The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-08-18
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IA Diplomat
How He Got His Start In
! His Profession.
\ By SAMUEL E. BRANT.
Z Copyright, 1910, by American Press
j Association.

By SAMUEL E. BRANT.

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James Maitland, son of an admiral
in the, U. S. navy, fell in love with and
married Mile. Julie de Lavalle, the
daughter of French diplomat who
had spent many years In the French
service, a considerable portion of
which time he 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 Layalle.
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
Maitland's opportunity One morning
the secretary sent for him, handed him
a dispatch and told him that he wish
ed him to take it to the United States
consul at Vera Cruz, who would see
that it reached its destination.
Delighted at being thus enabled to
make a beginning in his profession
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:
at is essential that the information
contained in that envelope reaches oul
consul in Vera Cruz on or before the
18th. After that date 1t will be toe
late It is well that you should know
that its prompt delivery will involve
the making or the failure to make
millions of dollars by certain capital
lists. You will therefore be very guard
ed in speaking Of your mission anC
watch we'll the dispatch. l send it tC
Vera Cruz by you in order that nc
one in this country may know its ul
innate destination. Nevertheless there
are plenty of spies about, and we may
have them right here in the state de
partment. Be careful. and good lucH
to you"
When Maitland went home and will
the exhllaration Of youth told his wifi
of his mission, its Importance, consid
ering the interests involved, and al
that, she failed to show a similar en-
thusiasm.
what is it, pet?" he said. "Yot
don't seem pleased"
Jimmie" she replied, "you will
never get it through"
"Why notT
"They will steal 1t from you"
"What makes you think so, JulieW
"From little girl | have heard m.
father tell the ways people take to out
wit one another. l know all about ii
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 whei
she returned handed her husband boz
of cigars. He opened 1t 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 tn
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 it?
"No. Now, Jimmie, do be careful o
the suit case and don't let it out o
your sight moment"
Maitland gave her a dozen kisses
picked up the suit case, called car
riage and started for the train. III
reached New York during the after
noon and went at once on board tn
steamer which was to sail early tn
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 il
he took the dispatch out from unde
the cigars and put 1t in his pocket. l
he was followed, with a view Of steal
ing the document, his baggage wa
surely the first place the thief woul
look for it. In order to discover II tn
case had been opened for the purpose
in replacing the cigars he laid all o
those on the top row with the ends i
the same direction except one, whic
he reversed. Having done this h
went on deck for air.
The next morning Maitland foun
himself out on the Atlantic ocean head
ing for the Gulf of Mexico. He walk
ed the deck alone, having resolved NO
to make a single acquaintance. In tn
afternoon he went to his stateroom 70
nap, and before lying down it occur
red to him to examine his suitcase
Not that he really expected to fin
evidence Of any one having been there
but simply to satisfy himself that
was as he had left it.
What was his astonishment to fin
every cigar in the box laid in the sam
direction. The one he had placed dii
ferently had been reversed.
The discovery took his breath away
After all, his wife was right If ther
were those on his track who had a
ready shown such skill in hunting fo
the document, what more would the
do? Instinctively he clapped his han
to his breast pocket. The dispatc
was there. But he did not feel al
sured that It would be there when h
arrived at Vera Cruz He vowed ths
no one should during the passage com
within arms length Of him.
In