The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-03-07
q vINEDv HIS AFFINl1l Z
AMERICAN DIPLOMAT TOOK PITY
ON THE SPHINX.
Spent Much Good Money on Cham
payne TO Queneh Her THIRST and 8
His Reward Consisted In
Being Fired. = Us

ish Official who poured Z Mbation OF
sacrilegious wine down the back OF
q sacred image In sHindustan recalls 1
somewhat similar incident that In
volved one Of our own.diplomats back
in the restless days OF the seventies g
said veteran oincial Of the state Do
pATtmsnt. HE Was 8 young fellow.
the favo5ite nephew OF 8 statesman
Of national prominence, and he turned
that statesman's hair peematurely
gray with his Wild vaxaries.
{ Ben. for veil call the young fellow
BY that name. wAs man Of most W.
grant mind and versatile bibulositiea
His uncle, pardoning al his BohemiaA
obhquities. launched. him forth tims
and again on many q promising ven
ture In this line or that, but ever Ben
came floating home ON 4 high tide Of
alcohol. At length the statesman.
seeking to sober him BY the burden Of
responsibility, gave him 3 long lecture
and the consulship to Cairo. Ben
took the pledge, took q drink and took
the first boat for the land Of the Phar
raohs. E 81
He was Of q most romantic nature,
smothered heretofore under the stern
probabilities of American life, but,
moistened by subtle liquors and nourr
ished by the Egyptian stars glinting
their soft images in the waters Of the
age-old Nile, it bourgeoned forth and
throye amain. It was his wont-when
loaded to the Plimsoil mark with what
the genial Horace might have termed
'Old Falernian,-to wander beyond the
sacred river, and, crossing the inter
vening sands, sit for hours In silent
communion with the Sphinx. Here he
felt he had met his affinity at last. z
Zone afternoon, while deeply
wrapped in one Of these affinity Quaker
meetings with his stony lady love, the
thought was suddenly borne In upon
him that, after sitting out there for
countless ages on the dry and hot and
dusty desert, the old girl must have q
most appalling thirst. ,25ss-s 7
Forthwith he hied him back to
Cairo. purchased halfsa dozen cases
Of the best champagne from Sheperd,
loaded them upon camel and, hiring
fellah, as assistant harkeep, 20 to
speak, betook himself ana HIS wine
back through the soft Egyptian night
10 the sand-swept paws Of - silent
sweetheart Esss>!-}s4
! Arrived. he and The deekhanl Of
his ship Of the DESERT broke OPEN the
cases, loaded themselves down With
their contents. ard s1Anbsring upcn
the head Of The ncs1 lsn1als, poured
IA bottles Of Wine Down her aechi
Having accomplished thH not of lAvos
for the idol OF his heart. Ben returned
70 Cailo and slepk thsz slanber OF the
peaceful hearted. *s.zz ss 4
i Now, all this romantic adventure
worthy Of = knight Of the Round Table,
might have been blown ont into the
desert upon the winds had not certain
inquisitive busy bodies about the lobby
Of Sheperd's hotel at Cairo learned the
sentimental story and brought It back
to America. where It reached the OH
cial ears OF the state department.. Of
t1cials OF that day we're an uncouth lot,
with an atrophied sense of romance
and poesy, and they recalled Ben with
q celebrity thatein these days q swift
ness is denominated as getting fred
The sudden blow and the rude sepa,
ration from the scenes amid which his
poetic soul had blossomed out into
that last wild act OF love, broke Ben'a
heart, and, always anxious for an ex-
cuse. he spent the remainder Of hts
days In deep drink. Isl .s {.
y But, :" concluded the Official, -ac-
c0rding to the report on the matter,
Ben 10 the only man that ever bought
the Sphinx q drink f. .s. r..