The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-15

deposited in the bank TO be forwarded
TO Teheran
My dear Shah" 1t read. Il am send
Ing along little draft on you. and
hope 1T will not give you chill.
You probably have as pleasant
recollections of our last meeting in
Paris as have. have thought OF It
often OF late. L, has been an inspira-
ton and Joy to me. Without that
memory life Just now. as / view 1t.
would be dark indeed.
me greatly. i hope you will accept the
suggestion l make in the true spirit in
which II is meant. was srieved to
note, as We parted In Paris--in the
Bois-that your health was not as
robust as IL should DE. I feared you
would not be spard to gladden. the
hearts OF your devoted subjects and Of
the world at large unless you exer
cised the greatest prudence. Take care
OF yourself. dear Shah. l implore you
II at any time you want me to go to
Teheran or join you In Paris. just let
me know And let me remind you
that l am still in the diamond bust
ness, but, of course. this has nothing
to do with our friendship. Yours
sincerely. -"
Mr.. Ward dug up few red s.ickers
from the stationery shop near by and
gummed them at artistic intervals
over the letter and laced IT together
with proper official tape. There was
an old stamp. too. in the office, relic
of the days when Mr.. Hodgins was a
notary public. This was used freely
IN all blank spaces Mr.. Ward was
really proud OF his job when II was
taken away to the bank and started
upon its journey.
a draft for $4,000 francs looks good.
1t looks especially good at time
when business men are not depositing
freely.
Hodgins & Ward played very close
TO the cushion in money matters dur
ing she next month, despite the credit
the draft gave to them. deferred pay
ing bills as much as they could with
good grace. and were delighted to get
some ren,ittances which they were
fearful would not be made until a
later date. The war ended in Wall
Street and was forgotten, and somehow
nary course. Then Mr.. Hodgins ceased
to be pessimistic. The danger point
had passed. The expedient Of Mr..
Ward, who knew nothing about bust
ness, but who had an agile brain. had
saved the day!
It was seven weeks after the draft
had been put In the bank when Mr..
Hodglns, in answering the telephone.
sudde emily went red in the face. 1t was
message fran the bank. Something
had arrived from Teheran. Persia. that
the firm of Hodgins & Ward ought to
attend to. Mr. Hodgins made as diplo-
matte a reply as he could. and then
| sat down and began to worry. He was
still worrying when Mr.. Ward CHANGED
in. Hodgins told his fears. Ward
suggested the boy might be sent over
to act as goat The boy returned with
most formidable looking document.
When the seal was broken. neither Of
| the partners could tell what the letter
| said. The communication was in dots
and dashes. squares and circles. tri-
angles and hooks. Mr.. Ward tried IL
! on the stenographer, but she said 1t
was not in her system. He must have
his little joke.
He called up the Persian Consul on
| the phone and told him he had just
received a letter from his old friend
the Shah, but there were a few words
he could not make out. as His Males
| tvs hand was apparently trifie shaky
whom he wrote 1T. Would the Consui
be in his Office for the next half hour,
/ as Mr.. Ward desired him to translate
at the phone, and this is what the
! Persian Consul tried to say, even II
| not in his exact words:
He would not think of allowing any
one to whom His August Majesty had
written to be put to the necessity OF
/ coming to the Consulate. He would
+, curry at once to Mr. Wards office and
/ 1t would AFFORD him exquisite pleasure
to gaze upon the honorable characters
that had been formed by the kingly
hand.
It was not long before an excited
gentleman wearing fez entered the
! office of Hold gins & Ward. He bowed
] several times to Mr. Ward when that
oerson introduced himself. and then
he took up the letter. He read 1t