Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-31

The summer preceding the action CT
this tale saw them at Dieppe. At one
time he had recovered something be-
between $4,000 and $40 900 of his Losses.
All, had no stopped then, confessed
to his daughter, all would have gone
we'll. But, no: he must win the entire
sum. He lost, lost, lost. The crash
came in August. But corner of the
vast Virginia estate was left, and this
did not amount to $4,000. Five francs
carelessly tossed upon roulette table
had ruined and dishonored him. The
angel of the pitch robes had fairly en-
veloped him now. The thought that
he had gambled uselessly his daugh-
tar's legacy, the legacy which her
mother had left contidingly in his care,
filled his soul with the bitterness Of
gall. And she continued the merry
round of happiness, purchasing expen-
sive garments, jewelry, furs, the little
things which women love; gave din
ners and teas and dances, considered
herself an heiress, and thought the
world very pleasant place to live in.
Every laugh from her was a thorn to
him, the light of happiness in her eyes
was reproach, for he knew that she
was dancing toward the precipice
which he had digged for her.
Struggling futilely among these net
ties Of despair, he took the final step.
His ruin became definitive.
One starlit night he met distin-
guished young diplomat, rich and hand
some. He played some, but to pass
away the time rather than to coquet
with fortune. He was lucky. The man
who plays for the mere fun of it is
generally lucky. He asks no favors
from fortune, he does not pay any
attention to her, and woman7like. she
is piqued. He won heavily this night;
my soldier lost correspondingly heav-
lily. The diplomat pressed a loan upon
his new-found friend, who, with his
usual luck, lost'it.
The diplomat was presented to the
daughter. They owned to mutual &C
Quaintance in Paris and Washington.
The three attended the concert The
girl returned to the hotel bubbling with
happiness and the echoes of enchant-
ing melodies, for she was an accom-
plished musician. She retired and left
the two men to their coffee and cigars.
The conversation took several turns,
and at length stopped at diplomacy
"It has always puzzled me-" said
the soldier, how Russia finds out all
she does"
"That is easily explained. Russia
has the wisdom of the serpent. Here
is a man who possesses a secret which
Russia must have They study him.
If he is gallant, one day he meets
fascinating woman; if he Is greedy,
he turns to find a bowl of gold at his
elbow; II he seeks power, Russia points
out the shortest road"
but her knowledge OF foreign army
and naval strength"
Money does all that Russia pos
sesses an accurate knowledge Of every
fort, ship and gun England boasts Of;
France, Germany, and Japan. We have
never taken 1t into our heads to In
vestigate America TILL recently your
country as foe to Russian interests
had dropped below the horizon. And
now Russia finds that she must pro-
coed to do what she had done to all
other countries; that is, duplicate her
rivals fertilization plans, her total
military and naval strength; and SO
forth, and so on. The United States
is not an enemy, but there are posi-
bilities of her becoming SO. Some day
she must wrest Cuba from Spain, and
then she may become recognized
quantity in the Pacific"
1.-THE Pacifc?"
Given So. Having taken Cuba, the
United States, to protect her western
coast, will be forced to occupy the
Philippines; and having taken that
archipelago, she becomes a menace to
Russian territorial expansion in the
far east. do not always speak so
| frankly. But l wish you to see the
necessity of knowing all about your
coast defenses."
So far the American had only gam
bled.
ut can not be done!" spiritedly.
sit can and will be done," smiling
Despite the watchfulness of your Of
! fcials, despite your secret service, de-
| spite all obstacles Russia will quiet
ly gain the required information. She
| possesses key to every lock-"
"And what might this key be?"-
with tolerant irony.
Gold"
But if the United States found out
what Russia was doing, there might
be war;
Nothing of the kind. Russia would
simply deny all knowledge. The man
whom she selected to do the work
would be discredited, banished, per-
haps sent to Siberia, to rot in the
mines. No, there would be no war.
Russia would weigh all these posi-
bilities in selecting her arm. She
would choose man of high intellect,
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