L.P.M. : The End of the Great WarBarney, J. Stewart (John Stewart)
Science
L.P.M. : The End of the Great War
Barney, J. Stewart (John Stewart)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
“Well, if you care to know what we have been up to,” said Edestone,
“I don’t mind telling you that we have been arranging for a little
moving-picture entertainment here at the Embassy. Have we your
permission to go ahead with it? It would be a little treat for
the people here in the house.”
“Certainly,” consented Jones. “Go as far as you like. I myself will be
glad to see something beside battles and dead men. But why in the name
of common sense have you lugged a moving-picture machine all the way
over from America when you might have brought us some potatoes? I
suppose, of course, it has something to do with your fool scheme. Well,
as long as it doesn’t get us into trouble, and helps to take our minds
off this war, I haven’t any objection. When do you propose to have your
show?”
“I can’t exactly say as to that,” Edestone answered. “It all depends
upon Lawrence, who is to be my trap-man. He had better fix the date.”
He looked at the other conspirator with a questioning glance.
“We’ll have it tonight then,” said Lawrence. “I think I can get up my
part by that time.” He made significant faces at Edestone behind the
Secretary’s back.
“Tonight’s the night, eh?” said Jones with a smile. “Very well, we’ll
all be on hand.”
Edestone, after his experiences on the frontier, and his two days’
journey shut up in the railroad car, greatly enjoyed these evenings
with his old friends, the Joneses; and found pleasure in meeting some
of Mrs. Jones’s young friends, who were delighted when they heard of
the moving-picture show.
Later, while the Secretary of Legation and Edestone were alone,
Lawrence having insisted upon helping Black install the moving-picture
machine, Jones turned to his guest.
“I saw General von Lichtenstein at the club this afternoon,” he said.
“He seemed to be delighted with you, Jack. Said you were a fine young
man, and will not believe that you are not of German descent. He hopes
to present you when the Emperor returns to Berlin, which he says will
be in a few days. When I told him that you had not told me what your
invention was he merely laughed. I know he did not believe me. He seems
to think that the United States has something to do with sending you
over here. He is a sly old fox and I tell you to look out for him.”
He might have added more but Lawrence appeared just then and, imitating
a barker in a sideshow, announced that everything was ready for the
performance.
The entertainment proved a brilliant success. Edestone showed some
scenes from America which he had brought over to amuse the
distinguished audiences he had expected to meet in Europe. The pictures
showing him tossing great weights and men about the room delighted the
servants, but the Secretary only looked bored and Mrs. Jones did not
hesitate to say that she thought Edestone must be losing his mind,
travelling all around the world with such silly things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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