The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-06-13
CHAPTER I.
Miss Isabel Thorne.

All the world rubs elbows in Wash
ngton. Outwardly 1t is merely a city
OF evasion. of conventionalities, stated
with the commonplace pleasures OF
life, listless. blase even, and always
exquisitely, albeit frigidly, courteous;
but beneath the still, suave surface
strange currents play at cross pur-
poses, intrigue is endless, and the
merciless war of diplomacy goes on
increasingly. Occasionally, only &C.
casionally. a bubble comes to the sur
face, and when 1t bursts the echo goes
crashing around the earth. Some
times dynasty is shaken, a nation
trembles, ministry topples over; but
the ripple moves and all is placid
again. No man may know all that
happens there, for then he would
be diplomatic master of the world.
There is plenty of red blood in
washington, remarked testing leg
islatfve gray-beard, once upon a time,
but It's always frozen before they put
1t In circulation. Diplomatic negotia-
tons are conducted in the drawing
room. but long before that the fight
Is fought down cellar. The diplo-
matists meet at table and there isn't
any broken crockery, but you can
always tell what the player thinks
or the dealer by the way he draws
three cards. Everybody is after re-
suits; and lots of monarchs of Europe
sit up nights polishing their crowns
waiting for word from Washington"
So. this is Washington And here
at dinner are the diplomatic repre-
fentatives OF all the nations That is
the British ambassador, that stclid-
aced, distinguished looking, elderly
man; and this is the French ambassa.
dor, dapper, volatile, plus-correct;
here Russia's highest representative
wags a huge, blond beard; and yon-
der is the phlegmatic German ambas-
sador. Scattered around the table.
brilliant spotches OF color, are the
uniformed ENJOYS OF the Orient-the
smaller the country the more brilliant
the splotch. II Is a state dinner, to
DO followed by state ball. and they
are all present
The italian ambassador, Count di
Rosini. was trying to interpret a
French bon mot into English for the
benefit of the dainty, doll-iike wife Of
the Chinese minister-who was edu-
Gated at Radcliffe-when a servant
leaned over him and laid a sealed en-
velope beside his plate. The count
glanced around at the servant. ex.
cused himself to Mrs. Quong Ii WI,
and opened the envelope. Inside was
single sheet of embassy note paper.
and terse line signed by his secre-
tary:
"A lady is waiting for you here.
She says she must see you Immediate
ly, on matter of the greatest i'm.
portance."
The count read the note twice. with
wrinkled brow, then scrubbed on II IN
pencil:
Impossible tonight. Tell her &C.
call at the embassy tomorrow morn
ing at half-past ten o'clock"
He folded the note. handed II TO the
servant, and resumed his conyersa.
ton with Mrs WI.
Half an hour later the same servant
placed second sealed envelope he.
side his plate. Recognizing the sinner.
scription. the ambassador impatfentlv
showed II aside, intending to djsre-
gard It. But irritated curiosity final
ly triumphed. and he opened II A
white card on which was written this
command was his reward:
1T is necessary that you come to
the embassy at once"
There was no signature. The hand.
writing was Enthusiastically that OF a
woman, and Just as Enthusiastically
strange TO him. He frowDed a little
as he stared at II wondoangly. then
idly turned the card over. There was
no name on the reverse slde-only a
crest Evidently the count recognized
this, for his impassive face reflected