The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-01-14
A MENTAL DIPLOMAT
ey NATHAN HARDY.

J
One morning about the middle of the
last century a French fleet had been
disabled in storm off Sokotra and
! put into Alden, British port, for re-
pairs. Now, the British lion has u
ways been used to prowliug about look
ing for bone with plenty Of marrow
in it, and if he observes another ami
NAL going In an unexplained direction
he Immediately scents feast. In 9th
er words, Englishmen have occupied
every desirable vacant point on the
face Of the earth.
Naturally when the governor at AdeD
saw so formidable a feet he wondered
what was its object. He asked the
French admiral, and the admiral aver
red that the ships were making an or
binary cruise. but the Britisher knew
very well that vessels In those days
did not make ordinary cruises in fleets,
and his curiosity was sharpened by the
evasive reply. Believing that some
move Of Importance politically was Cd
foot, he gave orders that the repairs
on the vessels should he dragged along
as far as possible and in order to avert
any suspicion as to the cause Of the
delay that might arise in the minds of
the French officers arranged for a Sc
ries of functions for their entertain
ment.
For couple Of weeks the French
and British officers fraternized while
the work on the vessels was pursued
with q pretense Of activity. but with
little accomplished. During this pc
riod the Britishers made every effort
to learn the Frenchmens secret. The
French are not secretiye people, but
for once the mouths of the French Of
ficers on the subject of their intentions
were shut like clam shells.
| And SO long as men alone had the
| matter in hand the secret might have
been kept forever. Wheeling infor.
nation is a province especially be-
longing to women. The governor, de
spairing of inducing the Frenchmen
to speak, asked his wife to help him.
He was met by the simple reply, why
didn't you ask me before|
"Katie!" she called.
A trim serving maid whose pink and
white complexion denoted that she
hailed from Ireland came into the
room.
Katie" said her mistress, what
are your intentions with reference to
that young French sailor who is at
tentive to your"
please, MN, it's only sparkin'."
"Do you love him better than your
government
"0i don't love him at all, MN.
Leastaways it's only French love be-
tune us, and that's no love at all, at
an-'
His excellency is anxious, Katie, to
learn to what point the French feet
will sail after leaving Alden. Do you
think you could find out from the
sailor?"
"OPn thry, nm"
well, try, and If you succeed I'll
have something handsome for you"
In a day or two the French sailor,
who was a petty officer on board one
| Of the French ships, came to see Katie.
During his visits he had been used to
taking an occasional kiss. This time
he was refused.
Dye think" said Katie, that 0Pn
be givin' ye kisses and ye goin' away
to Madagascar or some other haythen
place and never see me againT
81 not go SO far as Eat" the French
man protested.
"How far ye goin', then?"
ooh, we go west"
ITO France"
Mon"
ITO AmerikyT
mon. l don't know"
"Then yen get no kiss"
why you wish to known
"oi don't let fella kiss me an thin
90 to the other side O. the worruld."
The banter was kept up for some
time, Katy's red lips being very near
those of the Frenchman. At last, hun
CRY for the kiss, he gave up the secret.
AS soon as he had gone Katy sought
her mistress. The governor was pres
ent.
HE towld me, NM"
where do they go?" asked the gov
ernor eagerly.
TITS a place called Parim."
"Parim!"
"Yis, sor; Parim."
"You mean Perrin"
"Yis, sor; Parim."
The governor opened his eyes. De
Lesseps had Just completed his ar
rangements for building the Sue1 canal,
and when It was finished Perrin island
would be Of great Importance as com
handing the southern entrance to the
Red sea, q part of the waterway con-
Meeting two hemispheres. 1t was. OF
course, the intention Of the French ad-
miral to occupy 1t and hoist on 1t the
tricolor of France.
Secretly giving orders for a gunboat
to Immediately sail with detachment
of British soldiers under cover Of the
night and occupy the island. the gov
ernor invited the French officers (who
were about to sail to a farewell ban
quet and ball for the day but one fol-
lowing. The admiral was loath to de-
lay sailing, but could not well decline,
having placed himself under obliga-
tons in the matter Of repairs for his
neet. Dhe dinner came on, and while
the Frenchmen were eating 1t the gov
ernor had news that Perrin had been
occupied by British soldiers.
When the French admiral reached
his point of destination and saw the
British Dag flying there he knew that
his secret had escaped. But he never
knew that II had been revealed by
one OF bis petty officers TO an Irish girl
Of no higher degree than the maid OF