The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-09-10
A Diplomatic Encounter.


Their died insolvent. Mother and /
were reduced from atf1uence to positive
want. l applied to a friend in the for
eign office for a clerkship. 1t happened
that at the time the Americans wei =
aiming at a treaty with japan that
would be prejudicial to our interests.
An emissary of the state department
at Washington was on his way via the
Mediterranean with the treaty. The
vessel he Travelled in was to stop at
Marseilles.
l confess l was shocked at the prop
osition that was made mel, who had
never done mean thing in my life
to wheedle a knowledge of the drift
of the treaty out of the American.
But the reward was great, enough to
keep mother and me in comparative
comfort.
In social life | had been considered
what the Americans call "a flirt," but
| was never dishonorable. l would
never attack a man unless he was in
clined that way himself. Now l was
expected to win one simply for pay.
The temptation was too great for
me. | yielded. | boarded the ship at
Marseiles. Roger Sutherland. whom
| was to snare, was a modest look
ing, quiet man. | soon made his ac-
quaintance. and he seemed to take to
me at once. He said that if it were
not for my accent he would not be-
lieve me to be English; that | had all
the sprightliness of an American girl
The game l was playing was natural
to me. / didn't have to try to win
him If l had possibly l might have
failed
But, as to stealing the information,
didn't know where to begin. We had
passed through the canal before l ven
tured to make move in that direc-
ton. began by asking his occupa-
ton. He prevaricated. | leased him.
He told me that he had a government
position, and that was all that | could
get out of him for long while. Then
suddenly he told me everything
wondered why he who had so long
been reticent should have changed so
quickly. He answered my every ques-
ton, and truthfully. The treaty was
in his trunk in his stateroom. Did he
! not fear it would be stolen? No.
| There was a lock ON the trunk that
had been made for it The key was
of a peculiar kind. The next time we
were on deck together, feigning to be
moved by natural feminine curiosity,
l leased him to let me see the key.
He took It out of his pocket and
handed it to me. Feigning an inten-
ton to brighten him l ran to the side
Of tho ship and held It in my Est over
the water. He didn't even follow me-
So l took it back and gave it to him
| had provided myself with a bit Of
wax and had. squeezed an impression
of the key.
Pretending that / had lost the key
| of my own trunk, l 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 a great risk. l entered
his stateroom and with the key made
from the impression opened the trunk.
found the treaty, took it to my state
room, copied tit was in cipher-and
got it back to the trunk in plenty Of
time to avo getting caught.
With success came the pricking Of
conscience. l told my victim of my
circumstances, the loss of my father,
my effort to obtain employment and
ended by falsely telling him that l
was going out to India to be gov
erness. From that moment his manner
changed toward me. l had consid-
| cred before that my success was due
| to having won his heart. Now / was
| sure of it. Then he asked me to be
his wife.
Now, for the first time, realized
that If had won him l had been won
| in winning him. Whatever was good in
my nature rebelled at my trickery.
longed to confess it and throw myself
upon his mercy. But l dared not
From loving me he would despse me-
| told him that l could never be his
wife; that there was barrier between
us; that | was unworthy of him. He
soothingly treasured me, said my con-
science was abnormally sensitive; that
he was sure one so lovely could not do
anything very wrong
The night before we reached Bombay
we were on deck together under the
starry heavens.
Sweetheart" he said, 1--WE part to-
morrow. 1t 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! I diplomat"'
He took my hand. 81 suspected you
the moment you began to play your
game, and l played mine to trap you.
l gave you my 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 toppthqr and I found Them do