Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-09-21

smiled the most. Il nave hopes LndL
the dinner will fill in that time salts
factorily."
He turned to the taller of the two
Germans, who without his coat seemed
more like a Goldfish 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 Won 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, Won
| GRATIS name in the steel trade of Cen
| trail Europe was one to conjure with.
'Well, gentlemen" said the Count,
before we sit down to dinner, | may
| perhaps be permitted to say few
words of introduction. The nations
! of the world have recently been en-
| gagged in a performance of unrivaled
stupidity. AS far as one can tell that
| performance is now over. The last
| thing / wish to do is to discuss the
| war-except in so far as it concerns
our meeting here tonight. Mr.. Hook
| ing is an American, you two gentlemen
| are Germans. 1.-THE Count smiled
| slightly-'have no nationality. Or
rather, shall | say, l have every ma
| tionality. Completely cosmopolitan. :.
Gentlemen the war was waged by
1 idiots, and when idiots get busy on
large scale, it is time for clever men to
step in. That is the raison d.
| etre for this little dinner L
| 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.
'It will be my object after dinner"
| continued the Count, ito try and prove
! to you that we have a 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
j down to dine.
It must be admitted that the average
! hostess, DESTROYS of making dinner a
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-
otto 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.
Won Gratz did his best to keep his
end up, but as he was apparently in a
| chronic condition of fear that the
gaunt American would assault him
with violence, he cannot be said to
have contributed much to the gaiety of
! the meal.
And so to the host must be given
| the credit that the dinner was sue
! cess. without appearing to monopo-
/ lie the conversation he talked cease
| lessly and brilliantly. But to even the
most brilliant of conversationaliStS the
strain of talking to a hypOchOndriacal
American and two Germans-One
greedy and the other frightened-is
considerable and the Count heaved an
inward sigh of relief when the coffee
| had been handed round and the door
closed behind the waiter. From now
on the topic was the topic of money
! the common bond of his three guests.
| And yet, as he carefully cut the end
| of his cigar, and realized that the eyes
! of the other three were fixed on him
| expectantly, he knew that the hardest
! part of the evening was in front OF
him. Big fnanciers, in common with
| all other people, are fonder of having
| money put into. their pockets than OF
! taking it out And that was the very
| thing the Count proposed they should
| do-in large quantities.
"Gentlemen," he remarked, Wnen Ills
! cigar was going to his satisfaction,
''we are all men of business. | said
| before dinner that ] considered we
were sufficiently big to exclude any
small arbitrary national distinctions
! from our minds AS men whose inter
ests are international, such things are
beneath us. I wish now to slightly
qualify that remark" He turned to
! the American on his right, who with
eyes half closed was thoughtfully pick
| ing his teeth. Sat this stage, | adj
dress myself particularly to you"
go right ahead" drawled Mr.. Hook
ing.
81 do not wish to touch on the war
or it's result but though the Central
NV America