The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-08-06
JENNIE BAXTER: JOURNALIST
BY ROBERT BARR
WILL TheRObbe|y |nIhe Sleeping Cor.
copyright, 1900, BY Robert Barr
Continued

iContinued)
the English press and several solemn
leading articles were put forward in the
editorial columns, which, without men
tioning the name Of The Daily Bugle,
deplored the voracity of the sensational
editor. who respected neither the amity
which should exist between friendly ma
tions nor the good name of the honored
and respected dead in his wolfish hunt
for the daily scandal. Nothing was too
high spiced or improbable for him to
print He traded on the supposed guilt
bility Of tickle public. But, fortunate
ly, in the long run, these staid sheets
asserted, such actions recoiled upon the
head of him who promulgated them.
Sensational journals merited and re-
ceived the scathing contempt of all
honest men. Later on one of the re-
views had an article entitled "Some
Aspects Of Modern journalism. which
struck the head of The Daily Bugle
with sledge hammer, and In one of the
quarterlies professor at Cambridge
showed the absurdity of the alleged in
vention from scientific point of view.
81 swear" cried Mr.. Hardwick, as
he paced up and down his room, that
| shall be more careful after this in the
handling of the truth. 1t is a dangerous
thing to NEEDLE with. If you tell the
truth about man, you are mulcted IN
libel suit, and if you tell the truth
about a nation the united press Of the
country is down upon you. All, well, it
makes the battle of life all the more in
teresting, and we are batfied to fight
better, as Browning saysl"
The editor had sent for Miss Baxter,
and she now sat by his desk while he
paced up and down the floor. The doors
were closed and locked 50 that they
might not be interrupted, and she knew
by the EDITORS manner that something
important was on hand. Jennie had re-
turned 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 as a workable material in jour
nalism, Il have plan to set before you,
and when you know what it is l am
quite prepared to hear you refuse to
have anything to do with it, and, re-
member, if you do undertake it, there
is but one chance in a million of your
succeeding. 1t is on that one chance
that | propose now to send you to st.
Petersburg
"To ST. Petersburg" echoed the girl
in dismay.
eyes, " said the editor, installing the
purport of her ejaculation ut is very
long journey, but you can travel in
great comfort, and want you to spare
no expense in obtaining FOR yourself any
luxury that travel can afford during
your journey to st. Petersburg and
back. -
"And what am to go to st. Peters
burg for2" murmured Jennie family,
"Merely for letter. Here is what
has happened and what is happening: |
shall mention no names, Int at present
high and mighty parsonage in Russia
who is friendly to Great Britain has
written private letter making some
proposals to certain high and mighty
parsonage in England who is friendly
to Russia. This communication is en-
tirely 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 come of it. Now, on
the night of the 2lst, on one of the
sleeping cars leaving st. Petersburg by
the Nord express for Berlin, there will
travel a special messenger having this
letter in his possession. l want you to
take passage by that same train and Sc
cure compartment near the messenger,
if possible. This messenger will be a
man in whom the respective parties t,
the negotiation have implicit conf
dence. | wish | knew his name, hut
don't. Still, the chances are that he is
leaving London for ST. Petersburg about
WILD tlhiC, uut oo Jou might hCCp JouA
eyes open even on the journey there,
for if You discovered him to be your
fellow passenger it might perhaps make
the business that comes after easier.
You see this envelope, " said the editor,
taking from a drawer in his desk a
large envelope, the flap of which was
secured by a great piece Of stamped
sealing wax. "This envelope contains a
humble ordinary copy of today's issue
of The Daily Bugle, but in outside APP
pearance it might be taken for dupli-
cate of the letter which is to leave st.
Petersburg On the 21st. Now, what
would like you to do is to take this en-
velope in your hand bag, and if on the
journey back to London you have an
opportunity of securing the real letter
and leaving this in its place you will
have accomplished the greatest service
you have yet done for the paper.
"Ohp' cried Jennie, rising. II
couldn't do that. Mr. Hardwickl
couldn't think of doing it. 1t is nothing
short of highway robbery
~ know it looks like that pleaded