A COOK OF QUALITY.

North Otago Times, 8 January 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

A COOK OF QUALITY.

Working contentedly as an undercook in a Berlin kitchen for five shillings a week is comely Olga Hansen, daughter of tho celebrated Danish diplomat, scientist, and statesman of tho same name.

Her father is wealthy as well as exalted in the service of his King, and there was no reason why Olga should becomo a menial in a foreign land, other than her own iwaywand| whim, her independence of spirit, and her desiro to make herself useful in life.

Tho girl is tall, fair haired, and bluo-oyed, and never cared much for society, though when her father was at the' Danish Embassy in the German capital, she mado several attendances at Court. She ono time assisted 1L Hansen in the clerical part of his statesmanly work, and evinced more than ordinary Intelligence. Miss Hansen, quite on her own initiative , advertised for a situation and a short time thereafter secured tho position of assistant cook in tho establishment of a German Minister.

For months the girl continued to work as a cook, never revealing her identity or giving her employers any idea that she was anything but a hardworking, capable domestic, from tho usual rank of humble life. She, however, did not escape attention among her fellow workers in the kitchen, but they believed she was a girl_ who had been well brought up and' reduced to the necessity of going out to servico.

The accidental discovery of certain letters written to the girl by her father' revealed her Identity to the mistress of the house. The discovery of the German Minister's wife that she was employing tho daughter of n noted foreign diplomat raised embarrassing problems. She did not like to discharge the girl, neither could sho make the matter public. She sought advice from a high Court official, asking whnt. should he done. Tho official advised her to do nothing, but to pretend ignorance and treat the girl exactly ns before. But the secret escaped. Berlin discovered that somewhere within tho city bounds the daughter of the Danish Minister of Agriculture was at work ns a conk. Xo one except the German Minister's family ami tho high official knows exactly In whoso house Miss Hansen is emploved. but all Berlin is longing to find out. Meanwhile fllga keeps on cooking quite unconcernedly.