Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-08-27
II demanded at the Office if a distinguished lady o: title, possibly

II demanded at the office it q distinguished LADY of title. possibly
a Russian, had just entered the hotel.
GAS I expected, she had not. I sprang into a cab and inquired at
two other hotels, and then I saw the folly Of trying to catch her with
out outside help, and 1 ordered the fellow to gallop to the office of the
Chief of Police. [ told my story, and the ass in charge asked me to
calm myself, and wanted to take notes. I told him this was no time for
taking notes, but for doing something. BE got wrahy at that, and I
demanded to be taken at once to his Chief. The Chief, he said, was.
very busy, and could not see me. So I showed him my silver grey
hound. In eleven years I had never used it but once before. 1 stated
IN pretty vigorous language that l was a Queens Messenger, and that,
i; the Chief of Police did not see me instantly he would lose his official
head. At that the fellow jumped off his high horse and ran with me-
to his chlef,-a smart young chap, q colonel in the army, and q very
intelligent man.
II explained that I had been robbed in a French railway carriage
of a diamond necklace belonging to the Queen of England, which her
Majesty was sending a a present to the Czarina of Russia. I pointed
out to him that if he succeeded in capturing the thief be would be
made for life, and that he would receive the gratitude of three great
powers.
"He wasn't the sort that thinks second thoughts are best. BE saw
Russian and French decorations sproutng all over his chest, and he
hit a bell, and pressed buttons, and yelled out orders like the captain
of a penny steamer in a fog. He sent her description to all the city
|gates, and ordered all cabmen and railway porters to search all trains
leaving Marselnes. He ordered all passengers on outgoing vessels to be
examined, and telegraphed the proprietors of every hotel and pension
to send him a complete list Of their guests within the hour. While 1
was standing there he must have given at least a hundred orders, and
sent out enough commissaires, sergeants de vile, gendarmes, bicycle
police, and plainclothes Johnnies to have captured the entire German
army. When they had gone he assured me that the woman was as
good IS arrested already. Indeed, officially, she was arrested; for she
had no more chance of escape from Marseiles than from the Chateau
DIFF. ~~
CHE told me to return to my hotel and possess my soul in peace.
Within an hour he assured me he would acquant me with her arrest.
Il thanked him, and complmented him on his energy, and left
him. But I didn't share in his confidence. 1 felt that she was a very
clever woman, and a match for any and all of US. It was all very we'll
for him to be jubiant. He had not lost the diamonds, and had every
thing to gain if he found them; while ], even if he did recover tho
necklace, would only be where I was before I lost them, and if he did
not recover it ! vas a ruined man: It was an awful faeer for me I
had always prided myself on my record. In eleven years I had never
mislaid an envelope, nor missed taking the first train. And now I had
failed in the most important mission that had ever been intrusted to
me. And it wasn't a thing that could be hushed up, either. It was too
concniououc M cpaotoor1or r. woo cro 70 invita- III Il .o4or.o+,
[ saw myself ridiculed all over the Continent, and perhaps dismissed,
even suspected of having taken the thing myself.
Il was walking in front of a lighted cafe, and 1 felt so sick and
miserable that I stopped for a pickmeup. Then I considered that if
| took one drink [ would probably, in my present state of mind, not
want to stop under twenty, and / decided I had better leave it alone.
But my nerves were jumping, like a frightened rabbit, and I felt I
must have something to quiet them, or I would go crazy. I reached
for my cigaretecase, but a cigarette seemed hardly adequate, so I put