Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-08-04
CHAPTER !.
MIss Isabel rherns.

eAgton. Outwardly II u merely . oaty
q evasion, OF conventionalitiss, satsd
With the commonplace pleasures OF
liso, lisslsss, blass even, and always
sxquisitsly. albeit frigidiy. courteous;
but beneath the still. suavs surface
strange currents play At Cross pur-
posss. intrigue IL endless. and the
nerciless war Of diplomacy goes on
INCREASINGLY. Occasionally. only 90
oasionally. . bubble comes 70 the sur
face. and when It bursts the echo goes
crashing around tho earth. Some
times 4 dynasty 10 shaken. q 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 diplomat master OF the world.
There IL plenty of red blood in
Washington" remarked a Testing leg
islative gray-beard. once upon a time.
hut it's always frozen before they put
It in circulation. Diplomatic nesotia'
dons 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
of tho 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-
sentatives Of all the nations. That 10
the British ambassador. that stolid-
faced, distinguish ed looking. elderly
man; and this IL the French ambassa-
Tor, dapper, volatile. plus-correct:
here Russia's highest representative
wags q huge, blond beard: and yon-
der 10 the phlegmatic German ambas-
sador Scattered around the table.
brilliant spotohes of color. are the
uniformed ENJOYS Of the Orisnt-the
smaller the country the more brilliant
the splotch. II is 4 state dinner. to
be followed BY state ball. and they
are all present.
The Italian ambassador. Count di
Rosini. was trying to interpret
bsneft OF the dainty. doil-like wife OF
the Chinese ministsr-who was edu-
eatsd At RadcliHe-when q servant
leaned over him and laid q sealed en-
velope beside his plate. The count
glanced around at the servant ex-
eused himself to Mrs. Quons 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 a matter Of the greatest i'm
portance."
The count read the note twice. with
wrinkIed brow, then seribbled on It in
pencil:
Impossible tonight Tell her to
call at the embassy tomorrow morn
ing at half-past ten o'clock"
He folded the note. handed It to the
servant, and resumed his conversa-
ton with Mrs. WI.
Half an hour later the same servant
4aced a second sealed envelope be-
siie his plate. Recognising the super
sSliption. the ambassador impatiently
showed It aside, intending to disrs-
gard it But irritated curiosity nnal-
iy tr1umphsd. and he opened It. A
white card on which was written this
command was his reward:
TT is necessary that you come to
che embassy at once"
There was NO signature. The hand
writing was unmistakably that Of q
woman, and Just As unmistakably
strange to him. He frowned little
as he stared at Il wonderinsly. then
IDLY turned the card over. There was
no name on the reverse side-only q
crest Evidently the count recognized
this, for his impessive face reflected
surprise for an instant. and this was
followed by . keen. bswfldered inter
est. FINELY he arose. made his apollo
gies, and left the room. His automo-
bile was At the door.
ITO the embassy" he directed the
shaufYeur.
And within nve minutes he was
there. His secretary met him in the
hall
The lady Is waiting In your ONCE
be explained apologetically. "T gave
her your message, but she said she
must see you and would write you Q
line herself. sent IT."
Quite correct" commented the am.
bassador. What name did she give,"
None" was the reply. She said
none was necessary
The ambassador laid aside hat and
coat and entered his ONCE with q
slightly puzzled expression on his
face. Standing before q window, gar
ing idly out into the lisht-spanglsd
.