Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-07-01
unshaved friend opened the door, and

names; the very walls have ears. You
will hear all tonight" and with that
assurance he closed the door, and seiz-
ing the reins, we drove off at rapid
pace; SO rapid that saw my black
eyed acquaintance of the railroad
carriage gazing after US in surprise UNI
til 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 here, for here's
this poor Mr.. Dimidof, who evidently
thinks his ex-serfs will rise and MUIR
der him if he raises the price of grain
in his district by exporting some out of
it. Fancy being obliged to have re-
course to all this mystery and decep-
| ton In order to sell ones own property !
Why, its worse than an Irish landlord.
! 1t is monstrous Well, he dosen't seem
to live in very aristocratic quarter
either" / soliloquized, as ! gazed out
at the narrow, crooked streets, and the
unkempt, dirty, Muscovites whom we
passed Il wish Georgory or some one
was with me, for its cut-throat look
ing shopi By jove! he's putting up;
we must be therer'
We were there, to all appearance,
for the droschky stopped, and my driv-
er's shaggy head appeared through the
aperture.
"It's here, most honored MASTER" he
said, AS he helped me to alight.
rs Mr.. Dimi-" | commenced, but
he interrupted me again.
Anything but names" he whisper
ed; anything but that You are too
used to land that is free. Caution, oh
sacred one" and he ushered me down
a stone tagged passage and up a stair
at the end of it. aSit for few min
utes in this room," he said, opening a
door, land repast will be served for
you" and with that he left me to my
reflections
"Well," thought /, whatever Mr..
Dimidoff7s house may be like, his ser
wants are undoubtedly well trained"
20, sacred onem and reverend mas
teri" | wonder what he'd call old Dick
son himself if he is SO polite to the
clerk! | suppose it wouln't be the
thing to smoke in this little crib; but
couldsdo q pipe nicely. By the way
how confoundedly like cell it looksi"
1t certainly did look like cell. The
door was a strong one and the windows
closely barred. The floor was of wood
and sounded hollow and insecure as /
strobe across it. Both floors and walls
were thickly splashed with coffee or
some other dark liquid On the whole
it was far from place where one would
be likely to become unreasonably fes-
| tive.
| had hardly concluded my survey
when ! heard steps approaching down
the corridor, 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 dis
and into 4 large and beautifully fur
nlshcd apartment. A table was spread
for two in the center Of it, and by the
fire was standing man very little old
Ell than myself He turned as / came
in and stepped forward to meet me
with every symptom Of profound re-
spect.
80 young and yet 50 honoredw
he exclaimed; and then seeming
to recollect himself, he continued:
pray sit down at the head ofthe table.
You must be fatigued by your long and
arduous journey. We dine tete-a-tete;
but the others assemble afterward"
"Mr. Dimidoff, presumed" said l.
''No, sir; said he, turning his keen
gray eyes upon me. "My name is
Petrokine; you mistake me perhaps for
some Of the others. But now not word
Of business until the council meets. Try
your chiefs soup, you will find it ey-
cellent, / think"
Who Mr.. Petrokine or the others
stewards Of Dlmikoffs' perhaps, though
the name did not sound familiar to my
companion. However rs he appeared
to shun any business questions at pres
ent, | gave in to his humor and we con-
versed on social life in England sub
ject in which he displayed considerable
knowledge and acuteness. His remarks
too on Nautilus and the laws of popula-
ton were wonderfully good, though
savoring somewhat ofradicalism.
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 no
personal description of you; indeed we
were prepared to expect somewhat
older man. You are young, indeed
sir to be intrusted with such a mission"
"Ny employer trusts me-" replied,
''and we have learned in our trade that
youth and shrewdness are not lncom-
patible."
Your remark is true, sir" returned
my newly-made friend; "but am sur
prlsed to hear you call our glorious as
ISOLATION a trade Such term is gross
indeed to apply to body of men band
ed together 10 supply the world with
that which it is yearning for, but which,
without our exertions, it can never
hope to attain. A spiritual brother
hood would be a more fitting term
by Jove !" thought /, chow pleased
the boss would be to hear him. He
must have been in the business him
self, whoever he is.
Now, SIR said Mr.. Petrokine, .sthe
clock points to eight. and the Council
must be already sitting. Let us go up
together, and l will introduce you. /
need hardly say that the greatest Sc
crecy is observed, and that your ap-
pearance is anxiouslv awaited
| turned over III my mind as | fol-
lowed him, how / might best fulfill my
mission and secure the most advan-
tageous terms. They seemed as anxious
as | was in the matter, and there APP
peared to be no opposition, 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 a large
door ut the end Of a passage, and |
found myself in room larger and even
more gorgeously fitted up than the one
in which l had dined. A long table,
covered with green baize and strewn
with papers, ran down the middle, and
round it We're sitting fourteen or fifteen
men conyerSinu earnestly The whole