Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-07-09

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a rough droschky waiting for me. My
unshaven friend opened the door and
stepped in.
"If Mr.. Dim" !" / was beginning to
say.
"Hush !" he cried. "No names, NO
names the very walls have ears. You
will hear all tonight" And with that as
surance he closed the door, and seizing the
reins we drove off at rapid pace-so rapid
that saw my black-eyed acquaintance OF
the railway carriage gazing after us in sur
prise until we were out of sight.
] thought over the whole matter as we
logged along in that abominable springless
conveyance.
They say the mobiles are tyrants in
Russia, / unused, "but it seems to me to
be the other way about, for here's this
poor Mr.. Dimidof, who evidently thinks
his ex-serfs will rise and murder him if he
raises the price of grain in the district by
exporting some out of it. Fancy being
Obliged to have to resort to all this mystery
and deception in order to sell ones own
property! Why, it's worse than an Irish
landlord. 1t is monstrous Well, he
doesn't seem to live in very aristocratic
quarter, either" soliloquized, as l gazed
out at the narrow, crooked streets and the
unkempt, dirty Muscovites whom we
passed. 81 wish Gregory or some one was
with me, for it's cut-throat looking
shop By Jove, he's pulling up, we must
be therei"
We were there, to all appearance, for
the droschky stopped, and my drivers
shaggy head appeared through the aper-
ture.
cit is here, most honored master" he
said, as he helped me to alight
els Mr. Dimi-" I commenced, but he
interrupted me again.
Anything but Names" he whispered,
anything but that. You are too used to
a land that is free. Caution, o sacred
one % and he ushered me down stone
tagged passage and up stair at the end of
it. Sit for few minutes in this room, "
he said, opening door, "and a repast will
be served for you," and with that he left
me to my own reflections.
Well,' thought l, whatever Mr..
Dimidoff's house may be like, his servants
are undoubtedly well trained. 20 sacred
one and Reverend master = l wonder
what he'd call old Dickson himself, if he's
wouldn't be the thing to smoke in this little
crib, but could do pipe nicely. By the
way, how confoundedly like cell it
looks %
1t certainly did look like cell. The
door was an iron one and enormously
strong, while the single window was closely
barred. The floor was of wood, and sounded
hollow and insecure as l strobe across it.
Both floor and walls were thickly splashed
with coffee or some other dark liquid. On
the whole, it was far from being a place
where one would be likely to become un-
reasonably festive.
l had hardly concluded my survey when
l heard steps approaching down the cor
ridor, and the door was opened by my old
friend of the droschky. He announced
that my dinner was ready, and, with
many bows and apologies for leaving me in
what he called the dismissal room, !" he
led me down the passage and into large
and beautifully Furnished apartment. A
table was spread for two in the center of
it, and by the fire was standing man very
little older than myself. He turned as l
came in and stepped forward to meet me
in every symptom of profound respect.
claimed, and then seeming to recollect
himself, he continued: :" Pray sit at the
head of the table. You must be fatigued
by your long and arduous journey. We
dine tete-a.tete, but the others assemble
afterward."
"Mr. Dimidoff, presume ?" said I.
"No, sir" said he, turning his keen
gray eyes upon me. ''My name is Petro.
kline you mistake me, perhaps, for one of
the others. But now, not a word of bust.
ness until the council meets. Try your
chefs soup, you will find it excellent, l
think"
VINO Mr. Petrokine or the others might
he | could not conceive. Land stewards of
Dimidnffs, perhaps. though the name did.
not seem familiar to my companion. How
ever, as he appeared to shun any business
questions at present gave in to his humor,
and we conversed on social life in England
"a subject in which he displayed consid-
cradle knowledge and acuteness. His re-
marks, too, on Nautilus and the laws of
were wonderfully good, though
savoring somewhat of radicalism.
by the way" he remarked, as we
smoked cigar over our wine, "we should
never have known you but for the English
labels on your luggage it was the luckiest
thing in the world that Alexander noticed
them. We had had no personal descrip-
ton OF you; indeed, we were prepared to
expect a somewhat older man. You are
young, indeed, sir, to be intrusted with
such mission"
my employer trusts me-" l replied,
and We have learned in our trade that
youth and shrewdness are not incompati-
BILE"
Your remark is true, sir, " returned my
newly made friend, "but am surprised to
hear you call your glorious association a
trade! Such term is gross indeed to ap-
ply to body of men banded together to
supply the world with that which it is
yearning for, but which without our exer-
tions it can never hope to attain. A spirit
ual brotherhood would be more fitting
term"
"By Jove |" thought l, chow pleased
the boss would be to hear him. He must
have been in the business himself, whoever
he is"
"Now, SIR" said Mr.. Petrokine, "the
clock points to S, and the council must be
already sitting. Let us go up together,
ahu VIII ihtiOuuCC yOu. uceu HaIuiy
say that the greatest secresy is observed,
and that your appearance is anxiously
awaited.
turned over in my mind as / followed
him, how might best fulfill my mission
and secure the most advantageous terms.
They seemed as anxious as | was in the
matter, and there appeared to be no oppo-
sition, so perhaps the best thing would be
to wait and see what they would propose.
had hardly come to this conclusion
when my guide swung open large door at
the end of a passage, and l found myself
in room larger and even more gorgeously
fitted up than the one in which I had
dined. a long table, covered with green
baize and strewn with papers, ran down
the middle, and around it were sitting
fourteen or fifteen men conversing
earnestly. The whole scene reminded me
forcibly OF gambling hell had visited
some time before.
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