Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-02-07

|
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,
rich, well-known in social circles, a
linguist, a man acquainted with all
histories and all phases of life. diplo-
mat. perhaps young and pleasing. You
will say. why does he accept so base
a task? When a Russian noble takes
the oath in the presence of his car,
| he becomes simply an arm; he no
| longer thinks, his master thinks for
him. He only acts. So long as he Of
| fers his services without remunera-
ton. his honor remains untouched, I'M
sullied. A paid spy is the basest of
all creatures"
Count. take care that do not warn
my country of Russia's purpose. You
are telling me very strange things"
The American eyed his companion
sharply.
Warn the United States? tell
you. it will not matter. All Russia
would need would be a dissatisfied
clerk What could he not do with half
a million francs?' The diplomat blew
a cloud of smoke through his nostrils
! and flliped the end of his cigarette.
"A hundred thousand dollars?"
The diplomat glanced amusedly at
his American friend. Il suppose that
sounds small enough to you rich Amer
icans But to clerk it reads wealth"
The American was silent. A terri
BILE thought flashed through his brain,
thought that he repulsed almost i'm
mediately.
"Of course, I am only specializing;
nothing has been done as yet
Then something is going to be
| done?" asked the American, clearing
his voice.
Zone day or another. If we can not
find the clerk, we shall look higher.
We should consider q million francs
we'll invested. America is rapidly be-
coming a great power. But let us
drop the subject and turn to some
thing more agreeable to us both. Your
! daughter is charming. | honestly con-
fess to you that | have not met her
| equal in any country. Pardon my
| presumption, but may l ask if she
| is engaged to be married."
mot to my knowledge" VASTLY sur
prised and at the same time pleased.
Are you averse to foreign alli-
ances?" The diplomat dipped the end
of his fresh-lighted cigar into his cof-
! fee
My dear count, I am not averse to
foreign alliances. but l rather suspect
| that my daughter is This aversion
| might be overcome, however"
What vista was opened to this
wretched father! If only she might
marry riches, how easily he might con-
TESS what he had done, how easily all
| this despair and terror might be dis
persed! And here was a man who was
known in the great world, rich. young
and handsome.
The other gazed dreamily at the
ceiling: from there his gaze Travelled
about the coffee-room. with it's gath
| ering of offee-drinkers, and at length
came back to his vis-a-vis.
You will return to Washington ?" he
asked.
Il shall live there for the winter:
that is, expect to-
"DOubtlesS we shall see each other
| this winter then. and the count
threw away his cigar. bade his com
| panion good night, and went to his
room.
How adroitly he had sown the seed,
At that period he hnd no positive idea
upon what kind of II0u3d he haG cast
it. BIT he tooh that chance which all
| far-sighted men take and then
waited, There was Iittle he had not
learned about this handsome American
with the beautiful daughte How he
had learned viii always remain dark to
me. My own opinion is that he had
been studying him during his tenure
OF ONCE in Washington. and with that
| patience which IS making Russia so
formidable, waited for this oppOrtu-
| nifty.
shall eive the Russian all the JUS
ticc of Importantly WhcA he saw
the girl, he rather shrank from the
affair. But he had gone too far. he
had promised too much; to withdraw
now meant his own defeat. his gov
ernments anger. his political oblivion.
And there was Zest in this life Of his
He could no more resist the call of
intrigue than gambler can resist the
croupier's Make your game. gentle
mem" I believe that he loved the girl
the moment he set eyes upon her. Her
beauty and bearing distinguished her
from the other women he had met. and
her personality was so engaging that