The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-02
A DIPLOMATIC ENCOUNTER.

vice. Father died insolyent. Mother
and were reduced from affluence to
positive want. | applied to a friend
in the foreign office for a clerkship.
IL happened that at the time the
Americans were aiming at treaty
with Japan that would be preiudin,al
10 our interests. An emissary of The
state department at Washington was
on his way via the Mediterranean
with the treaty. The vessel he tray-
eied in was to stop at Marsalles.
In social life | had been consider
ed what the Americans call "a nirt."
but was never dishonorable.
would never attack man unless he
was inclined that way himself. Now
was expected TO win one simply for
pay
The temptation was too great for
me. | yielded boarded tho shin
at Marseilles. Roger Sutherland.
whom l was to snare, was a modest
looking, quiet man. soon made his
acquaintance, and he seemed to takn
10 me at once. He said that If il
were not for my accent he woull
not believe me to be English; that I
had all the sprlghtlness of an Amerl-
can girl. The game | was playiEg
was natural to me. didn't have to
try TO win him. If | had possibly |
might have failed.
But, as to stealing the information.
didn't know where to begin. We
had passed through the canal nefore
| ventured to make move i'm that
direction. l began by asking his oc-
cupation. He prevaricated. teased
him. He told me that he had gov
ernment position, and that was all
that | could get out of him for a
long while. Then suddenly he told
ne everything. | wondered why lie
who had so long been reticert should
have changed so quickly. tls an
sWere9 my every question, and truth
fr'ly. The treaty was in his trunk
IN his stateroom. Did he not fear 1t
would be stolen? No. There was a
'LCk on the trunk .i.at had been made
for It, They key was of a peculiar
kind. The next time we were on deck
together, feigning to be moved By a
natural feminine curiosity. | tcasad
him to let me see the key. He took
it out OF his pocket and handed il to
me. Feigning an intention to fright
en- him | ran to the side of the ship
and held II in my fist over the water.
He didn't even follow me. So took
it back and gave II to him. had
provided myself with bit of wax
and had squeezed an impression Of
the key.
Pretending that / had lost the key
Of my own trunk. | called for one of
the ships mechanics to make me an
other from the wax impression. My
victim invariably spent an hour or
more after dinner in the smoking
room. | took q great risk. enter
ed his stateroom and with the key
made from the impression opened
the trunk. found the treaty, took IL
to my stateroom, copied tit was
in cipher-and got it back TO the
trunk in plenty of time to avoid get
ting caught.
With success came the pricklng of
conscience. told my victim of my
circumstances, the loss of my father.
my effort to obtain employment and
ended by falsely telling him that
was going out TO India to be q gov
eness. From that moment his man
ner changed toward me- / had con-
sidered before that my success was
due to having won his heart. Now I
was sure Of II. Then he asked me
to be his wife.
Now, for the first time. realized
that II | had won him | had been
won in winning him. Whatever was
good In my nature rebelled at my
trlckery ! longed to confess it and
throw myself upon his mercy But
dared not. From loving me he would
despise me. ] told him that | could
never be his wife; that there was
barrier between us; that | was un-
worthy OF him. He soothingly re-
assured me. said my conscience was
abnormally sensitive; that he was
sure one SO lovely could not do any
thing very wrong.
The night before we reached Bonn
bay we were on deck together under
the starry heavens.
Sweetheart" he said, I'VE part to-
morrow. II rests with you whether
our parting shall be forever or |
shall call on you on my return. You
are not cut out for diplomat, but
you will make good wife for one"
"A diplomat | diplomat"
He took my hand. ~ suspected you
the moment you began to play your
game, and | played mine to trap
you. gave youSmy key on purpose
and knew how you used it by traces
of wax adhering to it, Certain pages
OF the manuscript you stole were
loosely tackled together, and / found
them detached. | was disappointed
to learn all this, but when afterward
you told me how you had been Tempt