM" was her next query.
From down east" Brandon replied
vaguely.
Il know very little about the duties of
nm American consul, and l am not sure
you will help ME after you have heard
my story. but you are at least q fellow
countryrian. and nm sadly in need Of 4
friend in whom l can copfde."
"If you will be SO good al 70 tell me
your trouble, / am sure ] can help you"
said Brandon. more and more interested.
She looked ut him thoughtfully for .
moment and then said abruptly, "Were
you in America five years ago?"
NO" he replied.
ibid you ever hear Of the failure OF
the Mills River bank and the embezzle-
ment of it's cashier?' He shook his
head, wondering what these questions
were leading up to. She sighed and said:
~ supposed every one knew Of that.
Well, l nm the wife of the man that
ruined the bank. whose flight was the
sensation Of the time and whose photo
graph and reward for arrest are posted
in every consulate in Europe"
"Oh, now | remember" said Brandon
as he called to mind an old handful he
found in his desk when he took charge
of the consulate. and he said as gently
as he could. You are Mrs. Manning?"
YES" she answered. II am Mrs. Man.
ming. Do you think you can help me
now that you know who ] am? Fran.
don hesitated, and the woman watched
him closely. as IL fearful Of his decision.
Finally he said. what il 1t you wish me
to do, madam II seemed G great EFFORT
for her to spenk. but she replied:
my husband is very III. and 1t Is his
wish to make u confession under onth in
regardAh hix etnbezzlement and to exon
crate bis friends. whom he SO weakly
deserted" And then. AZ II overcome
with the hopelessness OF her condition,
she began to weep. Brandon arose from
his chair and walked restlessly about the
room. The greet grief of the woman and
his duty 10 the government. now that the
facts were known. were opposing factors
in his mind Should he telegraph the de-
partmGnt that be- had found this noted
criminal or shoSfl he keep the trust the
woman had placed in him? For the pres
ent he would say nothing. The man was
I'll. He would Just see him and then de-
eide, so. after r pause, he broke the ST.
lence by saying, Where is your hus-
band, madam"
1--WE ore living at Mazi'-a small vii
lage 90 miles away, on the mountain
side.
When would you like ME to see your
husband%'
Immediately. if it is possible" she
said.
Every well, then, let us 60 at once.
have nothing to detain me-" And, enter
Ing q carriage that she had in waiting,
they set out for Mazi. On the way she
told him her story. Five years ago John
Manning was the cashier OF the Mills
River bank, one Of the most respected
citizens of the small city in which he
lived. A generous man, with many
friends and noted for his business sagac-
ity, he was an authority on invest
ments and was executor and administra-
tor for many estates. At this time the
mining fever was at its height, and when
Manning told his friends that he had an
option ON n mine they hastened to join q
company, place him at its head and in
vest their money. relying entirely on his
judgment, The mine was a failure, the
"pay" vein was ever eluding them, and
the money for operating expenses was
not Forthcoming. Manning was too proud
to ask his friends for mere funds. All
he had were gone, and he began to
take money from the bank. small sums
Mt first, then larger. until he was over
whelmed. One day he came home pale
and breathless. The bank examiner was
comln$ in the mOEpiHS and ths. -ds6cit