Show I SVLTAJ A WILY DIPLOMAT Of the subtlety nnd guile of the sul tan of Turkey a diplomat writes Tho sultan can lie nnd cheat with nil ho bland simplicity of the henthen Chlneo In fact his capacity for deception de-ception amounts to little short of genius I remember that n shrewd i Yankee friend of mine who was minster min-ster at Constantinople pitted his braIns against those of the sultan Ho had been specially commissioned lJy the United States to collect some outstanding debts which had been long due The sultan acknowledged the debts cheerfully ho was most anxious to pay them he would pay them before those duo to any other lower However my diplomatic friend determined to pay a visit to tho I sultan and to wako him up He I had already refused a present which the sultan had sent him of two superb su-perb Arab horses which had ho had a weak spot would assuredly have found It My friend was tenacious lo had often lassoed and thrown and held a bull In Texas and he was cute as all good Yankees are Besides he was angry with the sultan and things had reached a crisis But he had not been two minutes In the society of the commander of the faithful before all his resentment began to oozo out ot his finger tips Ho told mo that looking into that benevolent countenance and listening to that gentle voice ho could not be llovo that tho sultan was not as innocent In-nocent as tho child that had just seen tho light Still ho had come there on business Ho was very resolute reso-lute Again and again he had broached broach-ed tho subject and every time tho sultan had given him tho assurance that the account would bo settled presently He took him over his grounds and led my friend to recount tho stories of his roughriding In Texas Tex-as his exploits In the civil war The sultan showed somo knowledge and great Interest In those affairs A detailed de-tailed and particular account of tho American constitution was next Then came dinner There followed follow-ed while they smoked cigars together like two old cronies a Turkish comedy com-edy with Turkish dancing girls Then suddenly and with words gracious but few the sultan disappeared It was late My friend returned to tho legation lega-tion cheerful and exasperated beaten and content Tho next morning ho realized that In n diplomatic play with tho sultan It was ho who was as Innocent In-nocent as the child that had just seen tho light lie never got thoso debts paid |