The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-11-30
CHAPTER XVI.
discriminating Dispatches.


discriminating Dispatches.
She had been arranging the papers
deity in some sort Of order.
"You read French, think? The let
ter of Ferdinand is In that language;
Sir Mortimer's notes and answers are,
of course, in English"
/ drew toward me the first OF the
papers she indicated.
"You are nothing il not modern In
your methods" / scoffed, glancing
down the page. Your safes and
typewriters bring back to me the asso-
Citations of my banking business. And
a banker. let me warn you, scans the
signature of a draft carefully before
he cashes It,"
"The typewriter is an amusing little
instrument" she yawned, "and / am
proud of my success in mastering 1t.
AS for the safe, If you have been a
banker, you know that the combina-
ton is carefully guarded, M. Coward"
It gave her the cruelest delight to
taunt me with the shameful word. Dur
ing the next half hour she insultcd me
so at least half dozen times. I bent
my attention on the paper before me.
I translate roughly Ferdinand's let
ter:
"(Strictly confidental)
"Hotel du Rhin,
place vendome, Paris,
MAY %.
s'My Dear Sir Mortimer:
'T expect to start for Sofia via Wen
ma and Budapest In about week; l
trust l shall see you at the Palace
shortly after my arrival. Meanwhile
let me urge on you once more that
YOU exert without further delay your
great influence with your Foreign Of
fee. that your ministers may be con-
WINGED that the crisis has come-the
opportunity we have so long awaited.
Now or never must lead my army to
the succor of the distressed people OF
Macedonia. think that the profound
knowledge you have always shown of
affairs in the Balkan Peninsula must
make you realize the truth OF this
statement. 1t is useless for me to re-
peat my arguments. For what you
have done / thank you. But 1t Is not
to the diplomatist am now speaking
but to the man. / have written this
letter with my own hand, for reasons
that you will understand.
Believe me, my dear Sir Mortimer
4 Faithfully yours,
yS.t ~, ferdinand"
81 see nothing discriminating in this
letter." / said, nor anything out O
the usual run of letters.
you will notice on the back Of thu
letter this brief statement: Answered
June Sd, M. B. AS to the answer
the letter it is equally innocent 1t i
simply the guarded reply of diplo
matist dealing with delicate topic
In these typewriter copies this lette
and its answer are meaningless. In
originals are simply useful to prov
the authenticity Of Sir Mortimer
handwriting"
/ scanned the answer. 1t was not a
exact copy, put the substance Of 81
Mortimer's letter jotted down to RI
fresh his memory:
Il replied in substance as follows:
was useless to bring up the matte
again; my personal wishes would nc
be sufficient to change the programm
of the Foreign ONCE; at present di
not see my way clear to advocate
a diplomatist England's espousal
this cause; would continue to lay tn
matter before the Foreign ONCE; mol
than that, when events justified til
act, / would see that such influence
/ possessed was exerted in the ma
ner Prince FERDINAND wished; but
present I could offer no encourag
ment."
Mote concerning the above, also
Sir Mortimer's handwriting.)
This reply will put an end, thin
to further correspondence In that qua
ter. Certainly, the hopes Of the matte
seem so radically devirgent from tho
of the ruler that I can favor one on
at the expense of the other. Natr
ally. i prefer to favor the party tn
promises the most for my own int
ests"
Il told you that the originals a
particularly useful to identify Z
handwriting and signature OF Sir Nj
timer. But observe, monsieur, the 6
preston: Naturally, prefer to fav
the party that promises the most
my own interests That sentence
to be remembered when you read t
other letters. 1t has its significance
Again she stretched out her hand
receive the papers l had read. /
not relinquish them, however. I Ia