Detective and mystery stories; Women journalists -- Fiction
When Jennie reached her delightful apartments--which looked even more
luxuriantly comfortable bathed in the soft radiance that now flooded
them from quiet-toned shaded lamps than they did in the more garish
light of day--she walked up and down her sitting-room in deep
meditation. She was in a quandary--whether or not to risk sending a
coded telegram to her paper was the question that presented itself to
her. If she were sure that no one else would learn the news, she would
prefer to wait until she had further particulars of the Treasury
catastrophe. A good deal would depend on whether or not the Director of
Police took anyone into his confidence that night. If he did not, he
would be aware that only he and the girl possessed this important
piece of news. If a full account of the discovery appeared in the next
morning’s _Daily Bugle_, then, when that paper arrived in Vienna, or
even before, if a synopsis were telegraphed to the Government, as it was
morally certain to be, the Director would know at once that she was the
correspondent of the newspaper whom he was so anxious to frighten out
of Vienna. On the other hand, her friendship with the Princess von
Steinheimer gave her such influence with the Chief’s superiors, that,
after the lesson she had taught him, he might hesitate to make any move
against her. Then, again, the news that to-night belonged to two persons
might on the morrow come to the knowledge of all the correspondents in
Vienna, and her efforts, so far as the _Bugle_ was concerned, would have
been in vain. This consideration decided the girl, and, casting off all
sign of hesitation, she sat down at her writing table and began the
first chapter of the solution of the Vienna mystery. Her opening
sentence was exceedingly diplomatic: “The Chief of Police of Vienna has
made a most startling discovery.” Beginning thus, she went on to details
of the discovery she had that day made. When her account was finished
and codified, she went down to her hostess and said,--
“Princess, I want a trustworthy man, who will take a long telegram to
the central telegraph office, pay for it, and come away quickly before
anyone can ask him inconvenient questions.”
“Would it not be better to call a Dienstmanner?”
“A Dienstmanner? That is your commissionaire, or telegraph messenger?
No, I think not. They are all numbered and can be traced.”
“Oh, I know!” cried the Princess; “I will send our coachman. He will be
out of his livery now, and he is a most reliable man; he will not answer
inconvenient questions, or any others, even if they are asked.”
To her telegram for publication Jennie had added a private despatch to
the editor, stating that it would be rather inconvenient for her if he
published the account next morning, but she left the decision entirely
with him. Here was the news, and if he thought it worth the risk,
he might hold it over; if not, he was to print it regardless of
consequences.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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