"Then, how did you suppose your sister was going to read it?"
Once Upon A Time
BY
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS
ILLUSTRATED
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
NEW YORK 1912
Copyright, 1910, by
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
TO
GOUVERNEUR MORRIS
CONTENTS
A Question of Latitude
The Spy
The Messengers
A Wasted Day
A Charmed Life
The Amateur
The Make-Believe Man
Peace Manoeuvres
ILLUSTRATIONS
"Then, how did you suppose your sister was going to read it?"
Schnitzel was smiling to himself
"Schnitzel, you certainly are a magnificent liar"
"I think," said Ainsley, "they have lost their way"
"Was it you," demanded young Andrews, in a puzzled tone, "or your brother who tried to knife me?"
Mr. Thorndike stood irresolute, and then sank back into his chair
"Do I look as easy as that, or are you just naturally foolish?"
She was easily the prettiest and most striking-looking woman in the room
A QUESTION OF LATITUDE
Of the school of earnest young writers at whom the word muckraker hadbeen thrown in opprobrium, and by whom it had been caught up as a titleof honor, Everett was among the younger and less conspicuous. But, if inhis skirmishes with graft and corruption he had failed to correct theevils he attacked, from the contests he himself had always emerged withcredit. His sincerity and his methods were above suspicion. No one hadcaught him in misstatement, or exaggeration. Even those whom heattacked, admitted he fought fair. For these reasons, the editors ofmagazines, with the fear of libel before their eyes, regarded him as a"safe" man, the public, feeling that the evils he exposed were due toits own indifference, with uncomfortable approval, and those heattacked, with impotent anger. Their anger was impotent because, in thecase of Everett, the weapons used by their class in "striking back" weredenied them. They could not say that for money he sold sensations,because it was known that a proud and wealthy parent supplied him withall the money he wanted. Nor in his private life could they findanything to offset his attacks upon the misconduct of others. Men hadbeen sent to spy upon him, and women to lay traps.