Judsonia weekly advance., 1921-05-26


 five minutes exactly"
 With a bow the man left the room, and the door closed.
 During that five minutes, gentle men, 1 propose to introduce myself to you, and you to one another. The business which I wish to discuss we will postpone, with your permission, undisturbed."
 In silence the three guests waited until he unwound the thick white muf- fer; then, with undlsguised curiosity, they studied their host. In appearance he was striking. He had a short dark beard, and in profile his face was aqui- line and stern. The eyes, which had so impressed the manager, seemed now to be cold grey-blue; the thick brown hair, fecked slightly with grey, was brushed back from a broad fore head. To even the most superficial Ob- server the giver of the feast was a man of power; a man capable of form ing instant decisions and of carrying them through.
 And if so much was obvious to the superficial observer 1t was more than obvious to the three men who stood by the fire watching him. Each one of them, as he watched the host realized that he was in the presence of a great man. It was enough: great men do not send fool invitations to dinner to men of international repute. It mat tered not what form his greatness took there was money in greatness. big money. And money was their life.
 The count advanced first to the Am erican.
 marked in English, holding out his hand. q am glad you managed to come."
 The American shook the proffered hand, while the two Germans looked at him with sudden interest. AS the man at the head of the great American cot ton trust, worth more in millions than he could count, he was entitled to their respect.
 That's me- Count" returned the mil lionaire in his nasal twang. q am in terested to know to what am indebt- ed for this invitation"
 "All in good time, MT. Hocking" smiled the host q have hopes that the dinner will fiji in that time satis- factorily."
 He turned to the taller of the two Germans, who without his coat seemed more like a codfish than ever.
 Herr Steinemann, is it not?" This time he spoke in German.
 The man whose interest in German coal was hardly less well known than Hocking's in cotton, bowed stiffly.
 And Herr Von Gratz?" The Count turned to the last member of the par ty and shook hands. Though less well known than either of the other two in the realms of international finance, von Gratz's name in the steel trade of Cen tral Europe was one to conjure with.
 Well, gentlemen" said the Count, before we sit down to dinner, I may perhaps be permitted to say a few words of introduction. The nations of the world have recently been en-
 
 stupidity. AS far as one can tell that performance lis now over. The last thing I wish to do is to discuss the war-except in so far as it concerns our meeting here tonight. MT. Hook ing Is an American, you two gentlemen are Germans. I'-the Count smiled slightly-"have no nationality. Or rather, shall I say, I have every na- tionality. Completely cosmopolitan. !. {. Gentlemen the war was waged by idiots, and when idiots get busy on a large scale, 1t is time for clever men to | step in. That is the raison d. | etre for this little dinner . I claim that we four men are sufficiently international to be able to disregard any stupid and petty feelings about this country and that country, and to regard the world outlook at the present moment from one point of view and one point of view only-our own"
 The gaunt American gave hoarse | chuckle.
 Tt will be my object after dinner" continued the Count, ito try and prove to you that we have common point | of view. Until then-shall we merely concentrate on a pious hope that the Hotel Rationale will not poison us with their food?'"
 The next moment the head waiter opened the door, and the four men sat down to dine.
 It must be admitted that the average hostess, desirous of making dinner a 1 success, would have been filled with secret dismay at the general atmos- | phere in the room. The American, in accommodating his millions, had also accumulated a digestion of such an ex- otic and tender character that dry rusks and Vichy water were the limit of his capacity.
 Herr Steinemann was of the common order of German, to whom food is sacred. He ate and drank enormously and evidently considered that nothing further was required of him.
 Von Gratz did his best to keep his | end uD but as he was apparently in a