Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-10-11

IA Diplomat
How He Got His Start In
His Profession.
By SAMUEL E. BRANT.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
By SAMUEL E. BR4ANT.
Copyright. 1910. by American Pres
Association.


James Maitland. son Of an admiral
In the u. s. navy, fell In love with and
married Mile. Julie de Lavalle, the
daughter Of a French diplomat who
had spent many years In the French
service. considerable portion OF
which time be resided In Washing
ton. NJ. de Lavalle never represented
his country as ambassador; he was an
adept at secret methods then In vogue
between nations. but. since the open
diplomacy of the late Secretary Hay.
now largely done away with. When
any quick Machiavellian work was to
be executed It fell to Lavalle.
Maitland and Mile. de Lavalle
were married while the groom was
employed In the state department.
AT the time the Panama canal was
being located and there was any
amount of chicanery perpetrated both
as to Its location and the prevention
of its location both by Central and
North Americans. Then came young
Maitlands opportunity. One morning
the secretary sent for him. handed him
n dispatch and told him that he wish.
; cd him to take 1t to the United States
consul at Vera Cruz. who would see
that it reached Its destination.
Delighted at being thus enabled to
make beginning In his procession
Maitland took the dispatch-it was
placed in an official envelope OF the
state department addressed to the con
sul-and was about to leave when the
secretary said to him:
1T IL essential that the information
contained IN that envelope reaches our
consul in Vera Cruz on or before the
18th. After that date II will be toe
late. 1t Is well that you should know
that It's prompt delivery will involve
the making or the failure to make
millions of dollars by certain capital
isis. You will therefore be very guard
ed in speaking Of your mission and
watch we'll the dispatch. | send 1t to
Vera Cruz by you In order that nc
one In this country may know its III
innate destination. Nevertheless there
are plenty of spies about. und we may
have them right here In the state de
purtment. Be careful. and good luck
| to you"
When Maitland went home and will
the exhilaration Of youth told his wife
Of his mission. its Importance. consid
ering the interests involved. and al
that. she failed to show similar ell
thuSiasm.
What is 1t. pet?' he said. "Yor
don't seem pleased"
Jimmie" she replied. You vii
never get it through
why not?"
They will steal 1t from you"
What makes you think so. .Iulie!
Prom little girl have heard m!
father tell the ways people take to out
wit one another. know all about it
You know nothing"
| However. the little woman packed
her husbands suit case-all the bag
gage he proposed TO take-then tool
the dispatch to the library. and wher
Yhe returned handed her husband boy
of cigars. He opened il and removed
the top layers and below was an en-
velope addressed to Sonora Sanchez
Mexico City. In Nine. Maitland's owl
hand.
| Little one. you're brick" said TIT
young diplomat. Il see your scheme
| 1t would never do to leave the dis
patch in my suit case under cover Of ,
state department envelope. would 1t:
NO. Now. Jimmie. do be careful o.
the suit case and don't let 1t out Of
your sight moment.
Maitland gave her Il dozen kisses
picked up the suit case. called a car
rage and started for the train. III
reached New York during the after
noon aud went ut once ON board TIT
steamer which was to sail early th'
next morning He was about to loci
his stateroom door on the suit case
when. remembering that there nigh
be other keys that would unlock II
he took the dispatch out from unde
the cigars and put 1t In his pocket. l.
he was followed. with view Of steal
ing the document, his baggage wa
surely the first place the thief would
look for 1t. In order to discover II thu
case had been opened for the purpose
In replacing the cigars he laid all o
those on the top row with the ends II
the same direction except one. whicl
he reversed Having done this h
went on deck for air.
The next morning Maitland fount
himself out on the Atlantic ocean head
Ing for the Gulf of Mexico. He walk
ed the deck alone. having resolved no
to make q single acquaintance. In TIT
afternoon he went to his stateroOm FOL
nap. and before lying down 1t occur
red to him to examine his suitcase
Not that he really expected TO flint
evidence of any one having been there
but simply to satisfy himself that j
was as he had left 1t.
What was his establishment to fint
every cigar In the box laid In the same
direction. The one he had placed dif
ferently had been reversed.
The discovery took his breath away
After all. his wife was right. IL there
were those OIL his track who had al
ready shown such skill In hunting To-
the document. what more would the!
do? Instinctively he clapped his hant
to his breast pocket. The dispatch
was there. But he did not feel as
sured that II would be there when b.
arrived at Vera Cruz. He vowed tina
no one should during the passage com
within arms length Of him.
He mapped IN his berth and read
novel which he had brought with hin
during The afternoon and evening. nO
leaving his stateroOm. The next morn
ing he passed On deck. He expecle,
every moment that some man woui'
attempt TO make his acquaintance. ~
man did. but very pretty young we
man sitting IN n steamer chair looket
at him as he passed her and cast dow
her long Spanish lashes. Every tim
he passed In pacing back and fort
she gave him the same glance and tn
same downward sweep. He suspected
her at once and put himself on hi
guard
With the exception Of the Spanisl
| woman there was no evidence OF an,