Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-08-18

N " bored and | was uneasy
XN 4 We stood by the window
w ~ looking out on the eX-
w. panse Of Washington, typ
1@~ fled by the amplitude Of
Pennsylvania avenue For four lays
we had beer on a tame, unsatisfac-
tory hunt for some lost papers in a
West Virginia salt-mintng 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-
steal voice, rolling through the sea Of
chatter, was summoning:
"Misto La lawrence Ra-and."
"C0lSound him." said RAND Get
him quick"
That name, all too we'll known, had
sounded once only, but a score of ewes
followed me with interest as | took
from the boy the message that Rand
was wanted on the telephone, and re.
turned to him.
AS Rand rejOlned me, when he
emerged from the booth in a few min
utes, he said succinctly:
Count Won Bella 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,
as we hurried toward the elevator.
Il suppose we must" said Rand.
ui+h - c1irh+ Jjfti ry Of tho nnruarG Cf
his thin lips.
In fifteen minutes We were dressed,
were downstairs, and rolling along the
asphalt OF our way to the handsome
old residence in + street. which his
government had purchased for it's dis
tinguished diplomatic Representatives.
The air of a function and the inevi-
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 breechps, 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 en- suite with it, instead of
taking us through the hall, where we
might have been seen by he guests,
until we reached the rear Of the house,
where an important wing projected.
The difference In furnishings made
It apparent that this was the ambas-
sadOr's own ground.
We were ushered into a large room
on the second floor, half-library, half
tr,,h- r,>,,, o,J tia ~ ha cSa4nr rnCa
stif1y from behind a big, fiat desk. at
which he had been sitting, smoking
~fierCely. He was a short, sturdy man
of forty, with a blond face and an i'm
posing head Of irOn-gray hair. His
eyes CLEANED under heavy black brOWs,
and a large mouth was shielded by the
mustacIe, which one often sees on
men who have walked in the shadow
of Bismarck.
His ~courtPsies were a trihe eXag-
gerated. it 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 O from
that square, teak cabinet there in the
corner a thin package Of papers,, the
contents of which were known only
- W. ood vbicb if disclosed viii
uu. E,uano i,+a eaotbt,a baIl Of
wow - +hroo no,+bg nut thorn in
49,. oohi,a. ,,,i,b NV oun hands at
thro a,oIool .hio o.ornoon Thav
mora ooa 81 four o,c,ock # ts NOT
49, oGo1aa. o,I !, mic hour o+bor
49,. .a1a.honion Won bova doro
ao+hi,a a1so tbo, rr,zIo ovar the
n,a,+ nrofo,,rd ,vctorv that have
avor a~ncourtarad in NV dfn1omatic
caroar Other than the door NV which
ro,, oouo tbara ORC no entrances TO
this room but the windows They
arc lacked and have NOT hoeu onened.
Tbo orL, ornroachoe to the door he-
ind Won ora o1wave urLlr the ewes
of ocrvor+e who have haan hrought
fro,r NV ovn rafch aetatas and have
the fdoIitv Of centuries behind them.
No one has been seen to enter this
room since three o'clock. and the only
rersons in the house meanwhile have
been nv family and domestic staff,
and our two hundred guests. There
was absolutely no clue in the room.
in which. bv the way, nothing has
Leen disturbed except this antique
bracelet. which was Wing on the TOP
of the cabinet. must have those pa
Ders back again, and must have
them before they can be copied, which,
such are their nature and length,