Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-07-18
Katherine interrupted with grear

Katherine interrupted with grear
scorn.
by adding verisimilitude to an 9TH
erwise bald and unconvincing nara
tive"
"Quite so, Kate. Exactly what I was
going to say myself. But, to come back
to the project itself, granting the ex-
istence Of the rock, granting the truth
Of Johnson's story, granting every
thing, granting even that the young
men are imprisoned there, Of which
we have not the slightest proof, we
could no more succeed in capturing
that place from a frail pleasure
yacht
cts built like a cruiser" said Kath.
crime.
Gwen If 1t were built like a battle
ship we would have no chance what
ever. Why, that rock might defy a
regular feet. Our venture would sim
ply be a marine Jameson raid which
would set the whole world laughing
when people came to hear of it."
johnson said he could take it with
half a dozen men,"
mo, Kate" corrected Dorothy; che
said the very reverse; that two or
three determined men on the rock with
repeating rifles could defeat a host. It
was l who suggested that we should
throw a shell and then rush the en-
trance in the confusion"
Captain Kempt threw up his hands
In a gesture Of despair.
"Great heavens, Dorothy Amhurst,
whom I have always regarded as the
mildest, sweetest and most charming
Of girls, to hear you calmly propose to
throw a shell among a lot Of innocent
men defending their own territory
against a perfectly unauthorized inva-
sion! Throw a shell, say you, as If
you were talking Of tossing a copper
to q beggar! Oh, Lord, Pm growing
old! What will become Of this young
er generation? We'll, 7 give it up.
Dorothy, my dear, whatever will hap
pen to those unfortunate Russians I
| shall never recover from the shock Of
your shell. The thing is absolutely i'm
possible. Can't you e that the mo
ment you get down to details? How
are you going to procure your shells or
your shell firing gun? They are not to
be bought at the first hardware store
you come to on Sixth avenue"
johnson says he can get Them"
proclaimed Kate, with dnality.
ooh, damn Johnson! Dorothy, I beg
your pardon, but really this daughter
Of mine, combined with that Johnson
Of yours, is just a little more than I
can bear"
"Then what are we to do?" demand
ed his daughter. ''Sit here with folded
handsy"
''That would be a great deal better
than what you propose. You should
do something sane. You mustn't in
volve q pair Of friendly countries in
war. OF course the United States
would utterly disclaim your act and
discredit me If 1 were lunatic enough
to undertake such a wild goose chase,
which I'm not. But, on the other
hand, if two Of our girls undertook
such an expedition no q can pre-
dict the public clamor that might arise.
Why, when the newspapers get hold
Of a question you never know where
they will end it. Undoubtedly you two
girls should be sent to prison, and with
equal indebtedness the American
people wouldn't permit it."
"You bet they wouldn't" said Kath-
crime, dropping into slang.
"Well, then, If they wouldn't there's
war"
zone moment, Captain Kempt," said
Dorothy again in her mildest tones, fol-
voices had again begun to run high.
"You spoke of doing something sane.
You understand the situation. What
should you counsel us to dor"
The captain drew a long breath and
leaned back in his chair.
"There, dad, it's up to you," said
Katherine. "Let us hear your pro
posal, and then you'll learn how easy
it is to criticise."
"Well," said the captain hesitatingly
there's u diplomatic service
utterly useless. One man Is a Rus
sian and the other an Englishman. Di
plomacy not only a do nothing, but
won't Eve try" cried Kate trium
phantly.
Yet" said the captain, with little