The Raymer enterprise., 1911-08-10

II" We stood by the window
w ~1 looking out on the ex.
W. panse Of Washington. typ.
fled by the amplitude OF
Pennsylvania avenue. For four days
we had been on q tame. unsatisfac.
tory hunt for some lost papers In a
West Virginia salt-minlng deal. and
were now merely lettering on our re.
turn to New York, little dreaming OF
the drama on which the curtain was
about to rise.
A negro bell.boy turned away from
the calldesk Just then. and his mu
sical voice. rolling through the sea OF
chatter. was summoning:
"Misto La.awrence Ra-and."
"Confound hlm!" said Rand Get
him quick"
That name. all too well.known, had
sounded once only, but score OF eyes
followed me with interest as ! took
from the boy the message that Rand
was wanted on the telephone. and re
turned TO him.
Az Rand rejoined me. when he
emerged from the booth In a few min
utes. he said succinctly:
Count Won Bela.Moulkna has heard
we are In town, and as something has
Just happened at his wife's reception
he wants us to come instantly to the
embassy."
in top hats and all that" asked
an we hurried toward the elevator
II suppose we must" said Rand
with a slight lifting OF the corners Of
his thin lips.
In fifteen minutes We were dressed
were downstairs, and rolling along the
asphalt on our way TO the handsome
old residence in + street. which his
government had purchased for Its dis
tinguished diplomatic representative.
The air OF function and the inevl
table awning and carpet from the door
To the curb marked out the house
We were met by an extremely tall
elderly servant, very widespread as TO
the elbows and very tight as to the
maroon breeches, but with a shrewd
twinkle In his guarded eyes, neverthe'
less. He showed us hastily into a
side room, and back through Others
that were on suite with II. instead OF
taking us through the hall, where we
might have been seen b. the guests,
until we reached the rear OF the house
where an important wing projected
The difference In furnishings made
II apparent that this was the ambas'
sadors own ground
We were ushered into large room
on the second floor. hali-library, half
trophy room, and the ambassador rose
stitlly from behind big. fiat desk, at
which he had been sitting. smoking
fercely. lie was a short, sturdy man
OF forty, with a blond face and an I'm.
posing head OF !ron.gray hair. His
eyes CLEANED under heavy black brows,
and large mouth was shielded by the
muslaClc. which one often sees on
men who have walked in the shadow
OF Bismarck.
His courtesies were a triae exag.
gerated, il seemed to me. and Rand
cut them short by a somewhat abrupt
inquiry as to what We could do for
him.
You can tell me who took from
that square. teak cabinet there in the
corner thin package OF papers, the
contents OF which were known only
10 me. and which, II disclosed. Will
turn Europe into a seething hell Of
war In three months. put them in
that cabinet with my own hands at
three o'clock this afternoon. They
were gone at four o'clock. It Is not
five o'clock, and In this hour. other
than telophoning you. have done
nothing else than puzzle over the
most profound mystery that | have
ever encountered In my diplomatic
career. Other than the door by which
you came. there are no entrances to
this room but the windows. They
are locked. and have not been opened.
The only approaches to the door be.
hind you are always under the eyes
OF servants who have been brought
from my own reich estates and have
The fidelity Of centuries behind them.
No one has been seen to enter this
room since three o'clock. and the only
persons In the house meanwhile have
been my family and domestic staff,
and our two hundred guests. There
was absolutely no clue in the room,
in which, by the way. nothing has
been disturbed except this antique
bracelet. which was lying on the top
Of the cabinet must have those pa.
pers back again, and | must have
them before they can be copied, which,
such are their nature and length,
would take two hours. must not
tell you what they contain. but In or.
der that you may be able to Identify
them II you happen on the one chance
In a hundred and do recover them. |
show you this packet. which Is identl.
cal la appearance"
He held out small manuscript bun.
~ S..lf mn to,h thlry fnr,noJ ~ thin