The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-05-08
BY ROBERT BARR,

ly as could.
THANK you, Lieutenant Drummond,
rumbled Sir John in his deep voice.
as II he were pronouncing sentence,
and. my testimony completed, the CONF
mittee rose.
II was out in the street before Billy
Richardson overlook me, and then he
called himself 10 my attention by a
resembling slap on the shoulder
"Alan, my boy he cried, you have
done yourself proud. Your fortunes
made
-.As howT i asked. shaking him by
the hand.
Why, we've been for weeks hold
Ing an inquiry on this blessed gun. and
the question is whether or not lot
more Of them are to be made. You
know what an opinionated beast Old
Crouch is. Well, my boy, You have cor
roborated his opinion OF the gun in
every detail. BE is such a brow beat
ing, tyrannical brute that the rest OF
the committee would rather Ike to so
against him IL they dared, but you have
put spoke in their wheel. Why, Sir
John never said thank you" to hui
man being since he was born until
twenty-seven minutes and fifteen sec
onds after II this morning, as you
would put it. and at the time of writ
ing this letter this surmise Of Bllly's
appears to be justified, for the tape in
tho nIph 1tsk ,,opy onnn,,noad f,aR tho
committee has unanimously decided in
favor of the gun, and adds that this Is
regarded as a triumph for the chair
man, Admiral Sir John Pendergest,
with various letters after his name.
Dear Miss AmhurSt, this letter, as
feared, has turned out intolerably long,
and, like our first conversation, 1t is all
about myself. But then, you see, you
are the only one on the other side of
the water to whom l have confided my
selfish worries, and believe you to be
so kind hearted that l am sure you
win not censure me for this once ex-
ceeding the limits of friendly CORE
spondence. Having been deeply de-
pressed during all the previous long
days, the sudden reaction urges me to
go out into Pail Mall, fling my cap in
the air and whoop, which action Is
quite evidently remnant of my for
mer cowboy aspirations. Truth to tell,
the Russian business seems already
forgotten except by my stout old cap
tain on the CONSERVATION or my I'M
Gle. The strenuous Sir John has had
me hailed across the ocean merely to
give testimony. lasting about thirty
five minutes, when, with little pa
tience, he might have waited till the
CONSERVATION herself arrived or else
have cabled for us to try the gun at
Bar Harbor. l suppose, however, that
after my unfortunate contretemps with
Russia our government was afraid I'd
chip corner off the United States and
that they'd have to pay for It So per-
haps, after all, 1t was greater economy
to bring me across on the liner Enthu-
siana.
"By the way. learned yesterday
that the CONSERVATION has been or
dered home, and so expect to see
Jack Lamont before many days are
past. The ship will be paid on at
Portsmouth. and then suppose he and
will have our freedom for six months.
am rather looking forward to Jacks
cooking me some weird but tasteful
Russian dishes when we reach his
blacksmith's shop in ST. Petersburg.
II get on in Russia, as l hope and
expect, shall spend the rest Of my
leave over in the States. saw very
little indeed of that great country and
am extremely anxious to see more.
When one is on duty aboard ship one
can only take very short excursions
ashore. should like to visit Niagara.
It seems ridiculous that one should
have been all along the American coast
from Canada to New York and never
have got far enough inland to view the
great falls.
Russia is rather dilatory in her
methods. but surely should know
within two or three weeks whether
am going to succeed or not. II not,
then there Is no use In waiting there.
] shall try to persuade the prince to ac-
company me to America, During the
weeks l am waiting in St Petersburg
/ shall continually impress upon him
the utter futiIity of a life which has
not Investigated the great electrical
power plant at Niagara Falls. And
then he is Interested in the educational
system Of the United States. While
we were going to the station early that
morning he told me that the United
States educational system must be the
most wonderful in the world, because
he found that your friend, Miss Kath-
crime Kempt, knew more about cleo
tricity, metsllurgy, natural philosophy
and great number of other things he
is interested in than all the ladies' he
has met in Europe put together he
thinks that's the right sort Of educa-
ton for girls, and all this rather as
tonished me. because. although your
friend was most charming. she said
nothing during my very short acquaint-
0nrp Tcfth har ~ faad mo - oF.pfaark