The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-05-16
CHAPTER !.
A Sleeping Nation.

| wheels of many closing factories
had droned final protest. idleness
was spreading. and throughout the
land the subject of the impending con-
fiict was gravely discussed Distin-
guished orators In great cities pre-.
dicted dire losses in prestige and
honor. and every hamlet had its
prophet OF woe. The nations position
as first-class power. even its very in
tegrity, seemed at stake
And in all this ominous unrest, this
clamor for action, the administration
at Washington sat unmoved. smiling
what seemed to the country and the
world at large a fatuous smile OF COM
placency. 1t was then endeavoring,
as In previous crises. through the use
of high-sounding words, to avert an
actual clash at arms.
For some years there had been
mooted questions between Japan and
the great American republic. due In
the first instance to troubles of a pure
ly racial character. The Pacific coast,
which for many decades hal been com.
10 face an economic invasion from the
orient, wanted none Of the small men
from across the water.
Other complications followed. ia.
pan by example and precept reiuv-
enated the sleeping giant which spoke
her sister tongue and had with her
an offensive and defensive 7 alliance
that could be invoked In time OF need.
and by further adroit policy main
tanned a similar compact with Great
Britain. She waxed prosperous. de-
handing trade concessions where
once she had begged them. Nor had
she neglected the perfecting Of her
navy. which from the time OF her war
with Russia had been one OF the most
capable. Now II equaled in size and
probably eycelled in fighting efficiency
that of the United States.
In the Philippines the racial war
came to such an acute stage that ia
pan demanded immediate adjustment,
although following the same diplo-
matte methods which characterized
her career as an advanced nation
pitifully pleading TO the world at large
that she was a small power whose
only wish was for peace; invokihs
sympathy on the one hand and pre-
pairing TO strike before hostilities were
anticipated on the other.
And In the midst of all this turmoil
OF mind and passiveness OF accom-
plishment. Guy Hitler, secretary Of
The British embassy in Washington,
found other and more personal annoy
ances. The particular vexation was a
woman's peryersity.
He brooded over his love affair
more than the welfare Of nations. as
he stood in the great railway station
of the capital on this night. watching
for the arrival of the Florida special
which was TO bring to him Norma
Roberts. after an absence Of nearly a
month.
With some bitterness he recalled
that II was not the first time within
six months that he had loitered in
this station. To him IL seemed that
since he first had known the girl he al.
ways had been waiting and longing
She had held him In thrall since the
night he met her more than a year
before, when half reluctantly he had
accepted an invitation to reception
given to her father; and yet in all
that aftertime he had been In per
petual suspense. The reception had
been much like other receptions. and
was given in honor OF another inven-
ticn by old Bill Roberts" as he styled
himself and was known 10 his init
mates.
Guy had gone through mere curl.
oslty wishing to see at short range a
man who only few years before had
been dubbed "harcbrained crank
but whose work had proved him other.
wise. lie remembered the lights OF
the drawing room. the throng. OF
guests, and that Roberts had forgot
ten the event and kept some OF the
most distinguished men of the nation,
inolNling every member of the cabi-
me-, waiting till he could be dragged
fro his laboratory at the end OF the
garden.
Everyone had taken the remissness
with American good humor, laughed
and chatted till a search could be
made, and then given way to the in
ventor's entrance, which was not tri-
umphal., TWAS effected with something
approaching a lack OF prophecies.
There had been the sound OF high
Strung, snarling voice In protest from
the lower end Of the drawing room,
which was luxuriously furnished and
prnslded over by Norma. There had
been a moments silence, then an ex-
clamation loud enough to be heard by
those who were cnriously expectant
We'll, | couldn't help 1t. the petu
liant words came. Il got tired Of walt
ing around, and went back to work
You got me into this mess. You know
l lont like dress affairs. and hate
dress suits. Working clothes suit me
be T. So there"
Everyone had looked at one another
un lerstandingly and smiled when the
er'inent scientist and inventor had
be IN led into the room. Guy, craning
his neck Ia a sudden desire to see this
entry had q confused picture OF Q