The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-11-17

him and let him retire gracefully to his
country seat As 4 leader he had made
Il miserable failure. As politician he
was as dangerous to his friends as to
his enemies. He was fussy, i'll bal
| anced, growing deaf, and the desire
was to get rid of him without hurting
his feeling Perhaps Il lord should
know when Il movement of that sort
is on foot and appreciate its worth and
do the retiring act in graceful man
ner, but having carried the British gov
ernment On his shoulders for the past
ten wears and fearing some great ca
lamity if he laid down his burden. Lord
X was no sooner appointed first lord
than he took his place and gave the
second lord to understand that he in
tended to run things.
Confusion and CONSERVATION arose Mt
once. Lord X was no more fitted for
! the position than the humbleSt work
man in England. but who was going
| to bell the cat and tell him 50: He was
sure to make blundors and mix things
up, and just at that time the govern
ment wanted particularly to have
things working smoothly. Some one
higher up" was finally found to give
| Lord X. hint that he wasn't expected
| to NEEDLE with things at headquarters,
and the less he said for publication as
| first lord the better for himself and
| the government.
"Egad, but l have been appointed
| first lord, and first lord l will be-
| was his reply. Il was appointed be-
cause l appeared to be the only man
| in the country who could conduct that
| department properly, and l do not in
| tend to disappoint my friends or the
government l shall be at my desk the
same as any clerk"
Here was an unprecedented state of
affairs, and many consultations were
held. Even royalty was appealed to.
| 1t was admitted on all sides that the
| first lord would have to step out, but
| it was also admitted that he was fool
enough to raise row if any more
| broad hints were given him.
In this emergency an outsider was
| summoned. He was not only an out
/ SiueE So luI IS OIIlN was WI
| cerncd, but outside of politics alto
| gether. and not Il hundred people in
| England krcw him by sight. He was
| asked to do what the queen had said
| she saw no way Of doing herself. lie
waited one week to see if Lord X
| would not fall out of a cab and break
his neck, and then he began work.
| nfFiniDl nt1I-
| cial desk or official messenger or Off
cal anything else for the first lord, he
| had taken possession Of the second
| lords quarters and was working to
| save England and her colonies to pos
| terity when a messenger arrived With
an important document. The meSsen-
ger had come from France in all haste.
| The document was so important that
1t was scaled in four places and tied
with the rcddCSt of red tape, and the
second lord, who carried it to the first
lord. looked awed and handled the big
envelope with reverence. 1t was doc
umcnt not to be opened until the three
lords should be seated together in coun-
ell. and it so happened that the third
lord had gone fishing or somewhere
else that day The first lord would be
the custodian of the package for the
day. 1t was left in his hands. and as
he swellcd with pride and dignity he
put pNpHrwcight on it and went out
to lunch.
Five inmates after his return. an
hour and Il half later. all England be
gan to trClnblc In five more she was
perspiring and feeling her knees wab-
bic. The papcrwcight was still there
but the important document from
France was missing. Lord X. grew
red and grew pale. He grew veal
and he grew strong. He shouted at the
top of his voice and he spoke in wills
pGrs. The document could not b.
| found.
When he had been reduced to Il prop
er frame of mind he was told by tn
second lord that he had been criminal
ly careless; that while he sat and at
some spy of some foreign government
had walked into the open office anC